Procurement Category Manager
About The Position
Feeser’s, Inc. is a family-owned, full-line foodservice distributor founded in 1901 and located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving the Mid-Atlantic region. The company supplies dry, refrigerated, and frozen products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, and other institutions. The Category Manager is responsible for the strategic management, financial performance, and overall success of assigned product categories. The role develops and executes category strategies, manages supplier relationships, supports sales and margin growth, optimizes inventory performance, and maintains a competitive assortment that meets customer needs. The Category Manager acts as the business owner for assigned categories and provides leadership and direction to Category Buyers.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Finance, or a related field; equivalent industry experience may be considered.
- Minimum of five (6) years of purchasing, category management, merchandising, procurement, or foodservice distribution experience, as stated in the posting.
- Demonstrated experience managing supplier relationships, pricing strategies, and inventory performance.
- Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, ERP systems, and category analysis tools.
Nice To Haves
- Foodservice distribution experience.
- Previous leadership or supervisory experience.
- Experience managing multiple product categories and supplier portfolios.
Responsibilities
- Own sales, gross margin, rebate, and profitability performance for assigned categories.
- Develop and execute annual category business plans aligned with company financial objectives.
- Monitor category performance and implement corrective action plans when targets are not met.
- Identify profitability opportunities through pricing, product mix, sourcing, and supplier programs.
- Develop category strategies that support customer demand and company growth objectives.
- Manage product assortment, including new item introductions, item rationalization, and product lifecycle management.
- Conduct category reviews assessing sales, profitability, inventory, and SKU productivity.
- Identify market trends, product innovation opportunities, and competitive threats.
- Build strategic supplier partnerships and lead supplier business reviews, setting performance expectations.
- Participate in negotiations on pricing, cost changes, rebates, contracts, and service commitments.
- Monitor supplier performance and implement corrective actions as needed.
- Establish inventory strategies and service level expectations for assigned categories.
- Monitor inventory turns, fill rates, stock shortages, and excess inventory.
- Partner with Category Buyers to improve inventory efficiency and maintain product availability.
- Develop contingency plans to minimize supply disruptions and business risk.
- Lead, coach, and develop Category Buyers assigned to the category portfolio.
- Set performance expectations and development goals, conduct regular performance discussions, and complete annual evaluations.
- Foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Partner with Sales, Operations, Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams to support business objectives.
- Communicate category opportunities, risks, and market conditions throughout the organization.
- Support customer programs, bids, promotions, and strategic initiatives.
- Participate in budgeting, forecasting, and annual planning activities.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
