Protein Category Manager

Brunel; Amherst; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Brunel is seeking a Protein Category Manager for a food service client in Amherst, Nova Scotia. You will drive growth in the Protein category, bridging global trends with local needs and coordinating with alliances, vendors, and sales teams.

You will commute to the client’s distribution center at least four days a week and travel across the Atlantic region for customer visits. The role requires deep protein knowledge, strong negotiation, pricing, and contract management to protect margins.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of deep knowledge in beef, lamb, seafood and poultry and supply chain dynamics.
• Strong grasp of Margin, Pricing and DC capacity metrics in perishables.
• Experience in the Atlantic market for protein categories.
• Ability to interpret data to make timely buying decisions.
• SAP experience is a significant asset for managing procurement data.

Responsibilities

• Make fast purchasing decisions on time-sensitive offers from vendors and strategic alliances to gain market advantages.
• Track market trends and commodity fluctuations to keep pricing competitive for the sales team.
• Sourcing unique opportunity buys to drive customer interest and incremental sales.
• Lead supplier-side contracting to secure optimal volume and pricing.
• Oversee protein contracts, aligning costs with sales commitments to safeguard margins.
• Monitor vendor and division contract compliance, escalating performance issues as needed.
• Source across national, regional, specialty, and local suppliers to maintain market-relevant inventory.
• Negotiate contracts with new regional suppliers and balance national goals with local demands.
• Forward-buy and secure supply ahead of seasonal demand spikes and commodity cycles.
• Serve as the protein SME for sales teams, participating in client meetings and reviews.
• Educate and coach sales reps on market trends, product details, and selling strategies to boost margin growth.

Skills

Protein category expertise

Market analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Intrapreneurial mindset

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SAP

Job description

We are hiring a Protein Category Manager for one of our food service clients based in Amherst, Nova Scotia. The Protein Category Manager will spearhead the incremental growth of the client’s Protein category. While their Core Merchandising Manager maintains the foundational portfolio, this role will be the "Market Specialist." The Protein Category Manager will sit at the center of the action: responding to time-sensitive offers, collaborating with our Strategic Alliances, Specialty Companies, Vendor network and Sales teams and managing the COP (Centre of the Plate Protein) Contracting program. We are looking for a professional who thrives under pressure and can bridge the gap between global commodity trends and local market needs, ensuring the client’s product portfolio and buy-side costs translate into a winning sell-side position. The successful candidate must be able to commute to the client’s distribution center for 4 days a week minimum. The position currently requires some travel across the Atlantic region for customer visits.

Responsibilities

Strategic Opportunity Buys

• Make fast purchasing decisions on time-sensitive offers from vendors and strategic alliances to gain market advantages.
• Track market trends and commodity fluctuations to keep pricing competitive for the sales team.
• Sourcing unique opportunity buys to drive customer interest and incremental sales.

Risk & Inventory Management

• Assess volume, distribution center (DC) capacity, and market volatility before placing high-risk forward buys.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Merchandising, Sales, Supply Chain, and Revenue Management to ensure smooth sell-through.

COP Contracting Program Management

• Lead supplier-side contracting with key partners to secure optimal volume and pricing for category growth.
• Oversee customer-side protein contracts, aligning costs with sales commitments to safeguard margins and distribution.
• Monitor vendor and division contract compliance, escalating performance issues as needed.
• Source across national, regional, specialty, and local suppliers to maintain market-relevant inventory.
• Negotiate contracts with new regional suppliers and balance national category goals with local market demands.
• Forward-buy and secure supply ahead of seasonal demand spikes and commodity cycles to prevent inventory gaps.
• Serve as the protein subject-matter expert for sales teams, participating in client meetings and business reviews.
• Educate and coach sales representatives on market trends, product details, and selling strategies to boost margin growth.

Requirements

• Protein Expertise: 3+ years of deep knowledge in beef, lamb, seafood and poultry is a must-have, including quality standards and supply chain dynamics.
• Commodity Market Fluency: Extensive knowledge of market fluctuations and the ability to interpret data to make timely buying decisions.
• Must have experience in the Atlantic market specific to protein categories
• Financial & Analytical Acumen: Strong grasp of Margin, Pricing and DC capacity metrics in a perishable goods environment.
• Collaboration & Influence: Proven ability to work across multiple teams and influence stakeholders at both the regional and national levels.
• The "Intrapreneur" Spirit: A creative thinker who can inject fresh perspectives into the category and drive brand goals.
• Tech Savvy: Bachelor’s degree preferred; SAP experience is a significant asset for managing complex inventory and procurement data.
• Must be comfortable being in office 4 days a week, in addition to 10-20% travel a year.

About Us

Brunel has a reputation for working with some of the best in the business. That’s what we continually strive for. Over 45 years, we’ve created a global network of interesting clients and talented individuals working together through a vast array of services.