Category Manager - Industrial Packaging
About The Position
The Industrial Packaging Category Manager is responsible for the strategic leadership, financial performance, and lifecycle management of assigned industrial packaging categories. This role owns category strategy development and execution, supplier management, assortment optimization, pricing and margin performance, and cross-functional alignment with Sales, Purchasing, Supply Chain, and Marketing to drive profitable growth. The role supports Bunzl Canada’s Category Management objectives, including PBIT generation, market share growth, own-brand expansion, SKU rationalization, and sustainable product development within Industrial Packaging segments such as stretch & shrink film, boxes, labels, strapping, and related protective packaging solutions. Salary Range will be $70k-$80K per year
Requirements
- 5–10+ years of experience in Category Management, Product Management, or Strategic Sourcing, preferably in industrial or packaging categories.
- Strong financial acumen with proven experience managing P&L or PBIT performance.
- Experience working with both National Brand and Private / Own Brand programs.
- Strong negotiation, analytical, and strategic planning skills.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel; experience with ERP and BI tools preferred.
- Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute multi-year category strategies aligned to overall Industrial Packaging and segment priorities.
- Own category PBIT performance by driving sales growth, gross profit dollars, and margin improvement.
- Analyze category spend, market share, and regional performance to identify growth opportunities.
- Lead category reviews and present performance updates to senior leadership and commercial teams.
- Manage full product lifecycle: new product introduction, line extensions, SKU rationalization, and end-of-life decisions.
- Optimize assortments by customer segment (manufacturing, processing, shipping/supplies) and regional needs.
- Lead SKU reduction and consolidation initiatives to free capacity and improve operational efficiency.
- Lead supplier strategy including sourcing, negotiations, cost management, and performance reviews.
- Identify and develop alternative sourcing and new vendor capacity to mitigate risk and improve competitiveness.
- Develop and execute Own Brand strategies, including specification development, cost-down initiatives, and margin expansion versus national brands.
- Partner with suppliers on innovation, sustainability, and exclusive programs.
- Own pricing architecture and cost models for assigned categories.
- Support Sales with pricing guidance, deal support, and key customer opportunities.
- Collaborate with Purchasing on cost changes, imports, tariffs, and vendor program management.
- Ensure accurate item setup, category coding, and master data governance.
- Act as the category subject-matter expert for Sales, Marketing, and Operations.
- Partner with Sales to align assortments and category role by customer segment and region.
- Support go-to-market planning, customer presentations, and strategic account reviews.
- Collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure continuity of supply and inventory optimization.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
