Description
We are seeking a Trading Manager to lead our Indian, Oriental, Asian & Health Ready Meals category at Asda. This is a unique opportunity to shape one of the most dynamic and fast-evolving areas of the Ready Meals market, balancing authentic cuisine, health-led innovation, customer value, and category performance.
As the Trading Manager, you'll have ownership of a strategically important category, working with leading branded partners and own-brand suppliers to deliver sales growth, profitability, innovation, and exceptional customer propositions. You'll combine commercial expertise with consumer insight to identify opportunities, create compelling ranges, and ensure Asda continues to meet the evolving tastes and lifestyles of millions of customers.
Responsibilities
- Owning the end-to-end trading performance of the Indian, Oriental, Asian & Health Ready Meals category, delivering sales, profit, and market share growth.
- Developing and executing category strategies that align with customer trends, market opportunities, and Asda's wider commercial objectives.
- Leading supplier negotiations across pricing, promotions, range development, innovation, and strategic investment.
- Building strong, collaborative partnerships with key suppliers to deliver joint business plans and long-term growth.
- Managing category P&L performance, balancing value, volume, margin, and customer satisfaction.
- Using customer, market, and competitor insights to identify opportunities for innovation, differentiation, and growth.
- Driving category range reviews, product launches, and promotional strategies to ensure a compelling customer offer.
- Championing food trends across world cuisine, healthy living, convenience, and premium meal solutions.
- Monitoring commodity and market dynamics, translating insight into effective commercial actions.
- Working cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Finance, Retail Operations, Technical, Marketing, and Product Development teams to deliver category objectives.
- Leading initiatives that improve cost-to-serve, operational efficiency, and sustainable category growth.
Requirements
- Significant experience in a commercial Trading, Buying, or Category Management role, ideally within Grocery, Chilled Food, Ready Meals, or FMCG.
- Proven experience managing category performance, supplier negotiations, and commercial delivery.
- Strong P&L management skills with the ability to drive sales and profitability simultaneously.
- Excellent negotiation and influencing skills, with experience delivering meaningful commercial outcomes.
- A passion for food and a strong understanding of evolving customer trends, particularly within world foods, convenience, and health-focused ranges.
- The ability to interpret complex data and translate insights into actionable commercial strategies.
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills with the confidence to engage and influence at all levels.
- A growth mindset and the ability to identify opportunities in fast-moving and highly competitive markets.
Benefits
- Discretionary company bonus
- Company pension up to 7% matched
- Company Car allowance of £5,700
- 15% colleague discount in store and online
- Free access to wellbeing services such as Stream, 24/7 virtual GP, counselling, health and dental cash plans and a 24/7 employee assistance helpline, alongside discounts across a range of services and activities, from airport parking, enhanced to theme parks and cinemas.
- Asda Allies Inclusion Networks – helping colleagues to make sure everybody is included and that our differences are recognised and celebrated
- Excellent parental leave policies, including maternity & adoption leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, neonatal care leave, and support for those doing fertility treatments.