Senior Manager, Category

Why Work for KeHE?

• Full-time
• Pay Range: $97,350.00/Yr. - $142,659.00/Yr.
• Shift Days: , Shift Time:
• Benefits on Day 1
  • Health/Rx
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA)
  • Supplemental life insurance
  • 401(k)
  • Paid time off
  • Paid sick time
  • Short term & long term disability coverage (STD/LTD)
  • Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
  • Holiday pay for company designated holidays

  Overview

  At KeHE, we’re obsessed with creating solutions, unboxing potential, and serving others – and it all starts with you. As an employee-owned distributor of natural and organic, specialty, and fresh products, we’re committed to making a positive impact and scaling our success together. With a culture that fosters development and opportunity, you’ll be embarking on a career that’s moving forward. When you join KeHE, you’re becoming part of a team that is a force for good.

  Primary Responsibilities

  The Senior Category Manager is responsible for being a subject matter expert in market dynamics affecting natural, and specialty food industry across multiple channels and outlets. The individual in this position will maintain KeHE’s reputation as a best-in-class distributor, while achieving their goals and objectives and influence Category Managers in doing the same. A successful candidate will have a strong leadership style with an understanding of analytics and data to maximize category sales and margin, while developing a category strategy with a curated, balanced brand portfolio. As with all positions at KeHE, we expect that all actions will be consistent with KeHE’s Mission, Vision and Values.

  Essential Functions

  • Identify and monitor consumer and product trends and insights to support category strategies and supplier negotiations through multiple sources, including but not limited to:
    • KeHE internal metrics, including supplier performance
    • Product attribute, category, and retail channel trends
    • Consumer behavior shifts
    • Shopper purchase patterns
    • Market visits, trade shows, industry events
  • Manage existing suppliers and brokers to ensure a continuous flow of relevant line-extensions, promotional support, and performance reviews.
  • Seek industry speaking engagements to provide thought leadership from an assortment and merchandising perspective to brands, retailers, brokers, and other industry professionals.
  • Forage for innovative products that will shape the future through strategic involvement with industry partners, shows, publications, etc., while creating a highly curated brand portfolio. Proactively seize non-traditional, horizontal assortment opportunities that drive growth.
  • Nurture small and emerging brands to increase industry knowledge and maximize marketplace potential, while maintaining supplier partnerships with predictable performers.
  • Define purpose and role of category within KeHE portfolio and set, measure, and track specific category metrics to ensure performance success.
  • Translate data into actionable and innovative insights to create turn-key, influential solutions for KeHE’s sales team and retailer partners. Generate industry leading category reviews and brand selling tools and effectively communicate and present information to relevant audience.
  • Develop impactful promotional programs and marketing events with existing and new suppliers that align with determined go-to-market strategy.
  • Maintain highly competitive marketing fund agreements and methods to optimize sales and assortment productivity throughout KeHE’s nationwide distribution network.
  • Participate in planning, developing, enhancing and implementing KeHE shows and events to meet attendance and performance objectives.
  • Organize and lead meetings with both internal stakeholders and external vendor partners.
  • Work collaboratively with various departments within KeHE to achieve traction for new products, programs, and sales growth associated with category strategies.
  • Apply and lead others to apply analytical and strategic thinking skills to develop category assortment strategies that are aligned to the business objectives and responsive to the internal and external environment.
  • Support training and development of Category Management and Growth Solutions team members.

  Minimum Requirements, Qualifications, Additional Skills, Aptitude

  • 4-year bachelor’s degree in business or related field of study.
  • Experience within the food industry with 3+ years of Category and/or Sales Management.
  • Demonstrate facility using syndicated purchase data, consumption data, panel/demographic data, and consumer insights (e.g. IRI, SPINS, Nielsen, Mintel, CSIA, ShopperSights).
  • Apply and lead others to apply analytical and strategic thinking skills to develop category assortment strategies that are aligned to the business objectives and responsive to the internal and external environment.
  • Natural, specialty, and/or fresh product knowledge with ability to provide examples of facilitation of selling category and product solutions (e.g. presentation, webinar, tools).
  • Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
  • Possess a sense of urgency and attention to accuracy and detail.
  • Ability to effectively manage a wide variety of tasks simultaneously and often with minimal direction or time conflicting pressures.
  • Willingness to travel domestically, occasionally over weekends (about 20-35%).

  Equal Employer Opportunity Statement

  KeHE Distributors provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion or faith, sex, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, mental or physical disability or medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training as well as the administration of all Human Resources and Talent Acquisition processes.