Bakery Category Lead: Growth, Analytics & Partnerships

Stater Bros. Markets, Inc.; San Bernardino (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Stater Bros. Markets, Inc. in California seeks a Category Manager (Bakery) to lead cross-functional initiatives, drive category growth, and ensure accurate daily operations from item setup to promotions.

You will partner with Business Development, Merchandising and Pricing to optimize store-level execution, analyze performance, and negotiate with vendors to deliver value while upholding brand standards and compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field.
• 3+ years in Category Management or senior Merchandising/Pricing/Procurement/Data Analytics; grocery experience preferred.
• Professional certification in Category Management (e.g., CPSM) preferred.
• Strong Excel skills for data analysis, reporting, and decision support.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical, mathematical, and data-driven problem-solving skills.
• Proven track record of managing multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Curiosity, accountability, and a growth mindset; mentor others and drive execution.
• Valid Driver's License required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary day-to-day contact for store operations, vendors, and cross-functional teams to support profitable growth and reliable coordination.
• Apply a data-centric approach to support leadership in category performance analysis.
• Manage vendor and item setup and maintenance requests to support operations.
• Execute price and cost business processes, including contract updates.
• Maintain pricing strategies and promotions with Pricing and Promotional Planning teams.
• Build and monitor promotions with the Promotional Planning Team.
• Conduct in-store competitor price surveys to inform pricing decisions.
• Travel to regional offices, farms, or facilities as needed for partnerships.
• Support category reviews, analyses, and cross-functional projects for business priorities.
• Prepare strategic meeting materials for Joint Business Planning and key reviews.
• Execute merchandising plans and assortments under guidance to align with strategy.
• Approve and manage price changes and overrides for pricing accuracy.
• Lead vendor negotiations for favorable costs and promotional support.
• Manage product allocation and distribution plans to support inventory flow.
• Develop weekly ad plans to support sales growth and seasonal priorities.
• Coordinate with procurement to align sourcing and inventory planning.
• Maintain compliance documentation with Data Integrity and ReposiTrak.
• Represent the brand at industry events to build relationships and gather insights.
• Model company values in authentic and caring ways and mentor others.
• Perform other duties as needed to support business priorities.

Skills

Category management

Merchandising

Pricing

Vendor negotiations

Data analytics

Excel

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field

Tools

Excel

Job description

Stater Bros. Markets, Inc. in California seeks a Category Manager (Bakery) to lead cross-functional initiatives, drive category growth, and ensure accurate daily operations from item setup to promotions.

You will partner with Business Development, Merchandising and Pricing to optimize store-level execution, analyze performance, and negotiate with vendors to deliver value while upholding brand standards and compliance.