Associate Category Manager: Growth & Merchandising Strategy

Socket.dev

California (MO)

On-site

USD 80,000 - 90,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Equity

401k

Paid time off

ClassPass membership

Office in Playa Vista

Free Thrive Market membership

Life coaching & therapy

Job summary

Thrive Market seeks an Associate Category Manager to support and grow strategic product categories. This hybrid role blends execution with broader strategic exposure, ideal for ownership-minded individuals aiming to advance in category management.

You will collaborate across Marketing, Supply Chain, and Operations to drive category performance and enhance member experiences. Requirements include 1–3 years in merchandising or related fields, a Bachelor’s degree, and strong analytical and Excel

Qualifications

1–3 years of experience in merchandising, category management, buying, retail, eCommerce, or a related role
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent practical experience
Strong analytical skills and comfort working with sales, pricing, and inventory data
High attention to detail and ability to manage item-level accuracy across systems
Negotiation experience and/or knowledge of vendor negotiation techniques
Comfortable working in Excel or Google Sheets
Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally
Curiosity, ownership, and interest in growing into a Category Manager role

Responsibilities

Assist with development and implementation of category strategies, performance goals and metrics for each assigned category.
Own and execute on core merchandising functions (new item set-up, item lifecycle management, PDP hygiene, etc.) to deliver a best in class member experience.
Track product performance & provide actionable recommendations to support sales and margin goals (e.g. launches, aging inventory, turns, promotional impacts).
Research competitive landscape and consumer trends to identify gaps in assortment, pricing, and promotions; provide actionable insights to support broader Merchandising objectives.
Manage select vendor communications (e.g. onboarding, item maintenance requests, PDP cleanup) and act as internal point of contact for assigned category functions.
Support and participate in vendor negotiations, including joint business planning, under the direction of SCM for assigned categories.
Own data accuracy and integrity for assigned categories across PDPs and internal systems (in partnership with Content, Creative, and Retail Ops).
Perform data analysis related to SKU-level/brand-level trends, competitive pricing, and promotional performance to support CM/SCM decision-making and category strategy development.
Actively seek ways to streamline business processes; own maintaining documents and trackers for designated category and vendor relationships.
Coordinate with Supply Chain, Content, Marketing, and Creative to support seamless execution of category strategies.
Lead designated category and near-term initiatives, with mentorship from manager.