Why Big Saver Foods?
Big Saver Foods is transforming from a traditional grocery operator into an experience-driven food retailer. We are investing heavily in stores, merchandising, fresh departments, technology, and culture.
We are looking for leaders who can help us create inspiring food experiences, build destination categories, and drive the next phase of growth for our company.
If you are passionate about retail, food, analytics, and building categories that customers love, we want to hear from you.
Position Summary
Big Saver Foods is seeking a highly motivated and analytical Category Manager – Grocery Division to lead the strategy, assortment, pricing, promotions, merchandising, and profitability of assigned grocery categories across our growing chain of Hispanic-focused supermarkets.
This role is responsible for maximizing sales, gross margin, inventory productivity, and customer satisfaction while supporting our company vision:
"We are leaving the commodity business and entering the inspiration business."
The ideal candidate combines strong retail buying experience with data-driven decision making and a passion for creating exciting shopping experiences that inspire customers.
The Category Manager will work closely with Store Operations, Marketing, Pricing, Merchandising, Distribution, and Vendor Partners to develop category strategies that drive growth and differentiation.
Reports To
Director of Center Store / Chief Executive Officer
Key ResponsibilitiesCategory Strategy
- Develop and execute category business plans for assigned grocery categories.
- Establish sales, margin, inventory, and market share objectives.
- Analyze category performance and identify opportunities for growth.
- Build annual category reviews and strategic recommendations.
Vendor Management
- Develop strong relationships with manufacturers, brokers, and distributors.
- Negotiate:
- Cost of goods
- Promotional funding
- Advertising support
- Display allowances
- New item incentives
- Rebates and volume programs
- Conduct regular vendor business reviews.
Assortment Management
- Determine product assortment by category and store cluster.
- Lead item additions, deletions, and SKU rationalization efforts.
- Evaluate product performance using sales, margin, turns, and market trends.
- Identify emerging brands and consumer trends.
Pricing & Promotions
- Develop pricing strategies that balance competitiveness and profitability.
- Manage promotional calendars and vendor-funded programs.
- Analyze promotion effectiveness and return on investment.
- Support weekly ad planning and execution.
Merchandising
- Develop category merchandising standards and planograms.
- Partner with store operations to improve execution.
- Identify opportunities for:
- Cross merchandising
- Destination merchandising
- Seasonal programs
- Impulse sales
Inventory Management
- Monitor inventory productivity and stock levels.
- Improve:
- Inventory turns
- In-stock performance
- Days of supply
- Shrink reduction
- Collaborate with replenishment and distribution teams.
Data Analysis
- Analyze:
- Sales trends
- Gross profit
- Category contribution
- Vendor performance
- Market trends
- Customer buying behavior
- Utilize reporting tools such as:
- BR Data
- Retail analytics platforms
- Excel
- Power BI (preferred)
Leadership Responsibilities
- Collaborate with Store Managers and Operations Leaders to ensure execution of category plans.
- Train stores on new products, programs, and merchandising initiatives.
- Support company-wide strategic initiatives and new store openings.
- Participate in innovation and concept development projects.
QualificationsRequired
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Retail Management, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- Minimum 5 years of grocery retail buying or category management experience.
- Strong negotiation and vendor management skills.
- Advanced Excel proficiency.
- Strong analytical and financial acumen.
- Experience managing multiple categories and vendor relationships.
- Ability to travel to stores and vendor meetings as needed.
Preferred
- Experience in Hispanic grocery retail.
- Bilingual English/Spanish.
- Experience with BR Data, Nielsen, Circana, Power BI, or similar analytics tools.
- Knowledge of fresh food and center store retailing.
- Multi-unit retail experience.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
The Category Manager will be measured on:
Sales Growth
- Category sales growth %
- Comparable store sales growth
Profitability
- Gross margin %
- Gross profit dollars
- Promotional ROI
Inventory Productivity
- Inventory turns
- Days of supply
- In-stock percentage
- Shrink %
Vendor Performance
- Trade funding secured
- Cost reduction initiatives
- New item success rates
Execution
- Planogram compliance
- Display execution
- Promotional compliance
Competencies
Successful candidates will demonstrate:
- Strategic thinking
- Strong business judgment
- Negotiation skills
- Financial acumen
- Merchant mindset
- Customer focus
- Attention to detail
- Ability to influence without authority
- Entrepreneurial thinking
- Passion for food retail
Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
