Protein Divisional Merchandising Manager

gfs; Amherst; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & Dental

EFAP benefits

Flexible benefits program

RRSP matching

Family culture

Profit sharing

Career advancement opportunities

Job summary

Gordon Food Service is seeking a decisive COP Commodity Category Manager to drive incremental growth in the Protein category. You will bridge global trends with local market needs and manage contracting programs, working with Strategic Alliances, Specialty Companies, Vendors, and Sales teams.

You will be at the center of action, balancing market conditions with supply chain constraints, and leading negotiations to secure favorable volumes and prices for our customers.

Qualifications

• Experience in food service or commodity markets is preferred.
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
• Ability to translate market trends into actionable buying strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead rapid, time-sensitive purchasing decisions with Alliances, Vendors and Sales teams.
• Monitor markets and commodity fluctuations to keep pricing competitive.
• Manage inventory risk and coordinate forward buys during peak periods.
• Negotiate contracts with suppliers to expand local footprint.
• Collaborate across COP, Merchandising, Supply Chain and Revenue Management.

Skills

Market analysis

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Supply Chain

Job description

Welcome to Gordon Food Service! We are excited that you are thinking about opportunities with us, and we have an amazing story to share. Here's a quick glance of who we are and the impact you could have on the food service industry. There's a seat at our table for you...

Position Summary

We are seeking a decisive, high-energy, market-oriented COP Commodity Category Manager to spearhead the incremental growth of our Protein category. While our Core Merchandising Manager maintains the foundational portfolio, you are the "Market Specialist." You 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 our COP Contracting program. We need a professional who thrives under pressure and can bridge the gap between global commodity trends and local market needs, ensuring our product portfolio and buy-side costs translate into a winning sell-side position.

Location :

the successful candidate must be able to commute to the Amherst Distribution Center for the current 4 days a week minimum.

Travel :

position currently requires some travel across the Atlantic region for customer visits

What We Offer

• Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug, and EFAP Benefits after 30 days of employment
• FULL flex benefits program
• Company matching RRSP
• Family culture
• Advancement opportunities
• Profit Sharing
• 128 year, family owned and operated company history

Main Responsibilities

Strategic Opportunity Buys

Speedy & Decisive Action: In this fast-paced environment, you will make purchasing decisions on time-sensitive offers through our Strategic Alliances, Specialty Companies and Vendor network, ensuring we secure market advantages before they disappear.

Continuous Market Monitoring

Monitor the competitive landscape and commodity fluctuations in real-time. You are responsible for ensuring we are competitively positioned allowing our sales team to win at the street level.

Risk & Capacity Management

Manage higher-risk inventory by analyzing volume, DC capacity and market volatility before directing large, opportunistic buys.

Sales & Marketing Synergy

Act as a critical resource for the sales by sourcing unique products and "opportunity buys" that drive incremental customer interest

Risk & Inventory Management

Strategic Coordination

Analyze volume, Distribution Centre (DC) capacity, and market volatility before directing large, high-risk buys.

Cross-Functional Synergy

You are the connective tissue between the Core COP Divisional Merchandising Manager, Sales, Supply Chain and Revenue Management. You must be an exceptional collaborator to ensure opportunity buys are supported and sold through effectively.

COP Contracting Program Management

Supplier-Side Contracting

Act as primary point person with our Strategic Alliances and Specialty Company to secure contracts for key items at volumes and prices that will drive category growth.

Customer-Side Contracting

Manage the division's protein contracting program for customers. Ensure that supply-side costs align with customer-side commitments to protect margins and ensure reliable distribution.

Contract Performance

Monitor and elevate contract performance issues, ensuring that both vendors and the division meet their volume and pricing obligations.

Portfolio & Vendor Leadership

Diverse Sourcing

Utilize a mix of national partners, strategic alliances, specialty companies and local/regional sources to ensure our portfolio remains market-relevant and competitive.

Contract Negotiation

Lead negotiations with new regional suppliers, collaborating with Strategic Procurement to expand our local footprint.

National/Regional Alignment

Represent the unique needs of the local market to the North American Category Team, ensuring regional agility within national frameworks. You must skillfully balance national strategies with unique regional demands, ensuring our local portfolio is relevant without diverging from long-range company goals.

Seasonal Gap Analysis

Proactively anticipate seasonal demand and commodity cycles by securing supply and cost advantages ahead of peak periods, including executing forward buys when market conditions are favorable. Continuously assess the portfolio for gaps and position inventory in advance of seasonal spikes, balancing service levels with risk while leveraging market insights

Sales Partnership & Customer Engagement

Field-Based Sales Support

Partner with District Sales Managers and Sales Representatives to identify customer opportunities, provide protein expertise and develop solutions that drive sales, brand and margin growth.

Customer-Facing Consultations

Support customer meetings, business reviews and sales calls as the protein subject matter expert

Category Education

Train and coach Sales teams on protein products, market trends, and selling strategies to build confidence and support customer success.