What are the responsibilities and job description for the Category Manager position at Yatco?
Category Manager
Position Summary:
The Category Manager sets the strategy and drives growth of the business for categories, including product selection, vendor negotiation, planograms, space allocation, pricing, and promotions. Responsible for the coaching and development of direct report to achieve and execute all goals and company strategies.
Responsibilities:
- Ensure all category sales and gross profit contributions meet or exceed the annual corporate budget.
- Continuously evaluate and optimize product assortments, store layouts, planograms, manage rebates and inventories to exceed sales, profit, and volume targets.
- Lead all initiatives for resets and planograming for specified categories.
- Partner closely with our supply chains and vendor partners to drive a high level of in-stock in our stores.
- Responsible for product selection and the development of competitive merchandise assortment plans that achieve financial objectives.
- Negotiates pricing and terms with new, existing, and prospective vendors.
- Builds strong relationships with the vendor community and exercises flexibility in approach to negotiations.
- Communicate merchandising strategies to cross functional teams to ensure proper and timely execution of strategy.
- Connects strategies to business operations and maintains an understanding of business operational goals and challenges.
- Maintain active involvement with industry associations to effect industry and legislative changes that are favorable to the company.
- Travel to conduct store and competition visits to provide feedback on assortment, pricing, promotions, and field execution.
- Partner with Loyalty Manager to develop pricing, promotional and campaign strategies for Yatco Rewards.
- Develop promotional strategy with vendors for in store offerings.
- Supervise and coach direct report in the performance of their duties; complete performance reviews and provide continuous feedback and development to direct reports.
- Continually monitors merchandising performance and promptly reacts to changes in the business to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risks.
- Establishes and maintains a reputation of credibility and responsiveness in the marketplace.
- Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Education: Bachelor’s Degree with required focus in business, marketing, merchandising or a related field
Minimum Experience: 5 years’ experience in C-Store category management; experience with negotiating major contracts, trade funding and developing durable vendor relationships. Proven experience leading direct reports and managing change in an organization and demonstrated success growing revenue and profit within companies of scale.
Soft Skills/Competencies:
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Strong Presentation Skills
- Ability to foster team work and build collaborative relationships
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Expert in Microsoft Office Suite
Travel: Between corporate and stores 30%
Physical Requirements: Minimal physical effort required; sitting / standing at computer for long periods of time. Ability to maneuver and lift up to 10 lbs.