Job Ads - Category Manager

Director of Category Management

Position Summary: The Director of Category Management will manage the Buying and Category Management staff and support positions for categories representing approximately 40% of store sales, including products delivered through the Cumberland Farms warehouse as well as selected Direct Store Delivery (DSD) categories, and 3rd party distributors.

Responsibilities:
1. Setting the strategic direction and the performance of all packaged branded and private label products with the exception of Tobacco and foodservice products.
2. Managing and optimizing marketing mix elements (Product, Price, Promotion, Place) and developing strategies to optimize customer appeal and drive business performance
3. Manage and build relationships and negotiate contracts with 3rd party distributors (eg McLane)
4. Aggressively progress synergy opportunities and initiatives that exploit and leverage the organization’s significant growth and expansion trajectory
5. Successfully integrate business as it continues to expand and grow
6. Work with category management team to negotiate vendor contracts and agreements, improving cost of goods and vendor funding
7. Review the vendor base and s¬¬tructure of every product category to ensure that Cumberland Farms is carrying the best products with the best terms.
8. Achieve/exceed quarterly and annual established goals for sales and margin in all product categories.
9. Provide private label/own brand expertise to assist in the development and management of the private label portfolio of Cumberland Farms. Manage Cumberland Farms non-food service, private label product portfolio while increasing private label penetration and reinforcing the company’s brand image.
10. Use positive, constructive techniques to teach team the most up to date measures in Category Management best practices while establishing and encouraging a challenging yet enjoyable work environment.
11. Encourage team to embrace using rigor, methodology, and accountability for buying decisions
12. Work with team to establish an analytical approach to category management, including establishing category goals/budget, monitoring category results closely, and course correcting as necessary to meet goals.
13. Maintain appropriate staffing levels
14. Negotiating with manufacturers, vendors, and brokers.
15. Establish relationships with members of various industry organizations (e.g. NECSA, NACS) to stay on top of industry trends and performance.
16. Improve speed of decision-making around categories (e.g. price, shelf space, etc.)
17. Partner effectively with other functional departments in the company including Operations, Finance, HR, and Supply Chain.

Minimum Education: Bachelors in Marketing or related area
Preferred Education: Master’s in Business Administration
Minimum Experience: 5 years category management experience in retail food business, 2+ years of private label/product development experience, and 7+ years of experience managing teams of people.

Preferred Experience:

Significant experience in the convenience or grocery industry.
Experience in pricing.
Training in category management approach.
Knowledge of the key Categories
Understand the business vision, strategy, financial priorities, performance measures, and cycle.

Own Brand Category Manager

Wakefern Food Corporation

What’s Wakefern? Haven’t heard of us? That’s okay. But you’ve probably heard of our supermarkets: ShopRite, PriceRite, Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market. Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States and is the largest employer in New Jersey with over 70,000 employees. And in 2018, we reported a record in retail sales of over $16 Billion!

26% of our employees have been with us for at least 25 years! Why? Because we care about our people and understand that they are our greatest asset.

Job Summary:
The Category Manager is a self-motivated and driven contributor to Own Brand procurement and innovation team, and an expert on the pricing, visual merchandising, management and sales of categories of products. The Category Manager is responsible to drive the pricing, shelving, marketing and promotions of Own Brand products to make them visible, accessible and appealing to customers. This position requires a working knowledge of the products within the division, ability to comprehend consumer needs and buying practices, and understand the sales goals and environment related to the merchandise category. The primary responsibilities of the Category Manager are vendor management, pricing and marketing, creation of programs, in-store merchandising, and planning and inventory management. The Category Manager role in Own Brands is highly analytical, and needs to be an ambitious professional who is resilient and flexible to meet business needs.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements:

Four year College degree required.
Must have at least 2 years of previous purchasing experience in a retail organization and an understanding of surrounding laws and regulations.
Previous experience in private label products is preferred.
Able to analyze consumer data and identify trends.
Aptitude for detail and figure oriented work and the ability to learn computer systems easily.
Experienced in giving presentations with the ability to adapt to differing perspectives.
Well-developed oral and written communication skills.
Clear ability to analyze data to make category decisions and recommendations.
A thorough understanding of retail insights
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with all levels of the organization
Previous experience and knowledge of a retail environment.
Demonstrated ability to develop and articulate category strategies and the impact on total store
Proven experience of highly effective supplier management and development
Experience of managing business improvements projects within a Supply Chain & Purchasing environment

Category Manager

Fairway Market

Role and Responsibilities:
Fairway Market is currently looking for a leader in building category strategies that deliver against market share targets and build consumer loyalty. The Category Manager is responsible for all Specialty procurement and vendor management of the Specialty department.The following are the role and responsibilities of the Category Manager, Specialty:

Department-specific Responsibilities:

