MANAGER- CATEGORY GROWTH

Compass Group•Charlotte, NC

5d•Remote

About The Position

Join Morrison Healthcare and help translate consumer insight, category strategy, supplier partnerships, and performance analytics into retail programs that drive growth and improve the customer experience across a complex multi-site operating environment. As Manager - Category Growth, you will develop and execute category strategies, annual plans, promotions, supplier workstreams, and growth initiatives for assigned areas of the Morrison Healthcare retail portfolio. You will use market, customer, supplier, purchasing, and performance data to identify opportunities; coordinate cross-functional execution; and deliver measurable financial and operational results. The reporting relationship for the approved posting should be confirmed with Human Resources. This position is remote, but will require 30% travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, finance, retail, supply chain, hospitality, foodservice, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Typically 5+ years of experience in category management, retail, procurement, finance, commercial growth, foodservice, consumer goods, or a related field.
Demonstrated ability to develop and execute category or business plans and manage cross-functional projects.
Strong analytical skills with experience using complex data to identify business drivers and make practical recommendations.
Working knowledge of budgets, forecasts, pricing, supplier economics, and financial key performance indicators.
Supplier-management, negotiation, presentation, project-management, and stakeholder-influence experience.
Proficient in Microsoft Office programs

Nice To Haves

Foodservice, healthcare, hospitality, retail, or multi-site operating experience preferred.
experience with dashboards, business intelligence, automation, or AI-enabled workflows preferred.

Responsibilities

Conduct ongoing analysis of assigned categories and initiatives. Use category, account, product, purchasing, supplier, market, and consumer information to identify business opportunities, implications, risks, and corrective actions.
Develop and execute category strategies, annual plans, business reviews, and growth initiatives for assigned categories or programs in alignment with enterprise objectives.
Build a strong understanding of consumers, customers, operators, market trends, and category drivers. Translate insights into actionable product, program, pricing, promotion, and execution recommendations.
Own the performance of assigned areas, including revenue, margin, mix, supplier funding, budget, forecast, and agreed key performance indicators. Prepare clear performance updates and recovery actions.
Plan and deliver promotions, seasonal programs, product launches, courtesy shipments, and other retail activations with clear objectives, operating requirements, communications, and post-program measurement.
Support new-account openings, renovations, underperforming locations, customer-specific opportunities, and field needs with category recommendations, program guidance, tools, and escalation support.
Build and maintain dashboards, scorecards, forecasts, presentations, and business reviews that translate analysis into decisions, clear actions, and measurable outcomes.
Identify opportunities to improve products, programs, processes, reporting, technology, automation, and field execution. Support pilots and help scale approved solutions.
Communicate program requirements, performance results, risks, market conditions, and recommendations clearly to Category Growth leadership, Operations, Finance, Procurement, Marketing, Culinary, suppliers, and field stakeholders.
Maintain an active development plan, complete required training, share subject-matter expertise, contribute to team documentation, and coach analysts, specialists, or project contributors when assigned.
Build engagement and alignment behind category strategies and plans. Participate in key internal, supplier, and customer presentations and support retail champion, forum, and field activation programs as assigned.