<p><strong>About us </strong></p><p>At Halfords, our mission is to keep the nation moving through the inspiration and support of a lifetime of motoring and cycling. As a specialist retailer, we lead the market through customer-driven innovation and a distinctive product range. We are committed to providing customers with an integrated and convenient experience across retail, autocentres and digital services.</p><p>Halfords is evolving its commercial function into a true category management model fully aligned to our retail strategy and long-term growth ambitions. As part of a significant transformation programme, we are investing in new leadership roles, new ways of working and stronger data-led decision-making across our category teams.</p><p>This change represents a fundamental shift in how we drive performance, balance short-term trading with a long-term strategy and build market-leading propositions across our categories. It is a genuinely exciting time to join Halfords Commercial, with the opportunity to shape the future direction of the business and make a visible, lasting impact. A true legacy-making opportunity.</p><p><strong>About the role</strong></p><p>The Head of Category is a pivotal, newly created leadership role within our Commercial function. You will own the strategic direction, performance and development of a major category, leading your team to deliver sustainable growth, improved profitability and competitive advantage across all channels.</p><p>Operating at a senior level, you will define Category strategy, set the commercial agenda and translate insight into action. You will balance trading performance with longer-term strategic objectives, ensuring Halfords builds differentiated customer-led propositions that perform in the market.</p><p>You will lead and develop a high-performing category team, working closely with senior stakeholders across e-commerce, marketing, supply chain, finance and operations to deliver shared goals.</p><p><strong>Key responsibilities </strong></p><ul><li>Own and deliver end-to-end category strategy, shaping range, sourcing, pricing and promotional direction across online and store channels</li><li>Lead category performance, holding accountability for sales, margin and profitability targets</li><li>Define and lead supplier strategy, building strong strategic partnerships that drive innovation, value and long-term growth</li><li>Set and deliver annual category plans and budgets, ensuring performance is tracked and optimised against clear KPIs</li><li>Use data, insight and market intelligence to inform decisions, identify opportunities and manage risk</li><li>Drive range and proposition development, ensuring customer needs, market trends and own brand ambitions are fully embedded</li><li>Lead ESG compliance and category-specific sustainability initiatives in line with wider business priorities</li><li>Work cross-functionally to align category priorities with trading, supply chain, marketing and digital activity</li><li>Develop, coach and inspire your team, building capability and succession within the category function</li></ul><p><strong>About You</strong></p><ul><li>Highly experienced category leader from retail, trade, wholesale or adjacent environments with significant category management and buying leadership experience</li><li>Strong background in complex, multi-channel commercial environments with experience operating at pace and managing complexity</li><li>A confident, commercially astute leader with a track record of delivering category growth and profitability</li><li>Highly skilled in negotiation and supplier management with experience of global sourcing and brand development</li><li>Data-led and analytically strong, able to translate insight into clear strategic action</li><li>A collaborative leader who can influence at a senior level and bring cross-functional teams together</li><li>Comfortable setting strategy as well as rolling sleeves up to deliver execution</li><li>Proven ability to grow and develop a high-performing team, balancing coaching, mentoring, and constructive challenge to build capability and drive results</li></ul><p><strong>Reward and Benefits</strong></p><ul><li>A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, plus car allowance and an annual discretionary bonus</li><li>Pension, life assurance, 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave</li><li>Commitment to your ongoing personal and professional development, supporting you to perform at your best and progress your career at Halfords</li><li>Hybrid working based at our Support Centre, with three days a week on site and two days working from home</li><li>Access to a wide range of colleague discounts across the Halfords product and service portfolio</li><li>Well-being and inclusion at the heart of our colleague experience, with access to support resources and active colleague networks across the business</li></ul><p>Not sure you meet all the criteria?&nbsp;We'd&nbsp;encourage you to take the wheel and apply anyway! At Halfords we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for our colleagues.&nbsp;We're&nbsp;an equal opportunities employer and proud to welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our one Halfords Family.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>At Halfords, we&nbsp;operate&nbsp;a hybrid working policy with&nbsp;3&nbsp;days on site at our Support Centre in Redditch, Worcestershire.&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>