Category Manager - Safety

Bunzl Canada; Burlington; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Bunzl Canada Inc. seeks a Safety Category Manager to lead category strategy, supplier management, and lifecycle optimization for eyewear, respiratory, hearing protection, and related segments.

You will drive PBIT performance, pricing strategies, and cross-functional alignment with Sales, Purchasing, and Marketing. You will manage assortments by region, support go-to-market planning, and collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure supply continuity and inventory optimization.

Qualifications

• 5–10+ years of experience in Category Management, Product Management, or Strategic Sourcing, preferably for B2B distribution.
• Strong financial acumen with proven experience managing P&L or PBIT performance.
• Experience with National Brand and Private / Own Brand programs.
• Excellent negotiation, analytical, and strategic planning skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel; experience with ERP and BI tools is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies aligned to Safety priorities.
• Own category PBIT performance by driving sales, gross profit, and margin improvement.
• Analyze category spend, market share, and regional performance to identify growth opportunities.
• Lead category reviews and present performance updates to senior leadership and commercial teams.
• Manage full product lifecycle including new product introductions and SKU rationalization.
• Optimize assortments by customer segment and regional needs; lead SKU reduction initiatives.
• Lead supplier strategy including sourcing, negotiations, cost management, and performance reviews.
• Develop Own Brand strategies, cost-down initiatives, and margin expansion with national brands.
• Own pricing architecture and cost models for assigned categories.
• Support Sales with pricing guidance and key customer opportunities.
• Collaborate with Purchasing on cost changes, imports, tariffs, and vendor programs.
• Ensure accurate item setup, category coding, and master data governance.
• Act as category SME for Sales, Marketing, and Operations; align assortments to customer segments.

Skills

Category Management

Product Management

Strategic Sourcing

Financial Acumen

PBIT Management

Negotiation

Analytical Skills

Excel

ERP

BI Tools

Tools

ERP

BI Tools

Job description

The Safety Category Manager is responsible for the strategic leadership, financial performance, and lifecycle management of assigned industrial packaging categories. This role owns category strategy development and execution, supplier management, assortment optimization, pricing and margin performance, and cross-functional alignment with Sales, Purchasing, Supply Chain, and Marketing to drive profitable growth.

The role supports Bunzl Canada’s Category Management objectives, including PBIT generation, market share growth, own-brand expansion, SKU rationalization, and sustainable product development within Safety segments such as eyewear, respiratory, hearing fall protection, and hearing protection.

Salary Range will be $70k-$80K per year

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Financial Performance

• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies aligned to overall Safety and segment priorities.
• Own category PBIT performance by driving sales growth, gross profit dollars, and margin improvement.
• Analyze category spend, market share, and regional performance to identify growth opportunities.
• Lead category reviews and present performance updates to senior leadership and commercial teams.

Assortment & Lifecycle Management

• Manage full product lifecycle: new product introduction, line extensions, SKU rationalization, and end-of-life decisions.
• Optimize assortments by customer segment (manufacturing, processing, shipping/supplies) and regional needs.
• Lead SKU reduction and consolidation initiatives to free capacity and improve operational efficiency.

Supplier & Own Brand Management

• Lead supplier strategy including sourcing, negotiations, cost management, and performance reviews.
• Identify and develop alternative sourcing and new vendor capacity to mitigate risk and improve competitiveness.
• Develop and execute Own Brand strategies, including specification development, cost-down initiatives, and margin expansion versus national brands.
• Partner with suppliers on innovation, sustainability, and exclusive programs.

Pricing, Costing & Commercial Support

• Own pricing architecture and cost models for assigned categories.
• Support Sales with pricing guidance, deal support, and key customer opportunities.
• Collaborate with Purchasing on cost changes, imports, tariffs, and vendor program management.
• Ensure accurate item setup, category coding, and master data governance.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as the category subject-matter expert for Sales, Marketing, and Operations.
• Partner with Sales to align assortments and category role by customer segment and region.
• Support go-to-market planning, customer presentations, and strategic account reviews.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure continuity of supply and inventory optimization.

Qualifications & Experience

• 5–10+ years of experience in Category Management, Product Management, or Strategic Sourcing, preferably for B2B distribution
• Strong financial acumen with proven experience managing P&L or PBIT performance.
• Experience working with both National Brand and Private / Own Brand programs.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, and strategic planning skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel; experience with ERP and BI tools preferred.
• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.

Bunzl Canada Inc. (bunzlcanada.ca) provides the food and retail packaging, cleaning and hygiene products and equipment, safety and industrial supplies which keep over 58,000 Canadian businesses running optimally, every day. We bring our customers the advantage of global sourcing, product innovation and national scale combined with responsive local service and deep category expertise. Bunzl Canada is a certified Great Place to Work®. We are committed to creating an inclusive, equitable and positive working environment for all employees so that they experience a strong sense of belonging, while developing individually and professionally. Bunzl Canada is an operating company of Bunzl plc (BNZL.L), a FTSE100 company listed on the London Stock Exchange. With 27,000 employees in over 30 countries, our global presence spans the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the UK and Ireland. At Bunzl, you’ll find Unlimited Potential… Your Career - - Our Future!

Bunzl Canada has a tradition of commitment to equal employment opportunity. It is our established policy to attract and retain the best qualified people without regard to race, colour, religion, national origin, sex/gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status as provided by law.