Senior Category Manager - On-Site

coborns•Saint Cloud, MN

2h•$95,000•Onsite

About The Position

Are you a Senior Category Manager looking to take a leap into a new role? Join the Coborn’s Merchandising Team today as a Senior Category Manager! Our Merchandising Team is expanding, and we are searching for a merchandising expert, like you, to lead the strategic direction, drive growth, profitability, and long-term category performance for assigned categories. In this role, you will also oversee assigned categories and lead a team of Category Managers and Category Support Specialists. In addition to owning category outcomes, you will play a key role in shaping go-to-market plans, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring cross-functional execution of pricing, assortment, and promotional initiatives. If you are looking to expand your career, let us help you! Join our team today!

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Merchandising, or related field preferred.
7+ years’ experience in areas of category management, merchandising, or retail strategy; grocery experience preferred but not required.
2+ years’ experience in a leadership position.
Strong data analytical and negotiation skills.
Experience using tools such as Excel or Power BI to make data-driven decisions.

Responsibilities

Category Strategy: Lead multi-year strategic planning for assigned categories that align with company goals.
Define and evolve category roles across fresh and center-store assortments.
Represent category objectives in annual planning and executive-level discussions.
Data & Market Analytics: Use data analytics to drive pricing, promotions, and assortment strategies.
Develop strategic recommendations based on loyalty data, market share, and predictive modeling.
Mentor team in analytics literacy and data-based decision making.
Innovation & Trend Leadership: Monitor competitors and emerging trends to identify innovation opportunities.
Act as a thought leader on food retail innovation and shopper behaviors.
Partner with private brand teams to launch differentiated offerings.
Pricing Strategy & Value Positioning: Lead pricing strategy design for everyday low price, promotions, and high-low segments.
Balance price perception, profitability, and promotional cadence across all store formats.
Partner with pricing analytics to run competitive scans and elasticity models.
Promotional & Marketing Strategy: Design integrated promotional programs that align with the guests' shopping behavior and sales targets.
Partner with marketing and store teams to ensure alignment of plans and executional excellence.
Leverage vendor funding and co-marketing to amplify reach.
Product Assortment & Merchandising Excellence: Maintain a balanced mix of core, seasonal, local, and new products across stores and banners.
Remove redundancy while offering variety, ensuring merchandising presentations are aligned to guest preferences and engagement.
Ensure alignment across in-store and online channels.
Supplier/Vendor Strategy & Business Planning: Own strategic vendor relationships and contract negotiations, unlocking value and innovation.
Develop business plans that integrate private and owned brands.
Influence supplier investments in pricing, marketing, and innovation.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Execution: Collaborate and serve as the voice in strategic projects that include pricing architecture, omnichannel strategy, and digital merchandising.
Partner with operations, marketing, supply chain, and finance to ensure seamless execution and alignment of goals and priorities.
Act as the liaison between merchandising and the executive teams and provide clear communication to support field and operational success.
People Leadership & Development: Lead, coach, and develop a team of Category Managers and support roles, providing direction, feedback, and coaching to ensure clarity of priorities and deliverables.
Lead by example by directly managing a high-impact category while coaching team members on execution, prioritization, and strategy development.
Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

Compensation Range: $95,000 - Compensation is flexible based on candidate skills and qualifications.
10% employee discount on grocery items, with additional franchise-specific discounts available at company owned Ace Hardware, Caribou Coffee, Erbert and Gerbert’s, and Pet Supplies Plus locations.
Get Paid Daily with DailyPay – for employees who would like access to their pay before payday, we offer this great benefit!
Paid Time Off (PTO/Vacation)
Paid Floating Holidays & time and a half (1 ½) paid for hours worked on a company-recognized holiday!
Sunday Premium Pay – an extra $1 per hour for hours worked on Sundays (some exclusions apply)
Paid Military Leave
Employee recognition programs with monetary rewards including in-store vouchers, years of service, and employee of the month
Employee Health & Wellness Programs, Challenges and Resources – to assist our team members in living a life of wellbeing!
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – unlimited phone access to legal, financial, and work-life services and up to five free in-person counseling sessions, per situation/issue, per year
Access to a national discount marketplace for travel, electronics, auto/home insurance , entertainment and more!
Tools, resources and opportunities for career growth and development
401(k) plan options – we also match up to 20% of the first 5% contributed
Participation in our Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) – yes, we’re employee-owned! Our team members benefit from the success of the company through this company-sponsored benefit!
Education benefits including tuition discount and scholarship programs
Additional Voluntary Benefits – such as vision, accident and critical illness insurances
Medical & Dental Insurance
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Tuition Reimbursement
Adoption Reimbursement
Paid Family Caregiver Leave
company-sponsored Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, and Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance!