Sr Manager, Category - Grocery

Pilot Company•Knoxville, TN

12h•Onsite

About The Position

Responsible for establishing and executing the strategic direction, financial performance, and operational excellence of a $400M Grocery business spanning 650+ stores across 42 states. Provides leadership across multiple related category groups while managing professional team members and contributing to departmental merchandising strategy, departmental business plans, and long-range growth initiatives. This role owns category vision, P&L performance, supplier strategy, and executional excellence while driving sustained sales growth, profitability, customer engagement, and operational effectiveness. Serves as the primary internal and external leader for grocery-related initiatives, partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to deliver departmental and enterprise objectives. Applies advanced business and merchandising expertise to identify opportunities, resolve complex business challenges, and maximize category and department performance.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent
At least 8 Years' Experience

Responsibilities

Leads a $400M Grocery business across 650+ stores in 42 states, overseeing multiple related category groups including Salty Snacks, Candy, Meat Snacks, Cookie/Cracker/Nutrition, Health Beauty & Analgesics, Pastry, Ice Cream, Shelf-Stable Food, and Non-Food categories. Maintains full accountability for P&L performance, budgeting, forecasting, inventory investment, and strategic growth initiatives that drive departmental sales, profitability, and market share.
Manages and develops multiple professional team members and related functional workgroups, providing leadership through goal setting, performance management, coaching, talent development, succession planning, and alignment of departmental objectives while fostering a culture consistent with company purpose and values.
Contributes to departmental merchandising strategy through development and execution of annual and multi-year business plans, including sales and gross profit objectives, pricing strategies, promotional programs, inventory optimization, assortment planning, and identification of growth opportunities that maximize business performance.
Leads strategic supplier and distribution partnerships, influencing business decisions and negotiating category initiatives, space allocations, and growth opportunities with 110+ suppliers and multiple distributors to drive mutual business performance and operational excellence.
Serves as the primary merchandising representative to major global CPG organizations, influencing internal and external stakeholders through cross-functional leadership with Marketing, Loyalty, Finance, Operations, Legal, and Supply Chain to achieve departmental and enterprise goals.
Directs resolution of complex merchandising, operational, and regulatory challenges while ensuring execution of category strategies, compliance with applicable regulations, accurate management of promotional funding, and successful implementation of grocery initiatives across the organization.