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The Senior Category Manager is responsible for growing market share through category optimization, vendor management, and field activation. This role owns product assortment, pricing recommendations, and vendor relationships, with accountability profitable sales growth. The Senior Category Manager closely monitors national performance results and leverages promotional and market insights to continuously refine category strategy and execution.Hybrid: 2 days remote (Monday and Friday) and 3 days onsite in Rosemont, IL (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).
RESPONSIBILITIES
Develop and manage the national category strategy and consistently monitor performance to ensure objectives are met. Develop short- and long-term category objectives aimed at driving the category to meet business growth and profitability targets.
Monitor and analyze category performance on a national, regional and market level. Based on analysis, adjust category strategies as required to drive overall category performance, including sales growth.
Lead the effort to drive Exclusive Brand (EB) penetration across the category by ensuring EB products are primary considerations in the development and implementation of category strategy. Measure customer and EB penetration of assigned category and benchmark against our industry.
Establish, maintain and grow relationships with suppliers and lead negotiation efforts. Identify market, new product and category growth opportunities. Manage vendor communications and consistently provide vendor performance feedback and resolve complex issues. Work with suppliers on new, innovative products. Work with Product Development and Commercialization Manage on innovations and supplier selection.
Manage overall category product assortment, to include the execution of assortment reviews, determining core SKUs, reviewing new vendor items, driving national assortment harmonization, and reducing product duplication.
Develop category level pricing strategies, continually reviewing pricing structure and implementing changes to maximize performance. Collaborate with pricing analytics team on segment specific Sales Representative Cost (SRC) and Price to Customer (PTC).
SUPERVISION:
3-5 Associate Category Managers
RELATIONSHIPS
Internal: Work across all levels of USF staff within corporate, region and divisional organizations, up to and including corporate executive leadership.
External: Manage relationships with multiple critical vendors and work closely with external third parties, vendors and consulting firms.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Hybrid: This role is partially remote, and the associate is expected to perform assigned responsibilities from a combined home-based and office-based environment.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
7 years of Category Management or related experience, including vendor management and pricing.
3 years of people management and/or leadership experience.
Ability to operate successfully in a matrix environment and work effectively across multiple groups and levels.
Solid quantitative and analytical skills and ability to work in a team setting, drive team results and support change management within the organization.
Possess, or be able to rapidly develop, a strong knowledge of products within assigned category and division sales requirements.
Ability to provide fact-based recommendations across various levels of management.
High degree of motivation, ability to prioritize and self-direct, strong business acumen and sound interpersonal skills.
Strong verbal, written and presentation skills.
Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office, especially Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as Microsoft Outlook.
EDUCATION
Four year college degree in business or related field, or equivalent experience.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Category Management or related experience within the foodservice industry or food manufacturing companies.
This role will also long term incentives and will receive an annual incentive plan bonus up to 25% of base salary.
Benefits for this role may include health insurance, pre-tax spending accounts, retirement benefits, paid time off, short-term and long-term disability, employee stock purchase plan, and life insurance. To review available benefits, please click here: https://www.usfoods.com/careers/benefits.html.
Compensation depends on relevant experience and/or education, specific skills, function, geographic location, and other factors as applicable by law (for example: state minimum wage thresholds). The expected base rate for this role is between
$100,000 - $160,000***EOE – Race/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Age/Genetic Information/Protected Veteran/Disability Status***
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