Category Specialist – Schools – On-site – Germiston at Datafin Recruitment

ENVIRONMENT:


A leading Retailer is looking for a Category Specialist who will be accountable for growing and protecting the company's presence in the schools segment through year-round portfolio management and consultative selling.
This role manages an assigned portfolio of schools, onboarding new schools, retaining existing ones across seasons, and driving commercial sales across the School category range.


DUTIES:


Manage assigned portfolio of schools with planned contact rhythm (pre-season, peak, post-peak, year-round); deliver dependable service across all product categories and maintain current stakeholder maps for priority schools
Actively pursue and convert new schools to expand the company's presence in assigned region; identify prospects by profile, decision-maker access, category fit, and seasonal timing; execute structured pre-season engagement
Plan and execute Back-to-School as a deliberate campaign with pre-season pipeline build, in-season list management, and post-peak retention review; achieve monthly, seasonal, and annual revenue and gross profit targets
Diagnose school needs before recommending through questioning on grade-level requirements, budget shape, timing, and pain points; translate requirements into accurate lists, quotes, and specifications
Drive year-round commercial sales to keep portfolio active between seasons and unlock monthly school spend beyond peak periods; suggest fit-for-purpose options that serve schools better
Coordinate with Key Account Management, New Business Development, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and Category teams for clean fulfilment; maintain CRM currency and surface pricing pressure early
Build organizational intelligence on the schools market by capturing and sharing structured insights on competitor activity, procurement patterns, budget cycles, and demand shifts.


REQUIREMENTS:


Relevant tertiary qualification in Sales, Marketing, Business Administration, Education, or related commercial field
Solid experience in B2B sales, account management, or commercial roles with portfolio management, client retention, and new business development responsibility
Experience working in education, institutional sales, or multi-category commercial environments; exposure to consultative selling and stakeholder relationship management
Proficiency in CRM systems | Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) | Quoting and specification management
Experience managing client portfolios with planned engagement cadence; working in seasonal or campaign-driven sales environments with pipeline discipline


Preferred Qualifications


Professional certifications in sales, account management, or category management
Experience in the office products, education, or B2B distribution sector
Demonstrated success in multi-stakeholder relationship building and service recovery


ATTRIBUTES:


Technical Skills: CRM & Sales Management Software | Microsoft Office Suite | Quoting & Specification Management | Category Knowledge (Stationery, Furniture, Technology, Hygiene) | Schools Market & Procurement Insight
Soft Skills: Consultative Selling & Diagnostic Questioning | Stakeholder Relationship Management | Commercial Negotiation & Value Articulation | Time Management & Priority Setting | Problem-Solving & Service Recovery | Communication & Interpersonal Skills