Category Manager

Department: Analytic Support 105604

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Sterling Heights

Reporting To: Derrick Frailing

Description

The Experience You’ll Create:

• Develop category plans for assigned vending, micro-market, office coffee services, and adjacent channels.  
• Define category roles, customer needs, growth priorities, product architecture, and financial objectives.  
• Use customer insights, market trends, competitive intelligence, and performance data to identify growth opportunities.  
• Translate strategy into clear assortment, pricing, promotional, financial, and execution requirements.  
• Recommend regional or channel variations when supported by customer demand or operating needs.  

• Manage approved assortments, product mix, SKU productivity, space guidance, and lifecycle decisions.  
• Own planogram strategy, including category placement, product blocking, space allocation, and setup standards that guide Merchandising execution.  
• Develop planograms for new business openings and provide a clear, execution-ready handoff to the Merchandising team. 
• Lead new item introductions, tests, substitutions, rationalization, discontinuations, and approved exceptions.  
• Lead client and healthy program management, including approved assortments, nutritional information, product requirements, program standards, performance, and ongoing optimization. 

• Execute enterprise pricing strategy within assigned categories and maintain appropriate price architecture and tiers.  
• Monitor gross margin and recommend pricing, assortment, mix, cost, or supplier actions to achieve financial goals.  
• Evaluate supplier cost changes, rebates, incentives, and purchasing programs with Procurement and Finance.  
• Develop promotional recommendations, including products, price points, timing, funding, and expected outcomes.  
• Review promotional results and improve waste economics through pack size, shelf life, supplier terms, and assortment decisions.  

• Maintain category scorecards covering sales, units, margin, mix, SKU productivity, waste, availability, promotions, compliance, and supplier performance.  
• Monitor compliance with approved assortments, planogram direction, pricing, promotions, and category standards.  
• Partner with Merchandising and Operations to identify execution gaps, establish corrective actions, and track completion.  
• Use performance data, field feedback, and commercial judgment to identify root causes and prioritize action.  
• Prepare executive-ready business reviews that communicate performance, risks, opportunities, financial impact, and recommendations.  

• Serve as the primary category contact for suppliers and align capabilities, costs, terms, service, innovation, and growth programs with category strategy.  
• Evaluate supplier proposals for customer relevance, financial return, operational feasibility, strategic fit, and incremental value.  
• Hold suppliers accountable for agreed funding, service levels, product information, and performance commitments.  
• Provide Merchandising with approved assortments, planogram direction, space guidance, pricing, transition timing, and financial targets.  
• Partner across functions to support launches, customer needs, acquisitions, new business openings, and business transitions.  

• Improve category tools, reporting standards, data quality, and operating rhythms.  
• Balance customer value, financial performance, supplier programs, and operational practicality in decision making.  
• Lead, coach, and develop assigned team members by setting clear expectations, priorities, and accountability.  
• Provide regular feedback, development planning, and ongoing support to strengthen category management capabilities.  
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, and knowledge sharing to build team capacity and ensure continuity.  
• Foster a collaborative, results-oriented culture focused on ownership, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.  

Ingredients for Thriving:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Analytics, or a related field preferred.  
• 2+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, pricing, retail, foodservice, convenience, consumer products, or a related multi-site environment.  
• Strong understanding of category strategy, assortment optimization, planogram development, pricing, margin drivers, supplier programs, and promotional effectiveness.  
• Strong financial and analytical skills with the ability to convert performance data into actionable recommendations.  
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives across Operations, Finance, Procurement, Sales, Marketing, Merchandising, and Analytics.  
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.  
• Strong communication, organization, and decision-making skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.  

Savor the Benefits:

• Health Coverage – Medical, Dental and Vision
• Voluntary Life/AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Critical Illness
• 401(k)
• Paid Time Off
• Wellness Programs
• Additional Perks