Category Manager

Continental Services•Sterling Heights, MI

6h•Onsite

About The Position

The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing categories assortment, pricing, supplier, product lifecycle, and promotional strategies across assigned Refreshment Services Group channels. This role uses customer insights, market trends, supplier capabilities, and item-level performance to improve sales, gross margin, product mix, waste, and the guest and client experience. The Category Manager partners with Merchandising, Procurement, Finance, Operations, Sales, Marketing, suppliers, and Analytics. Category Management sets the commercial direction and approved assortment, and planogram planning while Merchandising translates those decisions into planogram execution, replenishment settings, resets, and field execution.

Requirements

2+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, pricing, retail, foodservice, convenience, consumer products, or a related multi-site environment.
Strong understanding of category strategy, assortment optimization, planogram development, pricing, margin drivers, supplier programs, and promotional effectiveness.
Strong financial and analytical skills with the ability to convert performance data into actionable recommendations.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives across Operations, Finance, Procurement, Sales, Marketing, Merchandising, and Analytics.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.
Strong communication, organization, and decision-making skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Analytics, or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop category plans for assigned vending, micro-market, office coffee services, and adjacent channels.
Define category roles, customer needs, growth priorities, product architecture, and financial objectives.
Use customer insights, market trends, competitive intelligence, and performance data to identify growth opportunities.
Translate strategy into clear assortment, pricing, promotional, financial, and execution requirements.
Recommend regional or channel variations when supported by customer demand or operating needs.
Manage approved assortments, product mix, SKU productivity, space guidance, and lifecycle decisions.
Own planogram strategy, including category placement, product blocking, space allocation, and setup standards that guide Merchandising execution.
Develop planograms for new business openings and provide a clear, execution-ready handoff to the Merchandising team.
Lead new item introductions, tests, substitutions, rationalization, discontinuations, and approved exceptions.
Lead client and healthy program management, including approved assortments, nutritional information, product requirements, program standards, performance, and ongoing optimization.
Execute enterprise pricing strategy within assigned categories and maintain appropriate price architecture and tiers.
Monitor gross margin and recommend pricing, assortment, mix, cost, or supplier actions to achieve financial goals.
Evaluate supplier cost changes, rebates, incentives, and purchasing programs with Procurement and Finance.
Develop promotional recommendations, including products, price points, timing, funding, and expected outcomes.
Review promotional results and improve waste economics through pack size, shelf life, supplier terms, and assortment decisions.
Maintain category scorecards covering sales, units, margin, mix, SKU productivity, waste, availability, promotions, compliance, and supplier performance.
Monitor compliance with approved assortments, planogram direction, pricing, promotions, and category standards.
Partner with Merchandising and Operations to identify execution gaps, establish corrective actions, and track completion.
Use performance data, field feedback, and commercial judgment to identify root causes and prioritize action.
Prepare executive-ready business reviews that communicate performance, risks, opportunities, financial impact, and recommendations.
Serve as the primary category contact for suppliers and align capabilities, costs, terms, service, innovation, and growth programs with category strategy.
Evaluate supplier proposals for customer relevance, financial return, operational feasibility, strategic fit, and incremental value.
Hold suppliers accountable for agreed funding, service levels, product information, and performance commitments.
Provide Merchandising with approved assortments, planogram direction, space guidance, pricing, transition timing, and financial targets.
Partner across functions to support launches, customer needs, acquisitions, new business openings, and business transitions.
Improve category tools, reporting standards, data quality, and operating rhythms.
Balance customer value, financial performance, supplier programs, and operational practicality in decision making.
Lead, coach, and develop assigned team members by setting clear expectations, priorities, and accountability.
Provide regular feedback, development planning, and ongoing support to strengthen category management capabilities.
Support recruiting, onboarding, training, and knowledge sharing to build team capacity and ensure continuity.
Foster a collaborative, results-oriented culture focused on ownership, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.