Prepared Foods Category Manager

Mothers Market•Newport Beach, CA

1d•$80,000 - $90,000

About The Position

As the Prepared Foods Category Manager , you will own the strategy, financial performance, innovation pipeline, and execution of this high-impact business. This role blends merchant instincts, culinary awareness, financial discipline, and operational partnership. You will lead assortment strategy, pricing, promotions, and vendor partnerships while ensuring excellence in quality, food safety, and customer experience. If you are both analytically strong and deeply passionate about food, this is an opportunity to shape a category that drives traffic, loyalty, and profitability.

Requirements

3–5+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, or food retail (prepared foods or fresh categories strongly preferred).
Experience owning or influencing category-level financial performance.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into action.
Experience negotiating and managing vendor relationships.
Working knowledge of food safety, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.
Strategic, customer-first mindset
Financial and business acumen
Strong negotiation skills
Cross-functional collaboration
Operational awareness
Detail orientation with ability to manage multiple priorities
Passion for food trends, innovation, and quality

Nice To Haves

Experience partnering closely with culinary or fresh food production teams.
Proficiency with POS data, forecasting systems, and category management tools.
Strong project management and cross-functional leadership capabilities.

Responsibilities

Own Category Strategy & Financial Performance
Develop and execute the category strategy across assortment, pricing, promotions, and innovation.
Own full category P&L including sales, gross margin, shrink, and inventory performance.
Analyze sales trends, customer insights, and competitive data to identify growth opportunities.
Establish and track KPIs to ensure consistent performance improvement.
Develop annual plans and support forecasting processes.
Curate and Manage the Assortment
Build a compelling, trend-forward assortment that balances quality, seasonality, innovation, and profitability.
Partner with Culinary and Operations teams on new product development and menu evolution.
Manage product lifecycle from introduction through optimization or discontinuation.
Ensure all items meet company standards for quality, taste, nutrition, and food safety.
Lead Vendor & Sourcing Strategy
Develop strong, performance-based partnerships with suppliers and manufacturers.
Negotiate pricing, contracts, and promotional funding to improve margins and value.
Partner with Supply Chain to ensure reliable sourcing, accurate forecasting, and optimal inventory flow.
Monitor vendor performance and enforce quality and compliance standards.
Drive Merchandising & Promotions
Collaborate with Marketing and Merchandising to deliver compelling in-store and digital storytelling.
Plan and execute seasonal programs, limited-time offers, and product launches.
Ensure merchandising standards are clear and consistently executed across stores.
Partner Cross-Functionally for Execution Excellence
Work closely with Store Operations to ensure flawless category execution.
Support training and communication for new products, processes, and initiatives.
Collaborate with Food Safety, QA, and Regulatory teams to maintain full compliance.
Champion data-driven decision-making across teams.