Associate Manager, Category Development

Staples Inc.•Framingham, MA

1d•$80,000 - $113,000

About The Position

The Associate Manager, Category Development turns customer, competitive, financial, and market insights into actionable product and portfolio recommendations that drive growth, profitability, and customer value. This role partners across Merchandising, Finance, Product Development, Marketing, Sourcing, and other teams to build fact-based business cases, identify category opportunities, and help bring meaningful product innovation to market.

Requirements

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to turn complex data into actionable recommendations.
Strong business and financial acumen with a customer-focused, results-oriented mindset.
Effective collaboration, relationship-building, and influencing skills.
Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills.
Initiative, accountability, and the ability to manage competing priorities.
Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising, Finance, Analytics, or equivalent work experience.
5+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, product management, strategy, business analytics, finance, or a related field.
Experience developing business cases, financial analyses, or product recommendations.
Experience analyzing customer, market, competitive, and/or financial data to support business decisions.
Experience presenting recommendations and analytical findings to business stakeholders.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and business reporting tools.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Experience partnering with cross-functional teams to achieve business objectives.

Nice To Haves

Experience in retail, eCommerce, consumer products, private brand, or category management environments.
Experience building financial models, forecasts, and investment analyses.
Experience using customer research, market intelligence, and competitive analysis tools.
Experience leading project teams or coordinating cross-functional initiatives.

Responsibilities

Evaluate assortment performance, customer demand, profitability, and portfolio productivity to identify growth opportunities.
Develop business cases for new products, product renovations, and portfolio opportunities, including financial impact, risks, and assumptions.
Assess customer needs, competitive gaps, market trends, and category growth potential, then translate insights into clear recommendations.
Create product briefs and customer requirements, recommend positioning and value propositions, and support product development decisions.
Present recommendations and business cases to Merchandising leaders and support category reviews and annual planning discussions.
Partner across Finance, Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing, Sourcing, and other teams to refine forecasts and advance initiatives.
Independently manage multiple analyses and projects while resolving analytical and operational issues.
Lead smaller category development initiatives and project teams while supporting less experienced team members.