The Global Category Director (Access Hardware) will lead the strategic development of the Cable Management and Fastener Hardware category, focusing on innovation, New Product Introduction (NPI), and maintaining a competitive and relevant stocked range.

This role will interface with key functions, including demand and supply planning, procurement, marketing, pricing, and strategic footprint, to drive commercial success and operational efficiency.

The role requires strong leadership in building product expertise and improving data management to enhance decision-making and performance monitoring.

The candidate will have a depth of industry knowledge, strong leadership skills, excellent influencing and negotiation skills and a strategic mindset.

Responsibilities:

Category Strategy & Innovation

• Develop and implement category strategies that prioritise innovation, customer needs, and competitive positioning
• Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) processes, ensuring timely and cost-effective launches that align with business goals
• Maintain a relevant and competitive stocked range, balancing market demand with strategic supply planning
• Foster a culture of product expertise, ensuring in-depth knowledge of product categories is leveraged across teams

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work closely with demand and supply planning to ensure the smooth flow of products from development to customer delivery
• Collaborate with procurement, operations, and pricing teams to ensure alignment on cost, availability, and market competitiveness
• Influence strategic footprint decisions, ensuring optimal production and distribution strategies to support category growth
• Champion data-driven decision-making, improving data management systems to enhance forecasting, inventory control, and performance metrics

Commercial & Market Focus

• Build commercial strategies around product categories, driving both top-line growth and margin improvement.
• Stay ahead of market trends, customer demands, and competitive developments, ensuring that Essentra’s product offering remains relevant and differentiated
• Manage pricing strategies, working closely with the pricing team to balance competitiveness with profitability
• Regularly report to the Group Category Director on category performance, innovations, risks, and opportunities

Data Management & Process Improvement

• Oversee improvements in data management, ensuring accurate and timely information is available to support decision-making
• Develop and implement best practices for tracking category performance, stock management, and market insights
• Lead initiatives to streamline processes across the product lifecycle, from development to end-user delivery

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead a high-performing product category management team, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment
• Build the team’s expertise in product knowledge, commercial acumen, and data analysis to support strategic goals
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and career development opportunities to team members
• Regularly report to the Group Category Director on category performance, innovations, risks, and opportunities

Data Management & Process Improvement

• Oversee improvements in data management, ensuring accurate and timely information is available to support decision-making
• Develop and implement best practices for tracking category performance, stock management, and market insights
• Lead initiatives to streamline processes across the product lifecycle, from development to end-user delivery

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead a high-performing product category management team, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment
• Build the team’s expertise in product knowledge, commercial acumen, and data analysis to support strategic goals
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and career development opportunities to team members

Required Skills & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, supply chain management, or a related field (MBA preferred
• Proven experience in product category management, with a strong commercial focus and expertise in New Product Introduction (NPI)
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams in areas such as demand planning, supply planning, procurement, and pricing
• Excellent commercial acumen with a deep understanding of market dynamics, customer needs, and competitive positioning
• Solid experience in data management and using analytics to drive business decisions and improve performance
• Strategic thinker with a proactive, results-driven mindset, capable of managing a broad product portfolio
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels
• Strong problem-solving skills with a continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and lead initiatives that enhance operational efficiency
• Collaborative and proactive approach, with a focus on building partnerships across multiple functions
• Results-oriented with a strong sense of ownership and accountability

What we offer:

• Attractive salary
• Discretionary Annual Bonus
• Health Insurance
• Car Allowance
• Energy allowance (Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec)
• Bayram Vouchers
• Gift Allowance
• Employee Assistance Program

This role is predominantly based at our Mesan site in Silivri with domestic / international travel required.

Essentra plc is a leading global provider of essential components and solutions, focusing on the manufacture and distribution of plastic injection moulded, vinyl dip moulded and metal items.

Headquartered in the UK, Essentra's global network extends to 28 countries worldwide and includes over 3,000 employees, 14 manufacturing facilities, 24 distribution centres and 33 sales & service centres serving c.74,000 customers with a rapid supply of low cost but essential products for a variety of applications in industries such as equipment manufacturing, automotive, fabrication, electronics, medical and renewable energy.

At Essentra we are ideally looking for individuals who enjoy working as part of a close team, are passionate about what they do and who strive to make a difference. We are always looking to better ourselves and are keen to recruit individuals who like to innovate and improve processes.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate a pre-existing right to work in Turkey and right to travel across Essentra sites. Documentary evidence will be requested at interview.