Category Manager - Books

As our Category Manager – Books, you will have the rare chance to shape the literary offering for two of Australasia’s most iconic eCommerce destinations: Mighty Ape and Kogan.com. This is an awesome opportunity to be at the forefront of a fast-paced, ASX-listed business, driving growth across the Tasman.

We are looking for a commercially sharp, tech-savvy, and outcomes-focused Category Manager to own and grow our Books category. This role suits an ambitious professional, either an emerging Category Manager or an experienced Assistant Buyer who is ready to take full P&L ownership of a portfolio.

Operating with an "owner’s mindset," you will drive end-to-end commercial performance, from strategic sourcing and publisher negotiations to pricing, inventory management, and promotional planning.

In this role you'll be responsible for:

• Category Strategy & Performance: Develop and execute strategic plans for the Books category. You’ll analyse performance data and market trends to hit sales and margin KPIs.
• Strategic Sourcing: Identify and secure new titles and ranges, negotiating favourable terms with global publishers and distributors.
• Market Relevance: Analyse bestseller lists and competitor trends to keep the catalogue ahead of the curve.
• Digital Availability: Manage and maintain book feeds to ensure our full range is accurately represented and available for purchase across all websites.
• Supplier Engagement: Build strong relationships with key suppliers, run competitive tenders and evaluate total landed costs to ensure unbeatable value for our customers.
• Optimise Stock Integrity: Monitor inventory levels to balance demand with minimal overstock; partner closely with Demand Planning to ensure seamless replenishment and uninterrupted supply.
• Streamline Operations: Oversee import timelines and coordinate with logistics teams to ensure peak efficiency in shipping and warehousing.
• Commercial Execution: Actively negotiate trading terms, drive price changes across multiple sales channels, and partner with Marketing teams to ensure product listings are perfectly merchandised.
• Financial Rigour: Manage rebate and co-op invoicing claims, monitor weekly sales results, and complete range reviews to maximise commercial outcomes.

To be successful in this role, you should be:

• University Degree qualified in a relevant field (Commerce, Business, Engineering, Supply Chain or similar)
• Have experience with Category ownership, at either an Assistant / Junior / Category Manager level, preferably within an eCommerce, Retail or FMCG environment. Experience with Books and/or familiarity with the NZ market will be highly regarded
• You are an expert with Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUPs and Pivot Tables are your second language) and can use data to make quick, impactful commercial decisions.
• A proven ability to influence stakeholders and negotiate the best possible trading terms and prices.
• You are proficient in using various IT and cloud-based tools and demonstrate an ability to leverage AI tools to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and gain deeper category insights
• You are comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where constant change is the norm.

Why Kogan.com?

• Work with an incredible team to solve important challenges, helping to drive Australia and New Zealand’s eCommerce future
• Your role has a lot of ownership, autonomy and little red tape. You’ll be empowered to achieve positive outcomes and your work will have a real impact
• You’ll be at the forefront of the eCommerce industry  with us and be part of a company that are the Pioneers of eCommerce in Australia
• Be an Intrepreneur, playing a hands on role in shaping our strategy at our HQ
• A range of employee benefits such as; complimentary Kogan First Membership, team exclusive discounts, Health & Wellness program, Learning & Development and Lunch & Learns, Hackathons, Team member referral program, Company and team events and celebrations, community engagement (volunteering) and extensive career development opportunities plus loads more!