Category Manager - Hobbies & Collectibles

We're looking for a commercially sharp, community-minded Category Manager to join our Purchasing team at Mighty Ape. Reporting to the General Manager - Purchasing, you'll own the end-to-end commercial performance of our Hobbies & Collectibles portfolio - from Games Workshop and Trading Card Games through to scale models, Gunpla, statues and Pop! Vinyl.

It's one of the largest and most demanding portfolios in the business, with full P&L ownership and one of the most passionate customer communities in New Zealand retail behind it.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end commercial performance of the Hobbies & Collectibles portfolio, including sales, gross profit, net profit, inventory turnover and ROI.
• Develop and execute short and long-term category strategies that grow market share against specialist hobby retailers, global collector marketplaces and direct-to-consumer licensor stores.
• Own range architecture across a wide SKU set, setting clear entry and exit criteria for brands and licences and rationalising lines that aren't working.
• Build and deepen senior relationships with licensors, manufacturers and distributors, and negotiate allocations on supply-constrained product.
• Grow the hobby community around Mighty Ape, making sure scarce product reaches genuine fans rather than resellers, and helping plan and run community events.
• Own the pre-order strategy end to end, from announcement-day listing speed through to delivery, including long-dated collectible pre-orders.
• Manage the full product lifecycle from release pricing through to clearance, acting decisively on aged and slow-moving stock.
• Design and run a forward-looking promotional calendar built around the global release slate and key trading events.
• Use core business systems, advanced Excel and AI powered tools to analyse performance trends and react quickly through our eCommerce levers.

Requirements

Essential

• Proven commercial accountability for a product range, including sales, margin and stock performance.
• Strong, current knowledge of the hobbies, tabletop gaming and collectibles industry.
• A curator's eye, with evidence of deciding what comes out of a range rather than only what goes in.
• Confident negotiator, comfortable managing supplier and licensor relationships at a senior level.
• Excellent analytical skills, including advanced Excel and the judgement to know which numbers matter.

Nice to have

• Previous experience with allocation-constrained or street-dated product.
• Exposure to long lead-time import and pre-order models.
• Understanding of licensor trade terms such as street dates, minimum advertised pricing and territory restrictions.
• Experience running or supporting customer or community events.

Benefits

• Free Primate subscription
• Team member discount
• Annual book allowance
• Health Insurance subsidy
• Collaborative, energetic team culture
• Fun team events, social squad & more
• Daily Fruit, Breakfast Cereals and Snacks
• Free Team Member parking