Associate Category Manager

YOU: Act as if the universe is rigged in your favor See new responsibilities as opportunities Are happiest when busy Figure out how to fix it, not who's to blame See mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow Enjoy spreading joy WE: Care more about attitude and work ethic than your experience Love to promote from within Have dynamic and interesting coworkers and customers Have faith in people's potential Make friends at work Take pride in all of our 5 star reviews The Associate Category Manager I is responsible for supporting the Category Management team in all aspects of category management, supplier management, and COGS control. This role builds subject matter expertise in assigned categories with growing independence. This role works 5 days a week out of our Rockville, MD headquarters. Collaborate with the Category Manager to achieve sales, margin, and unit growth, while fulfilling MOM’s promise of an incredible selection. Participate in negotiations with Director of CM oversight; support profitable promotions and EDLP programs Perform category reviews and period close in collaboration with CM, implement category strategies to support sales, units and margin dollars while reducing waste and identify areas of improvement. Make suggestions on category strategy based on data analysis and product knowledge. Collaborate with the merchandising team to create & update planograms. Collaborate across departments including Planogramming, Pricing, and Supply Chain to support seasonal forecasts, allocations, and vendor/product setup. Support the Category Manager in upholding ingredient and sourcing standards, including affidavits. Assist in the exiting of disco items, new item set up, service agreements and season items rollout. Exposure to managing vendor relationships with oversight; participate in broker, brand, and supplier meetings. Assist with supplier management on multiple facets including fill rate, service level, product quality, shelf life, in collaboration with Supply Chain. Perform regular competitor visits, and as needed - store visits and supplier site visits. Follow department SOPs, making suggestions on process improvement and using internal systems as intended. Guide and train Category Specialists as needed. Support new store responsibilities per Asana board; assist with SPINS analysis. Grow knowledge and skills by participating in tasks/projects/training and attending career-related MOM’s learning events. What we look for: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience 1-3 years’ experience in retail, category support, merchandising or purchasing Developing negotiation skills and exposure to supplier relationships Knowledge of natural/organic food industry trends, products, and ingredient standards Advanced proficiency in Excel (including Pivot tables, V-Lookups, Index Matching), with experience working with large data sets, Google Suite and Asana (or other project management software) Experience interpreting data and dashboards; ability to spot broader dataset issues Highly organized, dependable, and detail-oriented Comfortable juggling shifting priorities and deadlines Strong verbal and written communication skills with internal teams and external suppliers Self-motivated learner with initiative and curiosity Interest in natural/organic products and MOM’s values The salary range for this position is $72,000-$83,000. We also offer a full range of benefits including: Paid Time Off, plus holidays Paid Pregnancy and Child Bonding Leave 30% employee discount exceptional medical, dental, and vision plans 401k with company matching and more! MOM's participates in E-Verify (for more information, click here: E-verify participation and Right to Work). #J-18808-Ljbffr