Assistant Category Manager

Assistant Category Manager - Visual Merchandising and Sun

Location: Ruddington, Nottingham (Hybrid)

Step into a role that blends commercial category management with visual merchandising expertise. As an Assistant Category Manager - Visual Merchandising and Sun, you'll support the delivery of category strategy, optimise product performance, and elevate the instore customer experience across the UK Optical Retail estate.

Why This Role?

Impact Across the Retail Estate

Play a key role in driving category performance, product profitability and consistent visual merchandising standards.

Strategic & Commercially Focused

support assortment planning, lifecycle management, trading activity and new product launches.

Collaborative Cross-Functional Working

partner with Supply Chain, Store Operations, Marketing, Finance and field teams to deliver

high-quality commercial execution.

If you're commercially minded, analytical and ready to make a difference, this Assistant Category Manager role provides an exciting platform to shape performance.

What's in It for You

• Hybrid working with occasional store and stakeholder visits
• Company pension
• Employee discount and referral programme
• Ownership of financial processes across a significant store portfolio
• Opportunity to drive commercial insight and influence business decisions
• A collaborative and supportive finance community

What We're Looking For

• Analytical and confident decision-making skills
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 products, especially Excel.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management
• Experience coaching, supporting or developing others
• Previous experience of working in a category or visual merchandising role would be advantageous.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Support delivery of category strategy including assortment, pricing and lifecycle management.
• Drive weekly trading processes to maximise sales, margin and product performance.
• Lead elements of new product launches using strong project management and cross-functional coordination.
• Own planogram updates and space allocation across clusters to maximise productivity and brand experience.
• Create store communication, launch documents and support VM execution, refits and new store openings.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Supply Chain to align product flow and marketing material requirements.
• Line manage one direct report, providing coaching, development and regular support to ensure they achieve clear objectives.

About Us

EssilorLuxottica is the global leader in premium eyewear, home to brands like Ray-Ban, Persol, Oakley and luxury licensed collections including Chanel, Prada, Giorgio Armani and Burberry. Our UK retail network spans Sunglass Hut, David Clulow Opticians, Ray-Ban, Oakley and major department store concessions.

Ready to help shape category and visual excellence across our retail estate? Let's make it happen.