Nordic Category Manager, Home Textiles

Are you a skilled professional in retail procurement? Do you thrive on challenges, stay hungry for success, and boldly pursue your goals? If this sounds like you, please keep reading as your next career move might be just a scroll away.

We are now looking for a Nordic Category Manager in Home textiles and decor buying team in Group Buying and Sourcing department. In this job role you will be responsible for planning and actively developing competitive product selections and campaigns in the Nordics, both in stores and online. The responsibility area consists of Home Textiles.

This role entails ensuring Tokmanni Group´s price competitiveness and profitability through active price negotiations and sales pricing. You will manage entire category’s plans and performance across all countries ie. Finland, Sweden and Denmark. You will report to the Group Category Manager and will be a member of the Category Area team.

Your key tasks and responsibilities

You will have full end-to-end responsibility for the category in the global category setup, including strategy, assortment planning, negotiations, & pricing plans in the Nordics. This includes:

• Taking ownership of category strategy and plans, including Private Label

• Identifying suppliers and conducting supplier negotiations according to Group supplier strategy

• Planning customer prices

• Planning campaign activities (ie. selecting products and providing guidance for marketing)

• Collaboration with store concepts and marketing

• Life cycle management for products according to group guidelines

• Collaborating and guiding local Category Expert to execute the selected assortments locally

• Managing logistics in collaboration with Supply Chain and Category Expert

What do we expect from you?

• Commercial education (e.g., relevant university degree, polytechnic degree) and expertise in retail/discount retailing
• Plus 3 years’ experience and proven track record in managing Home Textiles product categories and product procurement for both online and in stores
• A good eye for colours and patterns, and knowledge of textile materials
• Experience in international procurement and private label products, including import business
• Strong expertise in building and renewing assortments, negotiations, pricing and budgeting
• Proven success in building competitive business within own product categories and achieving key metrics and goals
• Strong numerical understanding, analytical skills, and the ability to draw conclusions based on data/results
• Ability and experience in understanding and leading profitability, and insight into developing business for your product categories according to discount retail requirements in the Nordics
• Experience and insight into marketing, trends and competitor monitoring, customer-oriented approach, with the ability to follow trends and identify commercial opportunities
• Strong analytical product life cycle and product availability management
  Good project management skills and collaboration skills
• Proficiency in various IT programs and systems
• The ability to engage with people from different cultures in line with Tokmanni Group’s strategy and values
• Willingness to travel and the ability to work effectively in a hybrid model, with 2–3 days per week at the office
• Excellent proficiency in Finnish and English, both oral and written, including professional terminology; proficiency in Swedish is considered an advantage

As our organisation has recently transitioned into a one-company model, you are comfortable working in an evolving environment where shared ways of working are still being established, and you navigate change with a positive and adaptable mindset.

We offer you:

• A group-level role in a growing and international publicly listed company, which is one of the leading discount retail chains in the Nordic countries

• An opportunity to leverage your expertise in a responsible and business-critical role, actively contributing to the evolution of organizational practices

• Engaging work environment with friendly, supportive, and encouraging colleagues

• Flexible hybrid work model

• Comprehensive benefits package including staff discounts in stores and online shops for you and your family members, staff store access, exercise and culture vouchers (ePassi), staff restaurant at the headquarters, incentive bonus system, employee benefit program, and opportunities for continuous learning and development

Application instructions and additional information

The position is permanent and full-time (37.5 hours/week) and is located at our Headquarters in Mäntsälä, Finland. Hybrid work is possible according to Tokmanni Group´s policies. This role involves travelling.

Apply for the position as soon as possible and no later than April 24th by filling out the application form. We will start processing applications during the application period. Please note that we only accept applications submitted through the application form.

Further information will be given by Group Category Director Minna Wegelius on April 10th, 3:00–4:00 PM; April 15th, 4:00–5:00 PM; April 21st, 8:30–9:30 AM, tel. +358 50 5023683 or by email: minna.wegelius@tokmanni.fi.