Category Manager

Category Manager
Filled Products Category, Category Area Comfort

We are now looking to recruit a Category Manager for Filled Products to join our exciting journey in Comfort Category Area!

Category Filled Products is developing the global IKEA purchasing of pillows, quilts, mattress protectors, pads and cushions. We have a passion to enable outstanding quality comfort products that are affordable and can reach more of the many people. We believe this is possible through a differentiated supply chain, with innovated production setups end to end.
We work together and have a can do attitude! Filled Products Category consist of 35 co-workers sitting in six locations, working together with our 26 home furnishing suppliers. We act on synergies with other industries by working close with colleagues in our Category Area Comfort (Mattresses, Work Chairs, Upholstery Frames), as well as other categories.
Job Description
What will you do?
As a Category Manager you lead and deliver a strategic business plan for Filled Products together with your Category Management Team, business teams, suppliers and partners in the Home Furnishing Business area to deliver excellent business results.
You will be responsible for;
• Developing and leading the implementation of the Category plan.
• Securing performance of the category through development of current and future supplier base.
• Through IKEA way of doing business secure right pre-conditions for a professional long term business development with our partners based on a shared business model, trust and transparency.
• Leading the deployment of new materials and new production techniques.
• Lead and develop the Category Management Team and be an active member of CA management team.
• Establish and manage the cost budget; Continuously use resources in an optimal way to secure business goals
• Recruitment, development, performance management, retention and succession plans for co-workers directly in your team
• Driving Leadership and Competence agenda: Identify gaps and needs, and build leadership and competence plans to meet the short and long term business needs
• Contribute to identify and act upon cross-category synergies & opportunities within category area and across categories in Purchasing Development.
• Ensure product and supplier compliance and implementation of global quality and engineering working methods and IT systems
What you bring with you?
From your previous work experience you bring;
• Proven leadership experience, favourably within remote leadership and/or in a matrix
• Understanding of IKEA strategic landscape and good representative of IKEA culture and values
• Strong business knowledge in the field of purchasing
• Good understanding of materials and production, preferably in connection to comfort
• Good communication skills in English, both verbal and written, with the ability to communicate clearly and in a simple way
• Strong stakeholder management skills
Qualifications
Who are you?
As our Category Manager you have an entrepreneurial spirit with a strong ability to lead both business and people. You have a strong capability to identify and capture business opportunities and deliver excellent results and can easily combine working on a strategic level with acting on a tactical/ operational one. You lead by example and are good at both clarifying and inspiring, building networks and long term partnerships. You like challenges and innovative solutions being able to step into the unknown. You lead the business with an analytical and holistic view, always keeping customer, supplier and IKEA in mind. You lead with the IKEA values and act as an ambassador and Role Model for Fact-based Business leadership.
Additional information
This role requires a lot of travelling to teams and suppliers located in Europe, Asia and in North America. The position will be based in Älmhult. As a Category Manager you will report to Category Area Manager within Comfort.
For more information about the role, please contact Category Area Manager Tina Stilleborn, tina.stilleborn@inter.ikea.com. If you have questions about the recruitment process you can reach out to josefine.winqvist1@inter.ikea.com
Please send your application in English latest 6th June 2020.