Assistant Category Manager

Kehe Food Distributors•Naperville, IL

41d•$87,230 - $113,427

About The Position

Good people, working with good people, for our common good. Sound good? KeHE-a natural, organic, specialty and fresh food distributor-is all about "good" and is growing, so there's never been a more exciting time to join our team. If you're enthusiastic about working in an environment with a people-first culture and an organization committed to good living, good food and good service, we'd love to talk to you! The Assistant Category Manager is a key asset to KeHE's Category Management Team. This position is responsible for assisting the category management team in achieving their goals, and objectives and maintaining KeHE's reputation as a best-in-class distributor. The successful candidate will have strong analytical skills and will work with several data platforms including NTS, Power BI, and Connect. Reports can include information regarding sales, unit movement, margin, credits, points of distribution, etc. by supplier, brand and SKU, to assist Category Managers with their decisions. This person will work collaboratively with various departments within KeHE to obtain needed information and provide needed output. It is critically important that the Assistant Category Manager be quick and accurate in performing ad-hoc analyses and projects requested by the Category Managers or the Executive Director. This person should have exceptional time management and project management skills. As with all positions at KeHE, we expect that all actions will be consistent with KeHE's Mission, Vision and Values.

Requirements

College Diploma or equivalent work experience.
Minimum one (1) years' experience in Category Management, administration or sales management within the food industry.
Proficient with Word, Excel (advanced level), and PowerPoint software.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced business environment.
Capacity to learn and process quickly.
Possess a sense of urgency and attention to accuracy and detail.
Ability to effectively manage a wide variety of tasks simultaneously and often with minimal direction or time conflicting pressures.
Willingness to travel domestically, occasionally over weekends (about 10-15%)

Responsibilities

Analyze our supplier, brand, and SKU performance, promotional programs and identify opportunities for improvement
Communicate Supplier and Brand profitability information (based on the above analysis) to our CMs, and as needed to our Account Managers (AMs) so that their own assortment decisions maximize enterprise profit.
Manage and update reports regarding new suppliers, SKU productivity, sales performance, roadmaps, past due inventory, etc.
Assist with bottle deposits, beverage taxes etc.
Complete ad-hoc requests and special projects in a timely and accurate fashion
Update training manuals and guides for category managers and suppliers
Work as a team player for all planning and implementation of collective projects such as: KeHE trade shows and pavilions, external trade shows (e.g. Expo West, Fancy Food), KeHE publications, webinars, and supplier programs.
Work collegially and productively with relevant headquarter teams [e.g., marketing, growth solutions, supply chain (replenishment), business analysis, sales enablement, and sales] to achieve quick traction for new products, programs, and continuous sales growth for existing product lines.
Manage administrative aspects of assigned tasks to assist Category Managers in achieving shared goals and objectives.
Seek opportunities to improve current processes and procedures
Follow established company policies and procedures in achieving the above accountabilities
Effectively communicate findings and recommendations in writing to internal audiences as well as external manufacturers, brokers and KeHE account managers.
Effectively manage a wide variety of tasks simultaneously and often with minimal direction or time conflicting pressures.