Category Manager, Halloween

Category Manager, Halloween (Hybrid, Plainview, NY)

We are seeking a strategic and commercially minded Category Manager of Halloween to drive category performance across wholesale and e-commerce channels. This role combines the analytical rigor of category management with the customer-focused mindset of brand management, balancing assortment strategy, customer partnerships, inventory planning, and marketing execution to deliver profitable growth.

The ideal candidate will act as the general manager of their categories, developing product assortments, identifying growth opportunities, creating go-to-market strategies, and partnering across sales, marketing, product development, and operations to build compelling customer solutions. This individual thrives in a fast-paced environment, uses data to drive decisions, and is passionate about understanding both customers and market trends.

Responsibilities:

Category Strategy & Business Ownership

• Develop and execute category growth strategies that drive sales, profitability, market share, and customer engagement.
• Own category go to market strategy, including customer presentations, assortment selection, and marketing.
• Analyze sales trends, customer insights, competitive activity, and market opportunities to identify growth initiatives.
• Build annual category plans and business cases to support strategic investments and new product opportunities.

Assortment Planning & Product Strategy

• Develop customer-centric assortments that align with market trends, customer needs, and company objectives.
• Identify assortment gaps and opportunities for innovation, expansion, and category differentiation.
• Lead product lifecycle management, including item introductions, rationalization, and seasonal planning.
• Partner with sales and product to curate meaningful customer exclusives.

Brand & Marketing Leadership

• Develop category positioning and value propositions that resonate with customers and support business goals.
• Partner with marketing teams to create integrated promotional calendars, product launches, and seasonal campaigns.
• Support content development for catalogs, websites, social media, email marketing, and sales materials.
• Leverage consumer insights and customer feedback to influence assortment decisions and marketing strategies.
• Ensure a consistent and compelling category presentation across all customer touchpoints.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with sales, marketing, sourcing, operations, finance, and supply chain teams to execute category strategies.
• Support customer presentations, line reviews, and business planning sessions.
• Present category performance, opportunities, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Lead cross-functional projects from concept through execution.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, brand management, sourcing, wholesale, retail, or consumer products.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and business intelligence tools.
• Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting sales, margin, inventory, and customer data.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute category growth strategies.
• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in wholesale distribution, consumer products, seasonal merchandise, gifting, party supplies, or related categories.
• Familiarity with e-commerce merchandising and digital marketing initiatives.
• Knowledge of inventory planning, demand forecasting, and assortment optimization.
• Comfortable presenting to retail customers and strategic business partners

Ad Populum Offers:

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• Collaborative and supportive work environment

The hiring range for this position based in Plainview, New York is $100,00.00 - $120,00.00 per year.

Ad Populum LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

Ad Populum: Ad Populum aligns corporate strategy and fosters growth across its unique, robust roster of subsidiary companies. With a diverse portfolio of legendary brands including NECA, Chia Pet, Rubies Costumes, Enesco, Kidrobot, WizKids, ExKaliber, Graceland, and Radical Share, Ad Populum is a leader in pop culture collectibles, iconic American products, Halloween costumes, gifts, home décor, tabletop gaming, Amazon brands, and digital marketing. Our subsidiaries are renowned for their innovation, quality, and cultural significance, making Ad Populum a dynamic force in the entertainment, consumer products, and digital marketing industries.

Rubies: Rubies II LLC is the world's largest designer, manufacturer and distributor of Halloween costumes and accessories. We offer a vast selection of products that extends well beyond Halloween, helping people around the world celebrate holidays and special occasions from Easter to Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day to Christmas, New Year's Eve to bachelorette parties and everything in between. With costumes and accessories from the hottest licensed properties and our stellar in-house design team, we offer something for everyone in the family... even your pets! With our finger on the pulse of pop culture, our license portfolio includes collections from movies and TV shows like Batman, Beetlejuice, Wizard of Oz, Game of Thrones, Five Nights at Freddy's, Jurassic World, and Baby Shark, and iconic characters like Superman, Barbie, Wednesday Addams, Chucky, Wonder Woman, Garfield, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many more.

Party City: Party City, the #1 celebration brand, is back and ready to help you Party with Confidence. With more ways to shop and celebrate than ever before, we connect stores, online, on-demand delivery, and strategic retail distribution through best-in-class brands into one seamless experience. From balloons and décor to costumes and tableware, we bring everything you need together so you can celebrate bigger, faster, and easier. We design, develop, source, and distribute at scale, building on the manufacturing legacy of Amscan and the full strength of Ad Populum to power multi-channel retail. From everyday moments to once-in-a-lifetime milestones, Party City helps you show up big and celebrate your way.