Category Manager

ValuePetSupplies; Livingston (TN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

ValuePetSupplies in Livingston, TN is seeking a Category Manager to oversee purchasing, inventory planning, supplier management, and logistics across the entire pet product portfolio. You will ensure the right products and quantities at the right costs and times while minimizing stockouts and freight costs.

Responsibilities include owning purchasing, monitoring inventory, coordinating freight, and partnering with Sales/Marketing to align with promotions and growth plans.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of purchasing, procurement, inventory management, or supply chain experience.
• 2+ years directly responsible for purchasing and inventory planning.
• Experience managing large, multi-SKU portfolios and multiple suppliers.
• Experience making decisions based on sales, forecasts, inventory, and lead times.
• Strong supplier negotiation and relationship-management skills.
• Experience with domestic and international supply chains and inbound freight.

Responsibilities

• Own purchasing and replenishment across the entire product portfolio.
• Maintain inventory levels across all SKUs and suppliers.
• Develop purchasing plans using forecasts, velocity, lead times, and seasonality.
• Monitor inventory, inbound shipments, open POs, and future requirements.
• Identify stockouts, overstock, and supply risks and address them.
• Coordinate domestic and international freight and inbound logistics.
• Improve product costs, margins, and inventory turns.
• Collaborate with Sales/Marketing on promotions and assortment planning.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Inventory management

Forecasting

Supplier management

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

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

Tools

ERP

WMS

BI/AI reporting tools

Job description

Category Manager – Purchasing, Supply Chain & Logistics

Location: Livingston, TN

Employment Type: Full-Time

Reports to: VP Sales & Marketing

Position Overview

We are seeking an analytical, commercially minded Category Manager to oversee purchasing, inventory planning, supplier management, supply chain, and logistics across our entire pet product portfolio.This hands-on role is responsible for having the right products, in the right quantities, at the right cost, and at the right time—while controlling stockouts, excess inventory, freight costs, and supply-chain risk.The Category Manager will own inventory and purchasing across all products and SKUs and work closely with suppliers, Operations, Sales & Marketing, and Finance to support availability, margin, and growth.

Core Ownership

• Own purchasing and replenishment across the entire product portfolio.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels across all SKUs and suppliers.
• Develop purchasing plans using sales forecasts, velocity, lead times, seasonality, promotions, and growth.
• Monitor inventory, inbound shipments, open POs, and future requirements.
• Proactively identify and address stockouts, overstock, and supply risks.
• Manage supplier relationships, pricing, terms, MOQs, lead times, and performance.
• Coordinate domestic and international freight and inbound logistics.
• Improve product and landed costs, turns, availability, and capital efficiency.
• Support sourcing, new products, packaging changes, and assortment expansion.
• Serve as the primary owner of the company's purchasing, inventory planning, and product supply pipeline.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to align inventory with promotions, customer opportunities, seasonal demand, and growth plans.
• Analyze sales by SKU, category, channel, and customer to identify opportunities and trends (CRO, pricing).
• Identify high-potential products and recommend opportunities to increase inventory and drive sales.
• Forecast inventory needs for key accounts, wholesale, private label, and new customer launches.
• Ensure inventory supports promotions, campaigns, trade shows, and events.
• Identify overstock and slow-moving inventory for promotional opportunities.
• Data driven recommendations: bundles, multipacks, sizes, assortment changes.
• Evaluate products based on sales, margin, inventory turns, and contribution.
• Identify assortment gaps and new product opportunities w/Sales and Marketing.
• Support pricing & promos with accurate cost, margin, inventory, and supply data.
• Manage product lifecycle recommendations, including when to expand, reposition, reduce, or discontinue SKUs.
• Plan inventory for new product launches.
• Communicate supply constraints and cost changes that could impact sales, pricing, promotions, or customers.
• Help prioritize products with strong inventory, margins, and reliable supply.
• Identify opportunities to improve product mix, AOV, gross margin, and inventory productivity.

Systems & Analytical Skills

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, conditional formatting, and large datasets.
• Build and maintain inventory, purchasing, forecasting, and supplier reports.
• Strong SKU-level analysis skills for identifying sales trends, stockout risks, overstock, and purchasing needs.
• Experience with ERP, inventory management, purchasing, and/or WMS systems.
• Strong understanding of reorder points, safety stock, lead times, days of supply, inventory turns, forecasting, and SKU velocity.
• Evaluate and improve forecasts & purchasing recommendation systems.
• Maintain accurate item, supplier, cost, lead-time, and purchasing data.
• Experience with ERP/WMS integrations, e-commerce, or BI/AI reporting tools.

Experience & Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement, inventory management, supply chain, category management, or a related field.
• 2+ years directly responsible for purchasing and inventory planning in a product-based business.
• Experience managing a large, multi-SKU portfolio and multiple suppliers.
• Experience making purchasing decisions based on sales, forecasts, inventory, lead times, and demand.
• Proven supplier negotiation and relationship-management experience.
• Experience with domestic and international supply chains and inbound freight.
• Experience in e-commerce, wholesale, retail, or multi-channel distribution.
• Strong hands-on experience with Excel and inventory/ERP systems.
• Track record of improving availability, inventory levels, purchasing and freight costs.
• Experience partnering with Sales and Marketing on forecasting, promotions, launches, and assortment planning.
• Pet products, consumer products, food/treats, importing, or high-volume distribution experience.
• Private label, contract manufacturing, or international sourcing experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, Finance, or a related field preferred; equivalent hands-on experience will be considered.