Category Manager I - Sushi and Specialty Seafood Distribution

Pacific Seafood; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Pacific Seafood is seeking a Category Manager to advance procurement strategy, analytics, and cross-functional collaboration. The role emphasizes leadership, strategic planning, and market analysis to drive growth across the category.

The successful candidate will oversee sales strategy, supplier relationships, and forecasting while working with multiple teams to optimize margins and ensure compliance with regulations. This position requires travel up to 50% and a results‑driven mindset.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in Business, Sales, Marketing, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive category management experience.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sales and marketing plans for the category across channels.
• Manage supplier relations, quotations, and procurement processes.
• Monitor market dynamics and develop price forecasts.
• Train sales reps on product features and positioning.
• Collaborate with sales management on inventory and profitability.
• Ensure compliance with import requirements and safety regulations.

Skills

Category management

Data analysis

Forecasting

Strategic modeling

Travel readiness

Education

BA/BS in Business, Sales, Marketing, or related field

MBA (Preferred)

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

Description

At Pacific Seafood, we do more than just provide the world with the healthiest proteins on the planet. We are a family-owned, excellence-driven organization committed to being the brand of choice in the marketplace and the employer of choice in the community. We believe in servant leadership, investing in our team members’ personal and professional growth, and rewarding performance. We live by the core values of our Diamond Philosophy: Teamwork, Productivity, Quality, and Excellence— which means consistently doing your best and always striving to do better.

Summary:

A Category Manager at Pacific Seafood is a key role on our Procurement team supporting efforts of the overall strategy, growth, and performance of the category. This position involves strategy, analytics, and interdepartmental collaboration and is ideal for someone who has strategic skills, leadership skills, and is detail orientated.

Key Responsibilities

1. Sales and Marketing Strategy Management
   • Budget and devise sales and execution plans for the category, covering periodical, product form, customer, branch, price, and cost considerations.
   • Drive category placements and eliminate unprofitable items to optimize sales effectiveness.
   • Develop marketing campaigns aligned with sales strategies to support market penetration and product positioning.
2. Supply Chain and Vendor Relations
   • Maintain category supply and source from external vendors as necessary, while assisting in the development of strategic sourcing and procurement processes.
   • Manage supplier service levels, quotations, product projections, fill rates, and quality control to ensure smooth operations and customer satisfaction.
   • Negotiate with vendors for the procurement of materials, supplies, equipment, and services to optimize costs and quality.
3. Market Analysis and Forecasting
   • Monitor market dynamics, communicate changing conditions, and develop price forecasts for market drivers.
   • Provide regular updates and talking points to the sales team to keep them informed and competitive.
   • Analyze sales performance to ensure margin accuracy and identify opportunities for improvement.
4. Training, Relationship Building, and Compliance
   • Train sales representatives on product features, benefits, and effective positioning strategies.
   • Cultivate relationships with sales management to develop plans for inventory management, customer profitability analysis, and innovation.
   • Visit distribution and processing facilities to facilitate category growth and strategic direction.
   • Ensure compliance with import requirements, documentation, safety practices, and other relevant regulations.

Additional responsibilities may be assigned as deemed necessary to support the overall goals and objectives of the position.

What you bring to Pacific Seafood

Education and Experience

• Required
  • BA/BS degree from an accredited college or university in Business, Sales, Marketing, or a related field
  • Minimum 5 years of progressive category management experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience
  • Demonstrated expert-level knowledge of category management and possess a proven track record of building successful, sustainable categories.
  • Ability to travel up to 50% of the time or more, as required
• Preferred
  • Prior experience in data analysis, forecasting methods, and strategic modeling
  • Prior seafood category management experience
  • Master’s degree in business administration

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the team member:

• Sedentary work, walking and standing are required only occasionally.
• Reaching. Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Fingering. Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Talking. Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Hearing. Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound.
• Close vis