Category Assistant

At Odysea, we believe that slow food is the necessary antidote to the restlessness of modern life. It brings us together, feeds conversation, creates new traditions, new rituals, and new stories. For us, life revolves around the kitchen table in Greece, and we want everything we create to reflect that. It’s simple: we only sell food that we would happily share with our own family. 

For the past 30 years Odysea has worked with specialist suppliers to bring the finest Greek and Mediterranean products to the UK. Every product we supply has a story or something special about it: when a producer serenades their goats with classical music or painstakingly transports their beehives by boat, you can really taste their passion and dedication in the end product - and that’s the real secret ingredient. 
As Odysea has evolved, so too has our award-winning product range, from the truly authentic through to more contemporary flavours which have been inspired by traditional Greek & Mediterranean recipes and are unique to Odysea. We have tailored our extensive product range to meet the needs of a host of customers from leading restaurants, hotels and gastro-pubs to quality delicatessens, independent retailers and department store food halls. 

Because one of our fundamental strengths is the knowledge of Greek cuisine, we prioritise maintaining and growing this expertise by continuous review of both our products and suppliers, whilst always focusing on our customers’ needs.  

As we work towards our goal of being the first choice and point of reference for Greek products, we continue to build teams we can trust to develop sustainable long-term relationships with each other, our customers, and suppliers. 

We are an entrepreneurial and dedicated team who values our family culture, and who takes personal accountability for our customers’ and suppliers’ satisfaction. Our teams operate in a rapidly growing, fast-paced, highly pressurised environment, where individuals are expected to deliver against tight deadlines. We want people who are passionate enough, energetic enough, innovative enough, and flexible enough to operate in our dynamic environment. 

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for a Category Assistant to provide effective and efficient support to the commercial team by ensuring that administrative tasks are undertaken accurately and to the required time scales, helping drive sales performance and gross profit in the company.

The Category Assistant will be responsible for tracking and reporting on sales performance across major retail accounts, and supporting the management of the Amazon account in relation to purchase order shortage claims. Completing day-to-day administration, e.g.: new line forms, promotion forms, cost price changes, etc. and planning and managing promotions as per our annual strategy/investment commitments.

The role

Based in London (UK) and working from the office full time, this role will report into the National Accounts Controller.

In this role, the Category Assistant will work closely with key people in Odysea - i.e., National Account Managers, Logistics, Finance and Marketing departments also key people in our customers - Purchasing, Merchandising, Technical, and Supply Chain departments.

Your skills, attributes, and experience
- Computer literacy
- Data Processing skills: well-developed Excel skills
- Report writing and PPT skills including writing skills
- Analytical & Numerical skills
- Customer sensitivity
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Project Management skills
- Excellent administration and organisational ability

What’s on offer

**Salary**: Competitive basic salary with benefits, bonus and incentive structure

**Salary**: £26,000.00-£28,000.00 per year

Ability to commute/relocate:

- London: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

**Experience**:

- Food industry (required)
- Administrative (required)
- Microsoft Excel (required)