Food Service Direct Logistics (FSD) is one of the leading digital e-commerce digital marketplace platforms in the US. Recently, FSD became the subsidiary of a Fortune 500 international company and we are looking to expand our services aggressively. To support our ambitious growth agenda, we are looking for creative and consumer first mindset individuals to join our team as an Category Manager, Non-Foods & Private Brands. This position is an integral part of the Vendor Management team. We are looking for candidates who combines analytical, leadership, negotiation and sales soft skills in one. An entrepreneurial mindset and a "typical founder" profile are assets in this role.
The right candidate will partner with cross-functional teams in business and technology to optimize the customer's shopping experience. They will be passionate about E-Commerce as well as the Food Service Industry and creating the best-in-class online destination for Chefs and Operators.
Roles & Responsibilities
Vendor Management & Strategic Sourcing
- Manage key manufacturer and vendor relationships, including trade programs, promotions, advertising initiatives, and overall supplier performance.
- Identify, recruit, onboard, and develop new supplier partnerships through outreach, trade events, and industry networking.
- Negotiate supplier agreements, pricing, payment terms, rebate programs, service levels, and promotional opportunities to maximize profitability and growth.
- Develop and execute sourcing strategies for private label and branded non-food categories, including disposables, smallwares, janitorial, and packaging products.
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with domestic and international manufacturers, sourcing agents, brokers, and trading partners.
- Establish supplier performance metrics and scorecards focused on quality, cost, service, and delivery performance.
Private Label Strategy & Product Development
- Develop and execute the private label roadmap aligned with customer needs, category opportunities, and company growth objectives.
- Identify category expansion opportunities through market analysis, customer insights, competitive benchmarking, and profitability assessments.
- Lead the end-to-end development and lifecycle management of private label products, including supplier selection, product specifications, packaging, branding, compliance, launches, enhancements, and portfolio optimization.
- Collaborate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure products meet quality, pricing, packaging, and service expectations.
- Drive speed-to-market by ensuring complete digital product assets, including product content, imagery, specifications, and merchandising support.
Import & Global Supply Chain Management
- Direct import sourcing activities across Asia and other global manufacturing regions.
- Manage supplier partnerships to ensure supply continuity, quality compliance, and on-time delivery performance.
- Partner with logistics, inventory planning, quality assurance, and operations teams to optimize inventory availability and import programs.
- Monitor freight markets, sourcing trends, tariffs, trade regulations, and geopolitical risks affecting global supply chains.
- Develop contingency sourcing plans and alternative supplier strategies to mitigate operational risk.
Financial & Business Performance
- Own and manage the profitability of the private label portfolio, including revenue growth, margin enhancement, and inventory performance.
- Conduct ongoing assortment reviews to optimize product performance, remove underperforming items, and identify opportunities for expansion.
Digital Merchandising & Launch Execution
- Partner with Marketing and Site Merchandising teams to optimize product placement, SEO, search relevance, conversion, and launch effectiveness.
Leadership & Industry Engagement
- Serve as the company subject matter expert for private label development, strategic sourcing, and global supply chain initiatives.
- Build strategic supplier and industry relationships through active participation in trade shows, supplier meetings, and industry events.
- Mentor team members on sourcing best practices, supplier management, and category development strategies.
Experience & Qualifications
- 7+ years of progressive Food Service experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, private label management, product development, or related disciplines.
- Demonstrated success developing and managing private label programs across non-food categories, including disposables, smallwares, janitorial, packaging, and related products.
- Extensive experience sourcing products from international manufacturers, particularly throughout Asia, including supplier identification, contract negotiation, quality management, import logistics, and supply continuity planning.
- Proven ability to build and manage strategic relationships with manufacturers, sourcing agents, brokers, and suppliers while driving cost reductions and margin improvements.
- Strong knowledge of product development, packaging, labeling, compliance requirements, quality assurance, and product launch processes.
- Experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving merchandising, marketing, operations, supply chain, quality assurance, and sales teams.
- Strong understanding of import regulations, international freight, factory audits, quality control programs, and supply chain risk management.
- E-commerce experience within disposables, kitchen smallwares, kitchen equipment, or related categories preferred.
- Excel Savvy, experience with V-Lookups and Pivot Tables required
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proven ability to work effectively in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
- Self-motivated, entrepreneurial, and results-oriented mindset.
- Existing network of non-food suppliers, manufacturers, brokers, and sourcing partners in Asia strongly preferred.
Pay: $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid parental leave
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: Remote
