Category Manager - Ethnic Foods

Save A Lot•Saint Ann, MO

20h•$105,000 - $135,000

About The Position

The Category Manager strategically manages assigned categories and negotiates to increase sales, gross dollars, and market share versus the prior year while meeting or exceeding projections. The role recommends pricing, promotions, assortment, and shelf planograms based on analysis of historical performance, industry best practices, and consumer trends. The position owns vendor relationships, category P&L, assortment planning, promotional and space-planning collaboration, and cross-functional work with teams including sourcing, replenishment, supply chain, branding, quality assurance, analysts, and finance. It develops category business plans, manages quality and product development, supports effective product displays, and is accountable for gross-profit projections. The role also monitors market and competitive trends, presents strategies to management, and may contribute to interviewing and performance feedback.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field and/or 3–5 years of relevant retail experience.
3–5 years of relevant business experience with a solid understanding of marketing, merchandising, consumer research, and financial management practices.
Solid financial, mathematical, statistical, marketing, merchandising, and consumer research background, including the ability to interpret how internal and external factors affect financial results.
In-depth understanding of store operations and merchandising methodologies and practices, including P&L and financial management.
Familiarity with Category Business Planning or the ability to learn it.
Ability to read and interpret P&L statements and understand how managed categories are affected.
Exceptional negotiation, influencing, problem-analysis, decision-making, and initiative skills.
Interpersonal skills to build rapport, network, and maintain effective business relationships inside and outside the company.
Strategy-development skills and the ability to manage short-term goals in support of long-term initiatives.
Proficiency in MS Excel and MS PowerPoint.
Understanding of procurement, logistics, and inventory management.
Ability to travel up to approximately 10% of the time, potentially including weekends and evenings as needed.
Ability to sit for extended periods and use calculators, keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment; stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may also be required.

Responsibilities

Drive category sales, set a vision, and execute steps to achieve category success.
Own vendor relationships, meet consistently with vendors, negotiate future plans and assortment, and stay informed about industry trends.
Manage category P&L and monitor and recommend pricing to obtain competitive market prices.
Coordinate with sourcing, replenishment, supply chain, and other partner functions to communicate category and promotional plans and support appropriate service levels and inventory.
Lead cross-functional work with teams such as replenishment, suppliers, and branding to fulfill responsibilities for assigned items.
Partner with the promotional team to create and implement category promotional calendars and track promotion results, including sales, P&L share growth, and contribution.
Collaborate with Space Planning on planograms, advertisements, and store traffic considerations.
Drive product development by understanding national- and private-brand quality, maintaining product quality, and identifying private-brand product opportunities or gaps.
Own assortment planning by recommending new items and discontinuing lines based on their contribution to category and department strategies.
Work with Quality Assurance to establish product quality specifications, composition, and sensory requirements.
Hold suppliers accountable for delivering negotiated quality within agreement terms.
Work with analysts and finance to assess category contribution, prior results, and market trends and create an annual category business plan.
Develop expertise in assigned items, including ingredients, commodity impacts, and packaging costs.
Manage gross-profit projections at the category level and contribute to quarterly, monthly, and yearly department projections.
Partner with promotional planning and space planning teams to recommend advertisements and displays that support category plans and department initiatives.
Visit competitors, markets, stores, and distribution centers as necessary to observe product-line results and communicate competitive and business trends.
Ensure items are placed in effective and efficient display cases for supply chains and stores.
Recognize issues proactively, develop customer-focused solutions, lead cross-functional teams in defining sustainable actions, and present strategy to a line manager or above.
Initiate and follow through on personnel actions, including interviewing and providing input into hiring decisions and feedback on performance standards.
Maintain formal and informal upward communication channels and review ideas, suggestions, and complaints for appropriate action.
Perform other duties as assigned.