Category Manager ( Rough Plumbing and Ventilation )

RONA; Boucherville; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts

Pension plan

Healthcare benefits

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

RONA is seeking a Category Manager for Rough Plumbing and Ventilation to drive category strategy, pricing, assortment and supplier relationships across corporate stores, affiliated dealers and online channels.

The role requires strong business acumen, analytical rigor and the ability to execute plans in a fast-paced retail environment, reporting to the Director, Category Management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a business-related field.
• Minimum 8 years in category management, pricing or related merchandising experience.
• Bilingual in French and English; strong communication.
• Experience in omnichannel retail or hardware/home improvement is an asset.
• Proven negotiation, supplier management and data-driven decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute Rough Plumbing and Ventilation category strategies.
• Analyze market trends, customer needs and supplier capabilities to identify growth opportunities.
• Lead pricing, promotions, assortment planning and private label initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize inventory, planograms and store execution.
• Mentor and develop junior category staff and coordinate with dealers and corporate teams.

Skills

Category management

Negotiation skills

French and English communication

Financial acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration / Finance / Economics / Marketing / BI / Operations

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

At RONA, our employees let their passion blossom every day. Our teams are driven by the desire to help people bring their projects to life and are committed to making a difference in the communities we serve.

We operate or service corporate and affiliated dealer stores. With a distinctive product and service offering and complementary store formats ranging from neighbourhood hardware stores to big box stores, our RONA+, RONA and Dick’s Lumber banners are well equipped to help meet the needs of all DIYers and contractors.

You’ve got the talent? We’ve got the tools! Here, your work and ideas will contribute to building a flourishing organization. Your voice will always be heard and valued. You’ll find career opportunities that live up to your ambitions and be able to further develop your unique set of skills.

So, if you’re looking to do what you love, we could be a perfect match.

RONA is seeking a Category Manager, Rough Plumbing and Ventilation, who will support the development and execution of category strategies and ensure the performance, competitiveness and ongoing optimization of the merchandising activities within their scope.

This person will be responsible for managing the assigned category portfolio to support sales growth, margin optimization, retail price competitiveness, sound inventory management, assortment relevance and supplier performance. They will report to the Director, Category Management, Electrical, Rough Plumbing and Ventilation, and work closely with the Merchandising, Finance, Pricing, Supply Chain, Marketing, Digital, Corporate and Dealer Store Operations, and Outside Sales teams to align category execution with the company’s overall business objectives.

The incumbent will act as the commercial owner and product expert for their assigned categories, while ensuring that strategies, assortments, pricing, promotions and supplier initiatives reflect the needs of customers, professionals, DIYers, corporate stores, affiliated dealers, digital and outside sales. The role requires strong business acumen, analytical rigor, negotiation skills, technical product knowledge and the ability to execute category plans in a complex retail and wholesale environment.

Your Role :

Category Strategy and Business Planning

• Develop and execute category strategies for Rough Plumbing and Ventilation in alignment with the overall direction established by the Director.
• Translate category vision and strategic priorities into clear business and action plans.
• Analyze customer needs, market trends, competitive dynamics, supplier capabilities, financial performance and operational realities to identify opportunities for category growth and improvement.
• Support the development of integrated category plans covering assortment, pricing, promotions, private label, inventory, customer experience, digital and supplier relationships.
• Maintain an appropriate level of retail price competitiveness while remaining focused on customer needs, profitability and the overall value equation, and protecting the company’s brand image.
• Consider the needs of corporate stores, affiliated dealers, digital and outside sales in the development and execution of category plans.
• Provide clear recommendations to the Director on opportunities, risks, trade-offs and decisions related to category performance and evolution.

Financial Performance and Commercial Management

• Be accountable for managing the financial performance of the assigned categories, including sales, margins, vendor revenues, inventory turns and contribution to financial objectives.
• Contribute to the development and monitoring of annual, quarterly, periodic and weekly plans, as well as commercial forecasts, ensuring a clear link between category strategies and expected results.
• Identify growth levers and opportunities to improve productivity and margins, while strengthening price competitiveness, customer-perceived value and offer relevance, and lead the action plans required to achieve established targets.
• Manage commercial trade-offs between growth, profitability, inventory, competitiveness, customer service, operational capacity and logistics.
• Ensure that assortment, sourcing, acquisition cost and retail pricing decisions support a viable, competitive and profitable commercial equation for affiliated dealers.
• Monitor category performance on an ongoing basis and implement corrective action plans when results, market conditions or operational constraints require adjustment.

Assortment, Pricing, Promotion And Customer Experience

• Manage the category assortment architecture, including product roles, product range levels, customer need coverage, product rationalization, newness and optimization opportunities.
• Select products and suppliers based on category strategy, banner requirements, customer expectations, market relevance, quality, value, availability and financial contribution.
• Ensure alignment between assortment, pricing strategies, promotional strategies, planograms, selling space, digital content and brand positioning objectives.
• Collaborate with the Pricing, Marketing, Digital, Planogram, Corporate and Dealer Store Operations teams to optimize competitiveness, value perception, product availability, service and execution.
• Manage promotional planning and product selection to support traffic, sales, margin, inventory productivity and customer relevance.
• Ensure that category strategies and product decisions meet the needs of customers, professionals and DIYers, while supporting differentiation in the market.
• Apply relevant technical product knowledge and awareness of codes, standards and regulatory considerations where applicable to Rough Plumbing and Ventilation.