Revise and maintain accurate category data to include costing, size, nutritional data, and retail to maintain desired profitable margin for all managed categories
Track performance on all SKUs within assigned categories:

o Sales, margin dollars, minimum performance standards, trends, and category results.
o Promotional results including category lift and increased store traffic
o Vendor service levels, inventories, and, in-store availability

Interpret internal and external data sources to make product decisions to maintain a superior assortment
Select new items consistent with Fairway’s brand image, based on available data, trends, and forecasts
Understand the local competitive environment, promotional strategies, and assortment
Partner with Marketing to balance quality, value, and excitement by identifying the best vehicles to convey new and promotional items
Publish display guides and merchandising requirements for accurate execution at store level
Aggressively negotiate the lowest possible cost of goods for every item, on and off promotion
Work with Accounts Receivable to bill vendors and reconcile disputes
Initiate and develop new buying trends
Maintain planograms in partnership with Space Planning
Accountable for regular competitor price comparisons
Develop six month category business plans in partnership with vendors
Build vendor and peer alliances and programs to build long-term profitability
Assist in the forecast for purchasing requirements promotional items
Participate on the innovation teams and collaborate with training for all program roll-outs
Manage internal warehouse inventory to maintain optimal levels for sales and gross profit

General Responsibilities:

Proactively engage customers, promote product and sales, build customer relationships, and provide G.R.E.A.T. customer service that encourage customer loyalty and add value to the Fairway brand.
Work collaboratively with fellow employees and managers and recognize teamwork and diversity throughout the store to resolve conflicts respectfully and in a timely manner.
Maintain a strong time and attendance record to ensure the smooth flow of departmental operations.
Maintain a clean and safe work environment by practicing high standards of food and human safety and sanitation techniques provided by Fairway work rules and policies and Health Department Regulations.
Conform to Fairway’s uniform policy and maintain a professional appearance at work.
Adhere to all department-related and company-related work rules and policies while upholding Fairway’s core values of integrity, respect and excellence.
Perform miscellaneous roles assigned by management that would help the team on an as-needed basis.
Recognize and seek opportunities for continuous learning. Supply feedback to help improve operations.

Skills and Qualifications:
Candidates who apply for the Category Manager, Specialty position must possess the following skills:

3-5 years of experience in retail marketing/operations and/or 2-3 years of buying experience in the convenience industry.
BS/BA Degree in Marketing, Business or related field, or equivalent work experience
Experience with category analytics
Strong entrepreneurial skills for innovation and achievement
Ability to effectively influence key stakeholders to deliver business results
Strong data and technical skills to include scan data, space management software, consumer demographic data, and Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
Strong analytical and information processing ability with the ability to extract business intelligence from data sources
Excellent time management and organizational skills
Ability to perform at a high level in a hectic environment of frequent change

Other:

Ability to read and comprehend instructions, short correspondence, and memos [in English].
Ability to write correspondence [in English].
Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other associates of the organization who only speak English.
Ability to work in a cramped, noisy, chaotic, open-desk environment.
Ability to prioritize tasks, multi-task, balance friendliness with efficiency, and maintain focus.
Must have a flexible work schedule.
Team Player ‘can do’ attitude.
Provide effective communication regarding technical strategies, issues, objectives, and initiatives.
Excellent problem solving and interpersonal communication skills.
Effective communication skills and ability to read write and comprehend English.
Availability to work weekends, holidays, and other prime times of the business, if needed.
Must be at least 18 years of age to work in the department

Category Manager

Boxed

About the CompanyBoxed is the easiest and most modern way to shop for bulk goods. As a mobile-first company, customers can shop directly from Boxed’s app on their iOS or Android mobile device, or online at www.Boxed.com. With Boxed, customers can have their household, personal care, and pantry favorites delivered conveniently to their home or office.Our office is a dynamic, collaborative family of individuals. A technology company at core, we are a vibrant, fun and a close group of engineers, designers, marketers, and operations specialists with a passion for driving superior value and experience to our customers.

Boxed is currently looking for a motivated Category Manager for Beverages. There is significant opportunity to grow one of our largest categories and as such, you will need to be hungry and energized to succeed in this fast paced and dynamic environment. You will work closely both internally with our Procurement and Purchasing teams and externally with vendors and merchandisers.

You will:

Own and create a category experience that appeals to Boxed consumers
Identify white space assortment and category opportunities that align with company strategies
Drive incremental GMV & margin expansion opportunities
Seek new and manage existing vendor partnerships
Work with vendor contacts to develop and grow marketing opportunities
Attend trade shows and identify new products to add to the current offering
Identify strategic buying opportunities with existing vendors
Other tasks expected:
Forecasting
Negotiation
PO handling
Delivery and payment monitoring.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree with experience in Procurement or Purchasing
CPG and E-commerce experience preferred
General merchandise experience preferred
Ability to learn and execute in a fast-paced, startup environment
Self-motivated and eagerness to learn

Category Manager, Outdoor Power Equipment

Jet & The Walmart eCommerce Family of Brands

What you’ll do:

The Category Manager, Tools Equipment and Industrial/Scientific (TEIS) position is responsible for ensuring key categories in TEIS have a market-leading assortment, excellent financial performance and a great shopper experience across all of Walmart’s Ecommerce brands – Jet.com and Walmart.com (and whatever other brands join our family!). Your goal is to create the ultimate online destination for both traditional consumers and small businesses who turn to Walmart.com and Jet first when they are shopping for industrial equipment and tools. The category has tremendous continued opportunity for growth and is unique in that it targets multiple varied customer types and demographics. We also like to think we have a very fun and passionate team – we’d love to meet you!

