Category Manager - Bakery and Sushi

Fresh Thyme Market•Downer's Grove, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Category Manager for Bakery and Sushi manages assigned categories to meet or exceed projected budgets for top-line sales, total profit dollars, shrink, and inventory. The role serves as the primary liaison between stores and vendors, including the distribution center, and supports department managers with training, development, and implementation of company programs and initiatives. The position follows a hybrid schedule: Monday through Wednesday in the Downers Grove, Illinois office and Thursday and Friday remotely. Travel of 5–10% is expected. The role may require varied hours and days as business needs dictate.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent grocery industry experience.
At least 6 years of professional experience.
Maintain the highest level of customer service.
Adapt to a changing, high-volume retail environment and work in a cross-functional team.
Demonstrate initiative, sound decision-making, analytical and problem-solving skills, flexibility, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
Strong written, documentation, verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Ability to multitask, stay organized, and lead, support, and contribute to team goals.
Ability to work varied hours and days as business dictates.
Familiarity with Health Department guidelines and regulations for grocery retail.
Familiarity with category business planning and an understanding of marketing and merchandising practices.
Ability to read and interpret profit and loss statements and understand their effect on managed categories.
People skills and patience for training and communicating with customers and stores.

Nice To Haves

5–7 years of grocery retail experience with natural foods processes and procedures.
Experience in the natural foods industry.
Bakery category product knowledge.
Financial, mathematical, statistical, and consumer research experience to interpret how internal and external factors affect financial results.

Responsibilities

Create and implement category pricing, promotions, assortments, and shelf schematics using past performance, detailed analysis, industry practices, and consumer trends.
Create yearly category business plans and budgets aligned with department and company initiatives and market trends.
Negotiate and collaborate with vendors on pricing, assortment, promotions, advertising, services, calendars, and support; serve as the primary vendor contact for assigned categories.
Review category and department financials monthly and take action to meet sales, margin, and budget expectations.
Maintain store inventory within company standards and report discrepancies.
Manage category-level shrink controls.
Authorize new items, research vendors, request and analyze quotes, select products, and implement product placement.
Research, develop, and implement merchandising and advertising plans supporting category and department business plans.
Help ensure stores meet company and health code standards.
Attend key vendor company planning meetings.
Manage and implement special and seasonal items for new and existing stores.
Design schematics and recommend category-supporting adjacencies.
Conduct post-promotion analysis of sales and profit results.
Maintain and review price files and competitive price checks to support competitive pricing in each market.
Support stores with special shelf and display decisions and visit stores as needed to observe merchandising results.
Communicate relevant merchandising plans, advertising plans, price changes, projections, and other information to stores, operations, vendors, support offices, and departments.
Help train and develop store-level Department Managers and Operational Specialists.
Coordinate with procurement on category and promotional plans to support service levels and inventory positions.
Work with operations and other departments to implement programs.
Perform other duties as assigned.