Manager, Category Development

Staples is business to business. You’re what binds us together. 

Our merchandising team aims to deliver the best value and selection to our customers through products, services and solutions all centered around our customers’ needs. We are driven by customer insights and analytics to bring products and solutions to market seamlessly. We’re inclusive, well-rounded professionals who have deep experience in buying, selling, negotiating, operations, design, innovation, finance and more. 

The Manager, Category Development serves as a Portfolio Owner responsible for the performance, growth, and lifecycle management of assigned Owned Brand portfolios. This role partners closely with Merchandising and cross-functional teams to identify opportunities, prioritize initiatives, and execute category strategies that drive differentiated growth, improved assortment productivity, sustainable margin expansion, and customer value.

The role applies data-driven insights, customer understanding, and commercial acumen to evaluate portfolio performance, recommend actions, and support product development and innovation efforts. Operating within defined category strategies and business priorities, this role contributes to portfolio planning and execution while influencing decisions through analytics, insights, and structured recommendations.

What you will be doing: 

• Evaluate and manage Owned Brand portfolio performance and lifecycle 
• Analyze financial, customer, and operational data to identify opportunities 
• Develop recommendations to improve assortment and category performance 
• Build and maintain annual portfolio and category plans 
• Support product development and innovation initiatives 
• Partner with cross-functional teams to execute category strategies 
• Conduct competitive benchmarking and market analysis 
• Prepare and present insights, recommendations, and business cases 
• Drive data-based prioritization and decision-making 
• Collaborate across Product Development, Sourcing, Finance, and Marketing 

What You Bring to the Table: 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills 
• Ability to translate data into business insights 
• Cross-functional collaboration and partnership 
• Clear and structured communication skills 
• Strong organization and prioritization 
• Commercial mindset with attention to detail 
• Adaptability in a fast-paced environment 
• Ability to influence stakeholders 
• Experience working cross-functionally 

What’s needed: Basic Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience  
• 7+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, product development, consulting, or analytics 
• Experience analyzing financial and customer data 
• Experience building business cases 
• Proficiency in Excel, SQL, or similar tools 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• 3+ years of project leadership or people management experience preferred 
• Experience with Owned Brands or private label 
• Experience in retail, eCommerce, or consumer goods 
• Product development lifecycle experience 
• Advanced analytics or BI tools (Tableau, Power BI) 

We Offer: 

• Inclusive culture with associate-led Business Resource Groups 
• Flexible PTO (22 days) and Holiday Schedule (7 observed paid holidays) 
• Online and Retail Discounts, Company Match 401(k), Physical and Mental Health Wellness programs and more! 

The salary range represents the expected compensation for this role at the time of posting. The specific base pay may be influenced by a variety of factors to include the candidate's experience, skill set, education, geography, business considerations, and internal equity. In addition to base pay, this role may be eligible for bonuses, or other forms of variable compensation.