What You’ll Do
As the Category Manager, you will develop and execute our national category strategy, manage vendor relationships, and monitor category performance. You will manage a team of buyers and product specialists and work closely with regional teams and collaborate with various departments to drive business growth.
- Develop and manage the national category strategy and consistently monitor performance to ensure objectives are met.
- Ensure the team maintains an optimal inventory level and improve sales and profitability, as well as collaborate with the sales team to broaden external sales efforts.
- Develop short and long-term category objectives aimed at driving the category to meet business growth targets.
- Collaborate with teams to tailor category management strategies and drive performance.
- Monitor and analyze category performance on a national, regional, and division level. Based on analysis, adjust category strategies as required to drive overall category performance, including sales growth and improve GP3.
- Lead the effort to drive Exclusive Brand (EB) penetration across the category by ensuring EB products are primary considerations in the development of assigned category and benchmark against our industry.
- Establish, maintain, and grow relationships with suppliers and lead negotiation efforts.
- Manage vendor communications and consistently provide vendor performance feedback and resolve complex issues.
- Develop category level pricing strategies, continually reviewing pricing structure and implementing changes to maximize performance.
- Negotiate national vendor price deviation funding and determine category promotion strategy. Determine and offer pricing and promotional materials.
- Manage overall category product assortment, to include the execution of assortment reviews, determining core SKUs, reviewing new vendor items, driving national assortment harmonization, and reducing product duplication.
- Identify gaps in EB portfolio, collaborating with product development teams to drive EB product innovation. Monitor market trends to identify product development opportunities.
- Establish product specifications for EB vendors in conjunction with Product Development and monitor performance.
- Other duties assigned by the manager.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field.
- 7+ years of category management or equivalent working experience including vendor management and pricing.
- Must possess, or be able to rapidly develop, a strong knowledge of products within assigned category and division sales.
- Proficient at analyzing data and developing strategies based on findings, and support change management with the organization.
- Strong verbal, written and presentation skills required with the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
- Highly motivated, ability to prioritize and self-direct, strong business acumen and interpersonal skills.
- MS Office proficiency including Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint required.
- Prior experience with Microsoft Access a plus.
- Fluency in Chinese/Mandarin will be helpful.
Benefits
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Term Life and AD&D insurance
- Short Term Disability insurance
- Paid time off (sick, vacation, holidays and bereavement)
- Flexible spending account
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Employee assistance program
- Employee referral program
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $100,000.00 - $125,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
