Category Merchant

Staples Inc.•Framingham, MA

12h•$96,000 - $138,000

About The Position

Staples is a business-to-business company. Its merchandising team works to provide customers with value and selection through customer-centered products, services, and solutions. The team uses customer insights and analytics to bring products and solutions to market, drawing on expertise in buying, selling, negotiating, operations, design, innovation, and finance. The Category Merchant develops and executes category plans across assortment, pricing, promotions, and marketing to drive revenue and margin growth. The role analyzes market, competitive, sales, customer, and financial information to find growth opportunities and optimize product mix. It builds vendor and supplier relationships, negotiates terms, manages contracts, monitors performance, and partners across Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, Operations, Sales, and eCommerce. The position also manages category financial performance, prepares reports and recommendations for senior leadership, mitigates business risks, and provides leadership and development support to team members.

Requirements

At least 7 years of experience in category management, merchandising, product management, or a related field.
At least 3 years of management or supervisory experience leading teams or large-scale, complex projects.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience using Microsoft Excel and business intelligence or data-analysis tools to make data-driven decisions.
Demonstrated vendor negotiation and contract management experience, including delivering cost savings or margin improvement.
Experience managing category sales, margin, profitability, budgets, and forecasts.
Strategic thinking and ability to translate complex market, customer, and financial data into actionable category plans.
Strong financial acumen and ability to manage sales, margin, profitability, budgets, and forecasts.
Leadership and team-development skills, including coaching, feedback, and accountability for results.
Analytical and adaptable approach, with ability to adjust strategies as market conditions and customer needs evolve.
Clear communication and cross-functional collaboration skills, including ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

Nice To Haves

MBA or another relevant advanced degree.
Experience using Tableau, Power BI, or a similar advanced analytics platform.
Experience leading category initiatives that delivered measurable revenue growth.
Experience in an omnichannel retail environment integrating eCommerce and other selling channels.
Project Management Professional (PMP), APICS, or another relevant project or supply chain certification.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute category plans covering assortment, pricing, promotions, and marketing programs to drive revenue and margin growth.
Analyze market trends, competitive activity, sales performance, customer feedback, and financial results to identify opportunities and optimize product mix.
Build vendor and supplier relationships, negotiate terms, manage contracts, and monitor fulfillment, quality, and delivery performance.
Partner with Finance on category budgets, forecasts, profitability, and financial reporting.
Collaborate with Supply Chain to optimize inventory, improve product availability, and reduce excess or obsolete stock.
Create go-to-market plans with Marketing, Operations, Sales, and eCommerce to strengthen customer engagement and digital product presentation.
Prepare category performance reports and present actionable insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
Identify and mitigate risks related to sourcing, supply chain, vendor relationships, and regulatory or internal policy requirements.
Provide direction, coaching, performance feedback, and development support to supervisors and/or individual contributors.
Foster a collaborative and accountable team culture focused on innovation, continuous improvement, and category results.