Challenges you’ll be tackling:
Own a TEIS category – end to end – across all our ecommerce brands: You will be responsible for the performance of your category across all of Walmart’s Ecommerce brands –and be responsible for assortment, financial performance, merchandising, and pricing.

Build a best in class customer experience: You will be working alongside Site and Creative teams to determine what your category looks like, how products are sourced, found, displayed, delivered, and finally, marketed to our millions of customers around the USA!

Managing and inspiring a team of category experts: You will be a part of hiring, managing and inspiring our category experts, some fresh out of college, who will own subcategories within your categories and allow you to deliver an amazing customer experience for every product we sell across all our channels. Your category specialists will be mini-GMs, and you will manage them and ensure they are helping you significantly improve the customer experience!

Responsibilities:

Own category financial targets and KPIs (e.g. GMV and margin), and identify (and execute upon) levers to achieve those targets
Evolve and elevate the category’s assortment strategy through in-market expertise and identifying assortment gaps and opportunities – particularly in B2B assortment
Own and optimize the product sourcing mix across manufacturers, distributors and third-party retailers
Own vendor relationships
Ensure holistic price competitiveness/adherence
Manage on-site product presentation and catalog data, and drive requirements into the search and browse experience – Taxonomy, Navigation, Tagging, Attributes
Collaborate with marketing and creative teams on category messaging
Manage a team of category specialists and experts

How you’ll know it’s right:

If you love retail, trends and merchandising…
If you like owning something and being accountable for its outcomes…
If you want to do things in our industry that have not been done (equipment and tools has a long way to go online!)…
If you understand that without risk there is no reward…
If you want to run your own company one day…

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in business, retail or related field and 3 years’ experience retail or OR 5 years of experience in business, retail or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

BA/BS degree, with 7+ years of relevant professional experience within an e-commerce, retail merchandising or category management role
Previous experience in the Equipment or Equipment industry
At least three years experience supervising teams
Experience building broad online assortments and scaling new businesses
Proven track record of over delivering to financial plans and KPIs.
Demonstrated ability to form long-term strategic business relationships, and comfort engaging with senior executives
Proven ability to manage multiple, time-sensitive projects and competing priorities simultaneously, work independently, and drive projects to completion with minimum guidance and high attention to detail
Experience or demonstrated knowledge of online/offline retail or consumer internet technologies
Demonstrated understanding of supply chain and sourcing processes preferred
Experience in inspiring and managing teams

About Jet/Walmart

Walmart Ecommerce is changing the way the world shops. Our team of builders, thinkers, risk-takers, and dreamers is pushing the boundaries to create a world-class shopping experience that saves customers every penny possible. To win, we need people like YOU: curious, determined, and outrageously passionate. Sound like a fit? Let’s make a date.

Category Manager

Soft-tex International, INC

JOB SUMMARY:

Category Manager is responsible for managing a group or category of products for our company. You will be the one responsible for the design, pricing and overall promotion of a product category to maximize consumer appeal. You will also help make important guiding decisions regarding existing products and product development, and work collaboratively with other teams to attain our shared corporate goals and maximize profitability. You should be a strong leader with excellent management skills who is able to motivate and innovate on a daily basis.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

 Conduct assessments of existing products/services

 Analyze the market to assess the potential for new products and services

 Research supply options, market trends, and competitors

 Oversee entire product line to ensure that there are no gaps

 Implement promotions and marketing activities to improve market share

 Set monthly and annual goals and assess past performance

 Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to establish effective price points

 Contribute to plans for advertising and prom

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT:

 Able to sit/stand for prolonged periods

 Occasional lifting of up to 30 lbs

 Ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment

Some Travel required

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP: This position will report directly to the VP of

Product Development and Sourcing

QUALIFICATIONS:

 Bachelor’s degree in sales, marketing, or related field

 Minimum 4 years’ experience in product or category management

 Significant experience in sales, marketing, and purchasing strongly preferred

 Ability to foresee market trends and stay ahead of the competition

 Excellent collaborative and team building skills

 Outstanding communication and presentation skills

 Superior communication skills, both written and verbal

 Solid analytical skills

 Strong organizational and problem solving skills

 Skilled in Microsoft Office and database management programs