Senior Category Manager, CPG

McKesson•Irving, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a strategic Category Leader within the Consumer Products Group (“CPG”) team, responsible for driving business development and growth across OTC product categories (Private Label, National Brand, and White Label Generics) that are strategic and generate significant revenue and gross margin, partnering with sourcing to negotiate Commercial Distribution Agreements, meeting with suppliers to lead creation of new products and programs and setting the annual Health Mart planogram for assigned product categories. Decisioning internal and external requests to add new products to our distribution network or extend existing products to additional distribution centers. Working with SIOP to share portfolio insights and improve demand forecasting and product lifecycle management. Monitoring retail pricing competitiveness and contributing to other strategic projects and priorities.

Requirements

Degree or equivalent and typically requires 7+ years of relevant experience
Typically has 7+ years of category or product management experience
Previous Category Management experience with deep understanding of distribution
Strong analytical experience with the ability to balance a product portfolio, partner with procurement on purchasing decisions & managing inventory, and running financial analysis
MS Office skills – Intermediate Access, and advanced Excel & PowerPoint skills

Nice To Haves

Strategic critical thinker that embraces department progress and values change leadership
Autonomous self-starter with confident decision-making capabilities
Familiar with healthcare processes, contracts, and rebates
Ability to collaborate with all levels of sales leadership
Executive-level presentation
Business Intelligence experience using Business Objects, snowflake, or SQL
Understanding of the independent drug market, retail national accounts, and hospital systems
Strong analytical skills including financials and supply chain data
Strong negotiation/influencing skills
Relationship-building skills
Ability to collaborate across different channels

Responsibilities

Own category strategy for assigned OTC categories, including product and supplier selection, launch strategy, category framework development, and ongoing portfolio management for categories that generate significant revenue and gross margin.
Operate with limited direction as a senior professional contributor, using advanced category management expertise, sound judgment, and data-driven recommendations to address complex business issues and support achievement of organizational objectives.
Influence internal and external stakeholders to secure alignment and cross-functional support for product development, launch planning, supplier partnerships, commercialization, and category growth initiatives.
Represent the category function on complex, cross-functional efforts, partnering with sales, marketing, finance, SIOP, sourcing, and CDx teams to identify opportunities, resolve escalated issues, and drive business outcomes.
Monitor marketplace, customer, consumer, supplier, and competitive trends; translate insights into category recommendations, risk mitigation actions, and business opportunities for senior leadership consideration.
Assess and adjudicate product network requests, including new item additions and distribution center expansions, ensuring volume expectations, order minimums, inventory implications, and obsolescence risks are appropriately evaluated.
Partner with SIOP and sourcing teams to improve demand forecasting, product lifecycle management, supplier performance visibility, and mitigation planning for potential supply disruption or service-level risks.
Lead private label growth opportunities by using data, financial analysis, and market insights to identify new product opportunities, improve penetration of existing products, and capture share from less profitable equivalents.
Support development, sourcing, and commercialization of private label products through collaboration with internal teams and external suppliers, applying disciplined project leadership and issue resolution across the product lifecycle.
Negotiate supplier agreements and commercial terms, including Manufacturer Supply Agreements and related supplier commitments, in partnership with sourcing and other stakeholders.
Manage retail pricing competitiveness for assigned private label products, ensuring pricing supports the category value proposition, customer expectations, and business profitability objectives.
Lead assigned strategic projects and initiatives in support of CPG annual priorities, contributing as a key senior professional resource and coordinating work across internal and external stakeholders as needed.