Jr Category Manager - Meat & Seafood

Position Summary:

The Junior Category Manager manages assigned categories using data to make sales and profit-oriented decisions about pricing, promotions, product assortment, and space planning.  The manager partners with vendors, collaborates with internal teams, and predicts results.  Additionally, the manager has experience in understanding consumer needs in the competitive grocery environment. 

The position reports to the Vice President of Merchandising.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and own the category plan for the assigned categories.
• Working with category managers, determine the appropriate category mix while emphasizing quality, selection, variety, price, size, packaging, and general conformance relating to company standards.
• Cultivate and sustain strong relationships with suppliers to achieve optimal terms, best product assortment, and quality of services, and retail stores, brokers, and set teams to achieve optimal sales and execution.
• Collaborate with marketing and operations internally to achieve category-planned sales and profit goals.
• Partner with internal departments to drive incremental sales while maintaining proper cost, retail, receiving, and distribution data.
• Analyze data or insights to determine trends for the assigned category(ies).
• Partner with category managers to develop and achieve category plans, including sales, markdowns, and merchandise margin.
• Develop short-term projects/initiatives about promotions and pricing.
• Responsible for the merchandising of items with the respective assigned categories, including the maximization of shelf space to increase sales, gross margin dollars, availability of stock, maximum turnover, and ease of stock replenishment.
• Execute assortment optimization plans, including exit strategies for unsuccessful products.
• Develop business cases for growth activities linked to the assigned categories supporting investments in capital and justification for operational expenditures.
• Forecasts future product demand to meet the requirements of the company’s annual operational plan.
• Execute management of the category product range and pricing initiatives.
• Develop and execute the monthly promotional plan for everyday items and seasonal products.
• In collaboration with category managers, develop annual and semiannual plans and present them to retail for buy-in and support.
• Negotiate allowances with suppliers to include scans, billbacks, and SBT relationships.
• Work with the Pricing Department to determine the competitive position for known value items.
• Research best practices and use consumer/competitor insights to drive decision-making.
• Attend annual buying shows and industry events to stay on top of industry trends.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

None

Education & Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in business, merchandise management, marketing, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.

3 years in grocery procurement, retail, imports, and/or category management 

Competencies (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities):

• Demonstrated understanding of P&L management and budget development.
• Strong merchandising and field operations background in a customer-driven environment with a proven track record of achieving solid financial results.
• Strong working knowledge of the grocery and non-food retail business, including merchandising, buying, and retail operations.
• Ability to present data analysis clearly.
• Possess an objective, data-driven approach to maximize the performance of assigned categories.
• Ability to develop marketing and sales programs for categories.
• Strong negotiation skills using good judgment.
• Ability to define and prioritize realistic and specific goals to accomplish team and department goals.
• Excellent critical thinking skills and attention to detail.

• Advanced experience in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and working knowledge of space technology systems preferred (Spaceman, Apollo, Inactix).

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact easily with all levels of the organization; tactful; respectful; and flexible. 
• Possess a high level of collaboration and influencing skills.
• Strong planning, delegating, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to adapt to changes in a dynamic work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to foster and build a dynamic team environment.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Willingness to learn and grow professionally.

Work Environment/Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• Ability to sit for long periods of time.
• Lifting of items up to 40 lbs.
• This position requires travel to stores.

HAC, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities for all current employees and applicants for employment. This policy means that no one will be discriminated against because of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, nationality, citizenship, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, genetic predisposing characteristics or any other basis prohibited by law.