Assistant Category Manager

KeHE; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 87,000 - 114,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading natural food distribution company is seeking an Assistant Category Manager. The role emphasizes analytical and project management skills to assist in product performance analysis and collaboration across departments. The position offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits on Day 1, providing a great opportunity for growth in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Health/Rx

Dental

Vision

Flexible spending accounts (FSA/HSA)

401(k)

Paid time off

Paid sick time

Short term & long term disability coverage

Employee stock ownership (ESOP)

Holiday pay for company designated holidays

Qualifications

• Minimum one year in Category Management or related area.
• Must be proficient in advanced Excel and Power BI.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Assist Category Manager with data analysis for sales and performance.
• Communicate profitability information to support decision-making.
• Manage and update various supplier and sales reports.

Skills

Analytical skills

Time management

Project management

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

College Diploma or equivalent work experience

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Why Work for KeHE?

• Full-time
• Pay Range: $87,230.00/Yr. - $113,427.00/Yr.
• Shift Days: , Shift Time:
• Benefits on Day 1
  • Health/Rx
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA)
  • Supplemental life insurance
  • 401(k)
  • Paid time off
  • Paid sick time
  • Short term & long term disability coverage (STD/LTD)
  • Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
  • Holiday pay for company designated holidays
  Overview

  Good people, working with good people, for our common good.

  Sound good?

  KeHE-a natural, organic, specialty and fresh food distributor-is all about "good" and is growing, so there's never been a more exciting time to join our team. If you're enthusiastic about working in an environment with a people-first culture and an organization committed to good living, good food and good service, we'd love to talk to you!

  Primary Responsibilities

  The Assistant Category Manager is a key asset to KeHE’s Category Management Team. This position is responsible for assisting the category management team in achieving their goals, and objectives and maintaining KeHE’s reputation as a best-in-class distributor. The successful candidate will have strong analytical skills and will work with several data platforms including NTS, Power BI, and Connect. Reports can include information regarding sales, unit movement, margin, credits, points of distribution, etc. by supplier, brand and SKU, to assist Category Managers with their decisions. This person will work collaboratively with various departments within KeHE to obtain needed information and provide needed output. It is critically important that the Assistant Category Manager be quick and accurate in performing ad-hoc analyses and projects requested by the Category Managers or the Executive Director. This person should have exceptional time management and project management skills. As with all positions at KeHE, we expect that all actions will be consistent with KeHE’s Mission, Vision and Values.

  Essential Functions
  • Analyze our supplier, brand, and SKU performance, promotional programs and identify opportunities for improvement
  • Communicate Supplier and Brand profitability information (based on the above analysis) to our CMs, and as needed to our Account Managers (AMs) so that their own assortment decisions maximize enterprise profit.
  • Manage and update reports regarding new suppliers, SKU productivity, sales performance, roadmaps, past due inventory, etc.
  • Assist with bottle deposits, beverage taxes etc.
  • Complete ad-hoc requests and special projects in a timely and accurate fashion
  • Update training manuals and guides for category managers and suppliers
  Minimum Requirements, Qualifications, Additional Skills, Aptitude
  • College Diploma or equivalent work experience.
  • Minimum one (1) years’ experience in Category Management, administration or sales management within the food industry.
  • Proficient with Word, Excel (advanced level), and PowerPoint software.

  Qualifications/Additional Skills/Aptitude

  • Work as a team player for all planning and implementation of collective projects such as: KeHE trade shows and pavilions, external trade shows (e.g. Expo West, Fancy Food), KeHE publications, webinars, and supplier programs.
  • Work collegially and productively with relevant headquarter teams [e.g., marketing, growth solutions, supply chain (replenishment), business analysis, sales enablement, and sales] to achieve quick traction for new products, programs, and continuous sales growth for existing product lines.
  • Manage administrative aspects of assigned tasks to assist Category Managers in achieving shared goals and objectives.
  • Seek opportunities to improve current processes and procedures
  • Follow established company policies and procedures in achieving the above accountabilities
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate findings and recommendations in writing to internal audiences as well as external manufacturers, brokers and KeHE account managers.
  • Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced business environment.
  • Capacity to learn and process quickly.
  • Possess a sense of urgency and attention to accuracy and detail.
  • Ability to effectively manage a wide variety of tasks simultaneously and often with minimal direction or time conflicting pressures.
  • Willingness to travel domestically, occasionally over weekends (about 10-15%)
  Requisition ID2025-26848Equal Employer Opportunity StatementKeHE Distributors provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion or faith, sex, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, mental or physical disability or medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training as well as the administration of all Human Resources and Talent Acquisition processes.