Category Manager

Sedano's; Town of Florida (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Sedano's is seeking a Category Manager to own end-to-end category strategies for assigned grocery lines. Drive profitable growth via data-driven insights, strong vendor partnerships, and shopper-behavior understanding.

The ideal candidate will have grocery retail or CPG experience and translate market intelligence into actionable, results-oriented plans across strategy, assortment, pricing, and promotions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, or buying within grocery retail or CPG.
• Proven proficiency with syndicated data platforms and POS analytics.
• Track record of delivering category sales and margin growth in retail or wholesale.
• Strong negotiation skills with supplier relationships and trade funding.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own multi-year category business plans aligned with merchandising strategy and financial objectives.
• Define category roles, segmentation, and targets with senior leadership.
• Conduct regular category reviews and present findings to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Optimize SKU assortment and space planning with data to drive sales and margins.
• Negotiate pricing, trade terms, promotions, and annual vendor agreements.
• Lead item evaluations, line reviews, and seasonal reset planning.
• Monitor category KPIs including sales, gross margin, and inventory turns.

Skills

Category management

Syndicated data

Vendor negotiations

Excel

Education

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

Tools

Nielsen

Circana

IRI

POS analytics

Job description

Overview

The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing end-to-end category strategies across assigned grocery product lines. This role serves as the key business owner for their categories, driving profitable growth through data-driven insights, strong vendor partnerships, and a deep understanding of shopper behavior. The ideal candidate brings proven grocery retail or CPG experience and excels at translating market intelligence into actionable, results-oriented plans.

Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Planning

• Develop and own multi-year category business plans aligned with overall merchandising strategy and financial objectives
• Define category roles, segmentation, and performance targets in partnership with senior leadership
• Conduct regular category reviews and present findings and recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders

Assortment & Space Management

• Optimize SKU assortment to drive sales, margin, and shopper satisfaction using Nielsen, IRI, or Circana data
• Manage planogram development and space allocation in collaboration with Space Planning teams
• Lead new item evaluations, line reviews, and seasonal reset planning

Vendor & Supplier Management

• Negotiate pricing, trade terms, promotional programs, and annual vendor agreements
• Serve as primary point of contact for vendor partners; conduct joint business planning (JBP) sessions
• Manage vendor performance scorecards and hold partners accountable to agreed commitments

Pricing & Promotions

• Set and maintain everyday pricing strategies that balance competitiveness with margin goals
• Build and manage promotional calendars, evaluating ROI and optimizing trade spend effectiveness
• Partner with Marketing to develop compelling shopper-facing promotions and in-store activations

Analytics & Insights

• Analyze POS, loyalty, and syndicated data to identify category trends, gaps, and opportunities
• Monitor competitive landscape, pricing, and assortment shifts; translate findings into actionable strategies
• Track and report category KPIs including sales, gross margin, inventory turns, and market share

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, or buying within grocery retail or CPG
• Demonstrated proficiency with syndicated data platforms (Nielsen / Circana / IRI) and POS analytics tools
• Proven track record of delivering category sales and margin growth in a retail or wholesale environment
• Strong negotiation skills with experience managing supplier relationships and trade funding
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and/or category management software (e.g., JDA, Blue Yonder, Apollo)
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; ability to influence at all levels of the organization
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, or a related field

Preferred

• Experience with private label / own-brand development within a grocery category
• Familiarity with loyalty and shopper marketing programs (e.g., 84.51°, Dunnhumby)
• Knowledge of CPFR (Collaborative Planning, Forecasting & Replenishment) practices
• Experience in a direct-to-consumer or omnichannel grocery environment
• MBA or equivalent advanced degree