Category Manager- Fine Paper

Job Description

Job Description

The Fine Paper Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing the category strategy for the assigned line of business. This role owns the commercial direction of the category, including supplier strategy, product portfolio management, margin improvement, rebate performance, market intelligence, sourcing support, and sales enablement. They will work closely with Sales, Purchasing, Supply Chain Analytics and supplier partners to ensure the company has the right products, suppliers, costs, pricing guidance, inventory strategy, and market positioning to profitably grow the assigned category. This role is not responsible for day-to-day purchase order execution. The Category Manager serves as the strategic and commercial owner of the assigned category, helping the business make better decisions around what to sell, where to source, how to price, what to stock, which suppliers to prioritize, and how to improve category profitability. ( This is meant to be a guide. Duties may vary dependent upon management.)

Essential Position Functions:

Category Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and maintain the category strategy for Fine Paper, aligned with company growth, margin, supplier, inventory, and customer objectives.
• Identify growth opportunities within the assigned category, including product expansion, private label, preferred supplier programs, substitutions, cross-sell opportunities, and emerging customer needs.
• Partner with the Director of Category Management to establish annual goals, strategic priorities, and action plans for the assigned category.
• Monitor category trends, competitive activity, customer demand, supplier developments, and market conditions.
• Lead action plans to address underperforming products, suppliers, customer programs, or margin trends.
• Maintain substitute item catalogs and alternate sourcing strategies to address supply gaps and customer needs.

Financial and Commercial Performance

• Own category-level performance analysis, including sales, gross margin, rebate income, SKU productivity, supplier performance, inventory turns, and category profitability.
• Drive improvement in gross margin dollars, gross margin percentage, rebate income, supplier program income, inventory productivity, and category profitability.
• Support margin guardrails, pricing guidance, supplier cost-change processes, and profitability expectations for product category.

Customer Specific Strategy

• Partner with Finance and Sales leadership to evaluate customer specific inventory, customer profitability, deal economics, and corrective action plans.
• Monitor and support processes for customer-specific stocking, including volume commitment, margin expectations, supplier support, inventory risk, and exit plans
• Support sales in new sourcing requests, first suggesting core commodity skus, then if none are suitable for the customer aiding in identifying and bringing in alternatives.

  Supplier Strategy and Vendor Management

• Lead supplier negotiations related to rebates, cost changes, private label, and strategic programs.
• Partner with purchasing team on supplier service issues, lead times, fill rates, backorders, cost changes, and supply disruptions.
• Identify and qualify alternative suppliers to reduce risk, improve competitiveness, and support growth
• Other duties as assigned.

Other duties as assigned.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature, complexity and level of work to be performed by employees assigned to this position, and is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and/or skills required. It does not prescribe or restrict the work that may be assigned. Furthermore, this does not establish a contract for employment and is subject to change at the discretion of the company.

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Statistics, or related field preferred, or equivalent work experience.
• 1-3 years of experience in supply chain analytics, planning, logistics, or data analysis.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to work with large datasets and identify trends or anomalies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and familiarity with database management.
• Exposure to ERP systems, planning tools, and business intelligence platforms preferred.
• Basic understanding of supply chain concepts, statistical analysis, and inventory management principles.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication abilities and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Experience in wholesale distribution or the paper/packaging industry a plus.
• Must be able to read and communicate in English, for safe and effective performance of the job and business operations.
• Must be able to work alone, and with a team.
• Must be able to pass a drug screen and criminal background check.

Work Environment:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to walk and stand continuously for long periods of time.
• Talk or hear, both in person and by telephone.
• Reach with hands and arms.
• Repetitive bending, twisting. 
• Specific vision requirements include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Lift up to 25 lbs.

Mental Demands

• Regularly required to use written and oral communication skills.
• Will interact regularly with managers and staff.
• Must be able to work independently with little supervision.

Work Environment

• Employee works primarily in an office environment.

  Mac Papers + Packaging is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category.