Magnet is helping our client, a leading Global Retailer within the Food & Beverage space, look for a Category Manager, Food Service to lead the next phase of growth within their Food Service/HMR category. The Category Manager, Food Service is responsible for increasing the category gross profit and sales by selecting strategic suppliers, evaluating new products, and negotiating pricing, and planning marketing strategies. Collaborate and support National and Business Unit activities for the category.
Role Responsibilities:Owns frontline pricing decisions with promotional guidance from National or Business Unit for floor/ceilingResponsible for vendor operations and local relationshipsResponsible for actionable operational reporting (Out of Stock, Zero Sales Reporting, Delivery Frequency, and others as necessary)Selects local vendors, negotiates costs, terms for products, and develops schematics by applying category management principles in accordance with the departments' National and Business Unit strategic objectivesSupports pilots/testing activities, including preparation and delivering communication materials. Also tracking of results and feedback to the appropriate teamEstablishes and monitors gross margins by forecasting and developing annual sales quotas, projecting expected sales volume and profit for existing and new productsEstablishes forecasts for all Food products and supplies and practices continuous evaluation and improvement to adjust to changing market conditions and business needsProjects and measures category sales and gross profit results by developing and maintaining records of item cost, retail, and gross margin dollarsMaintains external local and national vendor relations by providing direction, guidance, and information, resolving concernsAchieves financial objectives by preparing an annual category review, budget, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances, initiating corrective actions. Allocates program costs by preparing operational and risk reports for analyses aligning with the National and Business Unit Merchandising
Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree in advertising, finance, management, business economics, or related field preferredFive years of experience or more preferred in merchandising; including experience in management responsibilityFood service Category Management experience (preferred)Proficient in MS Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word preferredKnowledge of safe food handling practices and processes in a commercial Food service environmentMust have strong relationship management, analytical thinking, and financial acumen skills
Compensation Range: $90,000-$100,000 with Corporate Incentive Bonus