Position Summary
The Category & Account Manager is responsible for driving profitable growth by managing assigned product categories and strategic retail accounts. This role combines category management, product development, account management, and commercialization to deliver innovative products, strengthen customer relationships, and achieve sales and profitability objectives.
The ideal candidate is commercially minded, customer-focused, and passionate about bringing new products to market while growing strategic retail partnerships.
Key Responsibilities
Category Management
· Develop and execute category strategies that drive profitable growth.
· Analyze market trends, competitive activity, customer insights, and consumer behavior to identify new business opportunities.
· Manage the complete product lifecycle from concept through end-of-life.
· Recommend pricing, product assortment, and promotional strategies.
· Monitor category performance and recommend actions to improve sales and margins.
· Identify opportunities for new product development and product line expansion.
· Work with product design, operations, creative, content and supply chain to commercialize new products.
· Coordinating program timelines, and product launches.
· Ensure products meet customer requirements, and profitability goals.
Account Management
· Assist Director of Sales with retail accounts and Manufacturing Representatives.
· Build strong relationships with customer buyers and merchandising teams.
· Perform competitive research and Market Analysis to support development of customer-specific product assortments and programs.
· Prepare and deliver compelling sales presentations, line reviews, and new product introductions.
· Support annual business planning and growth initiatives.
· Manage category sales, gross margin, and profitability.
· Track forecasts, inventory levels, and product performance.
· Analyze sales reports and customer data to identify opportunities and risks.
· Recommend corrective actions to maximize financial performance.
· Work with cross-functional teams to ensure successful product launches and customer programs.
· Drive continuous improvement in product offerings and business processes.
Qualifications
· Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Product Management, or a related field.
· 5–10+ years of experience in Category Management, Product Management, National Account Management, or a related commercial role.
· Experience working with major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Staples, Costco,
Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon, or similar national accounts.
· Strong analytical and financial skills.
· Experience developing and commercializing consumer products.
· Excellent presentation, communication, and negotiation skills.
· Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint and AI tools.
· Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
Preferred Experience
· Consumer products or office products industry experience.
· Retail merchandising and assortment planning.
· Product launch and commercialization experience.
Success in This Role
The successful Category & Account Manager will:
· Grow sales and profitability within assigned categories and customer accounts.
· Successfully launch innovative products that meet customer needs.
· Build trusted relationships with strategic retail partners.
· Identify new opportunities for business growth.
· Deliver measurable improvements in category performance and customer satisfaction.
Key Competencies
· Strategic Thinking
· Product Innovation
· Customer Relationship Management
· Business Development
· Category Management
· Financial Analysis
· Market Research
· Project Management
· Negotiation
· Presentation Skills
· Cross-Functional Partnership
· Data-Driven Decision Making
Performance Metrics
Success in this role will be measured by:
· New product revenue growth
· Product profitability and gross margin
· Successful product launches
· Strategic account sales growth
· Customer satisfaction and retention
· Market share gains
· Speed-to-market
· Forecast accuracy
· Portfolio profitability
Reporting Relationship
Reports to: Chief Product Officer Works Closely With:
· National Account Sales
· Product Development and Sourcing
· Design, Creative, and Content
· Operations and Supply Chain
· Finance
· Executive Leadership
Why Join Us?
This is a high-impact leadership role offering the opportunity to shape product strategy while working directly with some of the nation's largest retail customers. The Category and Account Manager plays a pivotal role in driving category growth, strengthening customer partnerships, and delivering profitable growth across the organization.
Pay: $85,000.00 - $115,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- On-site gym
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
