Senior Manager, Category Development

Staples Inc. • Framingham, MA

3h

About The Position

The Staples Own Brand team is the strategic and operational engine behind the
products that carry the Staples name—delivering quality, value, and innovation
across categories our customers rely on every day. We partner closely with
merchants, marketers, product developers, and project management to build
differentiated products that meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. Our team
blends data, insight, and creativity to design meaningful solutions and deliver
a consistently exceptional customer experience. Together, we shape the future of
Staples’ brands and elevate how they show up across retail, digital, and B2B
channels.

The Senior Manager, Category Development supports the strategic direction and
performance of assigned Staples Private Brand categories. This role drives
data‑informed assortment planning, product development, and cross‑functional
alignment to deliver compelling, differentiated products that meet customer
needs and support category financial goals. The Senior Manager partners closely
with Merchandising, Sourcing, Product Engineering, Brand, Quality, Sales
Enablement, Project Management and Inventory to translate category strategies
into executable roadmaps and deliver results across all channels.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Category Management, this role plays a
critical part in advancing Private Brand strategies, ensuring operational
excellence, and supporting the long-term growth of the Private Brands portfolio.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of category management experience, demonstrating the ability to build and drive category plans
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience driving growth in Private Brands is highly desirable
• Advanced skills in cross-functional leadership and strategic planning

Responsibilities

• Lead assortment planning for assigned category, delivering a 12‑month roadmap aligned to Private Brand strategy and merchant goals
• Identify category gaps and new product opportunities to drive growth, differentiation, and relevance
• Apply deep category knowledge and data to guide decisions on assortment, pricing, value positioning, and SKU productivity
• Understand how category initiatives ladder up to broader Private Brand priorities and contribute to overall business goals
• Develop business cases to support new product creation, including customer insights, financial logic, and competitive rationale
• Drive cross-functional collaboration with Merchandising, Sourcing, Product Engineering, Brand, Quality, Sales Enablement, Project Management and Inventory to bring concepts from idea to market
• Define key product features and secure alignment from merchandising and cross-functional partners
• Partner with Brand team to develop customer‑focused content and packaging messaging and positioning
• Support continuous improvement of product cost, performance, and sustainability
• Analyze consumer insights, competitive trends, and performance data to shape category recommendations
• Use data and insights to influence merchants and cross‑functional stakeholders on product development and assortment decisions
• Collaborate across Private Brands and partner teams to prioritize work, ensure readiness, and maintain alignment throughout the development process
• Identify and drive process improvements that increase efficiency, speed, and clarity for the category and broader PB team
• Communicate progress, risks, and decisions clearly to leadership and cross-functional partners
• Manage at least one direct report, providing coaching, clear priorities, and development support
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the team
• Analytical problem solver who can take complex data and distill it into a meaningful and coherent story and use it to drive business decisions
• Structured thinker who combines data and intuition to shape product strategy
• Strong communication with skill in presenting complex ideas clearly to senior audiences
• Ability to influence without authority
• Proactive, adaptable and detail-oriented team player
• A strong executor, comfortable with ambiguity and tight deadlines
• Experienced in navigating complex global organizations and balancing competing priorities
• Thrives in a collaborative corporate setting with a positive, professional attitude

Benefits

• Inclusive culture with associate-led Business Resource Groups
• Flexible PTO (22 days) and Holiday Schedule (7 observed paid holidays)
• Online and Retail Discounts, Company Match 401(k), Physical and Mental Health Wellness programs, and more!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level