What you will be doing

As a Junior Category Manager Home Textiles & Apparel, you will be part of our Soft Goods category team and grow it in both numbers and sales. From concept to launch, you will initiate and coordinate new introductions in all stages of the development cycle. In addition to being familiar with products and their markets, this role will also require creative and strategic insight. This will make it easy to spot trends and new brands, quickly seize opportunities and create win-win partnerships. Moreover, you will develop strategic development plans and continuously drive growth and performance. You will create a broader portfolio of bags that continues to appeal to our customers within a short period of time.

Your solid communication skills will be very useful to maintain everything on the right track because you will be in continuous contact with many stakeholders. You will often start your mornings with a meeting with one of the foreign purchasing offices about the latest products. What colors will we use, what will a finished product look like, and what will be the requirements we set for the product and its supplier? You will discuss it, arrange it, and record it. Besides, some knowledge about (online) marketing will be desirable in this role, as most sales will be generated from this perspective.

You will be able to easily find your way between cross-functional teams, not only externally, but also internally. You will know how to get things done in a natural way, without losing sight of the different interests involved. Your contacts will range from the Marketing and Planning departments to the International Sales Offices and the Decoration Team. Since you can keep a good overview, you also do not feel stressed when several colleagues, clients, projects, or data require your attention at the same time. The official language is English. If you also speak Dutch and/or a second foreign language, that would be a great advantage.

This is your profile

• You have at least 3 years of experience in category management, product development, purchasing or a related field
• You like products in the broadest sense of the word
• Your English communication and presentation skills are outstanding
• You combine commercial insight with a data-centric attitude
• High energy, results driven mentality and ability to work autonomously
• You have a problem-solving mentality
• Proven capability to adapt to new systems and willingness to learn
• Strong communication and relationship management skills
• Strong attention to detail
• You don't have a problem with occasional trips to domestic and foreign locations/partners

This is your place of work

You will be part of the Product Development Team that consists of 15 people. Within this team you will work from a solid sub-team with a Category Leader and Category Assistant. You will get to the desks of the Marketing or E-Commerce Team within seconds, as they will share the same space. Thanks to our flat organizational structure, lines are very short anyway. As we are originally a trade organization with huge growth ambitions, you will be able to thrive in an international, dynamic, and sales-oriented environment. One with an open and informal corporate culture with many opportunities. If you show your initiative, we will open a world for you.

This is what you will get

• Good working conditions and a market-based salary
• 25 holidays, a premium-free pension, travel allowance and more
• The option to work partially from home, also post-corona
• A pleasant working atmosphere with an open culture where one’s own input and initiative will be rewarded

About us

We are the European market leader in developing, selling and delivering promotional products. Think of giveaways such as bags, (company) clothing or sport bottles with, for example, the logo of your employer or customer on them. As part of the global market leader, our complete portfolio now amounts to about 12,000 articles. These products are stored in our 20.000m² warehouse in Poland and are decorated with our high-tech equipment to suit your needs. We operate B2B2B, so finished products find their way to end customers via one of our 10,000 resellers in over 100 countries.