Category Specialist (6-month Contract)

Staples Inc. • Richmond Hill, ON

8d

About The Position

As the Category Specialist, you will be accountable to meet financial sales and gross margin targets. Working collaboratively with the Category Manager, you will assist in sourcing and building assortments, developing promotions, setting pricing, and delivering best-in-class presentation to drive sustained growth and capture market share. This role will partner closely with across our Merchandise, Strategy, Planning and Allocation teams. Each day will be fast-paced, challenging, rewarding and meaningful.

Requirements

• Post secondary diploma with a focus on retail management, merchandising and purchasing or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 1-3 years of previous retail management, purchasing or merchandising experience.
• Negotiation skills
• Required to commit necessary time to fluctuating priorities and meet the demands of the position.
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint (+Access recommended)

Responsibilities

• Support the development and execution of go-to-market strategies by building channel-relevant assortments using analytics, market trends, and vendor insights.
• Partner closely with the Category Manager on line reviews, product selection, and sourcing, helping deliver a differentiated and customer-focused assortment.
• Collaborate with Pricing, Supply Chain, Space Planning, and MDM teams to ensure accurate SKU setup, competitive pricing, and strong in-store and online presentation.
• Plan and execute promotions and marketing initiatives in partnership with Marketing and Digital teams to drive sales and margin performance.
• Provide presales and programmatic support for key customer opportunities, including RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs.
• Act as a key liaison between vendors and internal teams, building strong supplier relationships and ensuring timely, accurate communication to stores and fulfillment centres.
• Analyze category performance and system data to identify trends, support decision-making, and continuously improve category results

Benefits

• Associate discount
• Health and Dental benefits
• RRSP/DPSP
• Performance bonuses
• Learning & Development programs

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees