Category Manager

Category Manager

The purpose of this position is to drive sales and profitability in assigned product categories through pricing, assortment, vendor negotiation, ordering, and merchandising. A key focus of the role is driving innovation through the introduction of new and seasonal items. The Category Manager works closely with store teams, vendors, and business partners to achieve sales, gross margin, inventory, and merchandising objectives while ensuring exceptional customer service and a positive shopping experience.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Follows established company policies and procedures
• Ensures pricing and signage accuracy for all products, with particular attention to ad items
• Sets and maintains retail pricing for assigned categories to achieve sales and gross margin goals
• Conducts competitive price checks and adjusts pricing strategy based on market conditions and cost changes
• Implements category plans and merchandising initiatives that support company sales and merchandising objectives
• Is responsible for category sales, gross margin, and inventory goals
• Reviews category performance and identifies opportunities to improve sales, inventory management, and customer satisfaction
• Coordinates, communicates, and follows up on sales, merchandising, and promotional programs
• Manages assigned product assortments, including item additions, transitions, and discontinuations
• Sources new, trending, local, and seasonal items to keep categories fresh, innovative, and differentiated
• Evaluates vendor presentations and new item submissions and makes assortment decisions
• Works with vendors and business partners to support category goals, product programs, and promotional activities
• Negotiates costs, promotional funding, ad allowances, and terms with vendors to drive category sales and profitability
• Oversees vendor programs, billbacks, and promotional funding, and reconciles them for accuracy
• Builds and maintains positive working relationships with store associates, Store Directors, vendors, and other business partners
• Collaborates with Buyers to ensure item setup, pricing, product information, and category data are accurate and maintained
• Creates and manages purchase orders for stores, including regular replenishment, ad quantities, and seasonal buys
• Forecasts demand and allocates product to stores to keep shelves in stock while controlling overstock and shrink
• Monitors out-of-stocks, fill rates, and vendor delivery performance, and resolves supply issues
• Coordinates seasonal, promotional, and merchandising programs within assigned categories
• Tracks promotional programs and assists with related reporting and documentation
• Reviews sales, margin, and inventory reports, customer trends, and market information to support business decisions
• Evaluates product performance and makes decisions on product assortment opportunities
• Ensures promotional and merchandising programs are accurately executed throughout assigned categories
• Communicates category updates, promotions, and merchandising initiatives to stores, Buyers, vendors, and other business partners
• Participates in vendor meetings, product reviews, industry events, and market evaluations
• Builds the ad plan for assigned categories, including selecting ad items, setting ad prices, and ordering ad quantities for stores
• Writes, proofs, and finalizes advertisements, promotional materials, and seasonal marketing content
• Plans and buys holiday programs, seasonal items, and special promotions, including sell-through tracking and end-of-season markdowns
• Completes assigned tasks efficiently and in a timely manner
• Conducts quarterly inventory reviews for assigned category products
• Visits stores regularly to review category conditions, promotional execution, and in-stock levels
• Sets a professional and positive example to others
• Ensures company standards for quality, safety, sanitation, and productivity are maintained

Marginal duties and responsibilities include:

• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Nature of work contacts include:

• Consistent and daily interaction with store associates and customers
• Consistent and daily interaction with vendors and business partners

Training and qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Desired knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Five years of category management, buying, merchandising, retail operations, or related experience preferred; or any combination of education, training, and experience that provides the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
• Current Food Handler's Permit
• Strong understanding of category management principles, merchandising practices, and retail operations
• Experience developing and executing category plans through merchandising, product assortment management, and promotional execution
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales, margin, inventory, and market data
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to build productive vendor partnerships
• Solid financial acumen, including gross margin and markup calculations and P&L analysis
• Experience with demand forecasting, purchase ordering, and inventory planning
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong organizational, planning, and time-management skills
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple responsibilities, maintain focus, and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to understand and effectively utilize technology to support business operations and performance
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and retail ordering, POS, and sales data systems
• Excellent knowledge of Harmons food safety policies and procedures
• Ability to interpret policies and procedures
• Ability to professionally and appropriately handle conflict
• Must possess the ability to accept constructive review and be accountable for one's own success as well as the success of your team
• Required to make logical, significant decisions using general, recognized analytical skills and techniques
• Must possess integrity, a positive attitude, be mission-driven, and be self-directed with a demonstrated passion for Harmons' mission and commitment to working collaboratively
• Continually strives to be product minded, customer minded, personnel minded, detailed, forward focused and consistent
• Ability to work weekends, evenings, and holidays

Physical/sensory demands:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an associate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work is generally performed in a safe and comfortable office environment with the possibility of infrequent exposure to hot, cold, slippery, and wet conditions while visiting the stores. While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to grasp, push, pull, carry, stoop, twist, crouch, and reach; perform tasks requiring repetitive motion and eye, hand, and foot coordination; hear and respond to customer inquiries. Also requires standing, climbing, walking, sitting, and bending throughout the entire workday and the ability to maneuver heavy objects weighing up to 50 pounds from location to location.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and celebrate our employees' differences including race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, and Veteran status. Diversity makes us better.