Associate Category Manager: Merchandising & Vendor Relations

RaceTrac; United States; On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

RaceTrac is seeking an Associate Category Manager in the United States to research product requirements, manage vendor relations, and support promotional and merchandising programs. The role coordinates store-level implementations and collaborates across Marketing, Accounting, and Space Management to drive sales and margin growth.

Responsibilities include monitoring trends, ensuring on-time delivery at negotiated prices, and evaluating performance to identify improvement opportunities.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in negotiating contracts and programs preferred.
• 2-4 years of retail or category management experience preferred.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (Excel, Access, Word, and PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

• Actively researches industry trends and monitors competitors to be knowledgeable of best practices and new products in the respective market.
• Assures that the respective products/service are delivered on schedule, at the negotiated price, and meet the quality standards of the company.
• Coordinates implementation, training and development of product/service to the stores (including but not limited to planograms, store resets, item information, etc.).
• Collaborates with various departments across the organization such as Marketing, Accounting, Space Management and Merchandising Solutions to execute successful promotions as well as to improve current processes.
• Evaluates internal sales and margin performance to identify opportunities for improvement and introduction of new products and services.
• Serves as a point of contact for vendors and field.
• Conducts research to determine the requirements of offerings, including preliminary specification, available suppliers, and desired sales margins; provides recommendations on best fit suppliers and vendors.
• Solicits and compiles feedback from the field on current and future plans and/or products.
• Ensures issues from field personnel are responded to in a timely fashion and issues are addressed with clear communication and follow up.
• Communicates with external business partners and vendors daily.
• Reviews and analyzes current business trends as well as competitive data to formulate appropriate business decisions.

Skills

Negotiation

Vendor management

Merchandising knowledge

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Access

Word

Job description

RaceTrac is seeking an Associate Category Manager in the United States to research product requirements, manage vendor relations, and support promotional and merchandising programs. The role coordinates store-level implementations and collaborates across Marketing, Accounting, and Space Management to drive sales and margin growth.

Responsibilities include monitoring trends, ensuring on-time delivery at negotiated prices, and evaluating performance to identify improvement opportunities.