Purchasing & Assortment Manager

  • Viking
  • Thurcaston, Leicestershire
  • May 07, 2026
Full time Retail

Job Description

We re looking for a commercially savvy Purchasing & Assortment Manager to drive profitability, strengthen vendor partnerships, and shape the product strategy for their division across our European business. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a truly international environment, influencing product ranges that support thousands of customers.

What you ll be doing:

  • Leading assortment, vendor selection, contract management and pricing across 7 core markets (UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria & Switzerland), plus coordination with Italy, Spain & France.

  • Developing category and product strategies to maximise sales, margins and customer satisfaction.

  • Negotiating contracts and building long-term vendor relationships.

  • Managing product lifecycles, from new launches to delistings.

  • Driving cost savings, own-brand development, and rebate opportunities.

  • Collaborating with Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain and Merchandising on promotions and category performance.

  • Providing market insights and managing vendor performance against agreements.

About you:

  • 5+ years purchasing and/or category management experience in an international trading environment.

  • Proven track record in negotiation, vendor management and category strategy.

  • Strong commercial mindset with the ability to spot risks and opportunities in data.

  • Excellent stakeholder management and clear, confident communication.

  • Fluent in English (other languages such as French, Dutch or German are an advantage but not essential).

  • Skilled in Excel; experience with pricing management or BI tools (e.g. Power BI) a plus.

  • Willingness to travel