Suppliers, Negotiation, Global Sourcing and Private Label

• Develop and maintain effective business relationships with suppliers to maximize commercial value, innovation, service quality and category performance.
• Negotiate costs, commercial programs, purchasing terms, vendor revenues, volume commitments, service levels and growth initiatives in alignment with category objectives.
• Ensure sound management of commercial agreements to optimize profitability and contribution to category objectives, while minimizing risks for the organization, ensuring compliance with business practices, and protecting the company’s reputation and brand image.
• Identify and recommend opportunities in global sourcing, private label, product differentiation and innovation.
• Ensure that supplier decisions support objectives related to competitiveness, profitability, supply resilience, customer value and execution feasibility.
• Monitor supplier performance, including service levels, product availability, quality, innovation, financial contribution and support for corporate and affiliated dealer needs.

Inventory, Supply Chain and Operational Execution

• Collaborate with the Planning, Supply Chain and Corporate and Dealer Store Operations teams to optimize product availability, inventory productivity and in-store and online execution.
• Manage commercial decisions and recommendations related to purchasing, inventory levels, assortment transitions, product lifecycle and liquidation strategies.
• Ensure that category plans consider operational, logistical, seasonal, regional and omnichannel realities.
• Support effective planogram execution, product introductions, product exits, store communications and issue resolution.
• Ensure clear and timely communication of merchandising plans, including actions required for listed and delisted products, assortment changes, promotional activity and execution priorities.
• Implement follow-up mechanisms to support plan execution, process compliance, cross-functional collaboration and achievement of results.

Leadership, Collaboration and Team Development

• Lead, engage and develop the assistant category manager and category coordinator assigned to the category, where applicable.
• Foster a culture of performance, collaboration, analytical rigor, financial discipline and accountability.
• Build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support category execution and business results.
• Represent the category with clarity and professionalism in cross-functional discussions, supplier meetings and internal business reviews.
• Contribute to projects and initiatives aimed at improving merchandising processes, category management capabilities and organizational performance.

Key Performance Indicators

• Sales, margin and financial contribution performance of the assigned categories.
• Achievement of annual, quarterly, periodic and weekly category plans.
• Maintenance or improvement of competitive positioning, offer relevance, price competitiveness and value perception.
• Optimization of inventory levels, product availability, inventory productivity and effectiveness of assortment transitions.
• Support for the commercial and operational needs of corporate stores, affiliated dealers, digital and outside sales.
• Quality, clarity and relevance of communications with internal and external stakeholders.
• Supplier performance, including vendor revenues, service quality, supply, innovation and contribution to category objectives.
• Development of global sourcing, private label, product differentiation and innovation opportunities.
• Quality of execution of category plans, planograms and in-store and online presentation.
• Effective leadership, coaching and development of assigned team members, where applicable.
• Contribution to projects aimed at advancing the Merchandising teams and the organization.

The Qualifications we're looking for :

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Marketing, Business Intelligence, Operations Management or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in category management, pricing, assortment optimization, finance or other related merchandising experience, in retail, with a retailer or with a supplier.
• Experience in a hardware, home improvement, building materials, plumbing, ventilation or related technical product environment is an asset.
• Experience in an omnichannel retail environment.
• Proficiency with office tools, including Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
• Strong financial knowledge and data analysis capabilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in French and English. ( Frequent communications with internal/external partners and/or clients/employees outside of Québec )
• Strong business acumen and understanding of retail financial drivers.
• Expertise in category management, supplier negotiation, pricing strategies, merchandising, store operations, replenishment and data-driven decision-making.
• Strong understanding of assortment management, promotional planning, inventory productivity and product lifecycle management.
• Ability to analyze financial, customer, competitive and operational data to identify opportunities, issues, trends, and build action plans.
• Strong knowledge of Rough Plumbing and Ventilation products, or relevant experience in adjacent technical categories.
• Awareness of technical product requirements, codes, standards and regulatory considerations relevant to the assigned categories, where applicable.
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to build productive supplier relationships.
• Excellent communication, collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate in a complex, fast-paced and evolving environment.
• Results-oriented, organized and able to manage multiple priorities.

By joining the RONA family, you’ll enjoy many benefits, such as:

• A childcare centre that can accommodate up to 78 children
• A cafeteria with a delicious menu prepared by a dedicated chef, healthy options, as well as FARO Roasting Houses and Tim Hortons coffee stations
• Electric car charging stations
• A fitness centre, sports activities, and showers
• Exclusive employee discounts, plus a 10% discount on store merchandise (at all RONA locations)
• Benefits: retirement savings plan, annual bonuses, student incentive program, etc.
• Access to the GreenShield+ telemedicine platform, including virtual consultations with healthcare professionals and pharmacy services
• Career growth opportunities within the company
• An inclusive and safe working environment
• Promotion of work-life balance
• An employer that’s involved in the community
• And much more!

If selected for an interview, please advise our Human Resources team if you require accommodation during the interview and assessment process and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.

RONA is committed to encouraging diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, gender, nationality, age, disability, or any other protected status.