Brand & Category Manager - Outdoor & Endurance Sports - A1 Sport

Nature of work

A1 Sport is looking for an individual with the ability to work in a dual role as Brand & Category Manager - Outdoor & Endurance Sports. As a Brand and Category Manager, you will be responsible for building and maintaining the brands' image and positioning in the marketplace, while focusing on optimizing the performance and profitability of your specific product categories.

Main duties

As a BRAND MANAGER, you will be responsible for managing a specific portfolio of brands within our company. Your main objective will be to build and maintain a strong brand image and ensure that the brand's products resonate with the target market.

As CATEGORY MANAGER, you will be responsible for managing the outdoor and endurance sports categories within our company. Your main objective will be to optimize category performance and profitability. Our Category Managers manage a range of brands and products in the assigned category(ies).

Tasks

The main responsibilities of our Brand Manager will include:

Brand strategy: develop and implement brand strategies to improve brand value, market position and customer loyalty.
Brand identity: define and maintain, in collaboration with the marketing team, the brand's identity, including its values, personality and visual elements.
Marketing campaigns: Collaborate with the marketing team to create campaigns and promotional activities to increase brand awareness and drive sales.
Market research: Conduct market research to understand consumer behavior, market trends and competitors to inform brand strategies.
Brand and product specialist: maintain a sufficient level of technical knowledge of the brand and product specifications.
Product development and innovation (own brands): Collaborate with product teams to ensure that new products align with brand positioning and meet consumer needs.
Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with various departments such as marketing and sales to ensure brand consistency and effective communication.
Sales meetings, trade shows and events: Attend key sales meetings, trade shows or events as required.

Sales team support:

Support the sales team with specific brand needs.
Present new collections and sales programs to the sales team.
Build / organize brand and product training sessions.
Manage and coordinate in-store product demonstrations and clinics.

The main responsibilities of our category managers include:

Category strategy: develop and implement strategies to drive growth and maximize profitability in assigned product categories.
Assortment planning: determine the right mix of products to offer in the category and brands based on customer preferences, market trends and the business case.
Pricing and promotion: define appropriate pricing strategies and oversee promotional activities to drive sales and achieve category objectives.
Supplier management: Identify and manage supplier relationships, negotiate contracts and ensure availability of quality products. Attend brand/supplier meetings.
Competitive analysis: monitor market trends, analyze competitor activities and identify opportunities or threats within the category.
Performance analysis: monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) such as sales, margin and inventory turns to assess category and brand performance and make data-driven decisions.
Inventory: Establish ST's inventory requirements and annual targets for each brand, using the company's purchasing budget.
Brand acquisition: Constantly on the lookout for potential new brands to develop our portfolio.