Category Manager, Laredo Taco Co.

7-Eleven, Inc; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is looking for a detail-oriented Analyst to support their Restaurant Category team. This role involves collaborating with various departments to provide data-driven insights that guide strategic decisions across a diverse restaurant portfolio. You'll engage in advanced data analysis, reporting, and visualization to support initiatives across numerous quick-service restaurants. If you're passionate about category management and thrive in a fast-paced environment, this opportunity offers a chance to make a significant impact on the business.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in convenience or restaurant category management.
• Strong understanding of financial management and in-store operations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage sales plans for restaurants, ensuring alignment with strategy.
• Negotiate product costs and manage supplier relationships.
• Analyze sales metrics to optimize product assortment and improve profits.

Skills

Category Management Principles

Data Analysis

Vendor Negotiations

Supply Chain Management

Problem-Solving Skills

Communication Skills

Financial Management

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

PDI Systems

Job description

JOB SUMMARY:

We’re seeking a driven and detail-oriented Analyst to support the Restaurant Category team at 7-Eleven. In this role, you’ll collaborate with Category Management, Operations, and Executive leadership to provide data-driven insights and reporting that fuel strategic decisions across our growing restaurant portfolio. You’ll be responsible for advanced data analysis, reporting, and visualization to support key initiatives across 1,100 QSRs with brands like Laredo Taco Company, Speedy Café, and Roost.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

Sales & Category Planning

• Develop and manage sales plans for Laredo Taco Company restaurants.
• Ensure category plans align with overall restaurant and business strategy.
• Input and maintain accurate data in the national sales planning tool, including product pricing and new item details.
• Analyze promotion performance to optimize plans and deliver budgeted sales goals.
• Collaborate with Marketing to develop point-of-purchase (POP) materials and review monthly promotions for accuracy.
• Design and manage menu design, including digital menu boards.
• Support vendor negotiations and contribute to strategic pricing and menu/assortment decisions.

Vendor & Supply Chain Management

• Serve as the main contact for suppliers; support Senior Category Manager in managing key partnerships.
• Negotiate product costs, promotional funding, and supplier terms.
• Oversee item setup and ensure accurate product and supplier information.
• Work with food service distributors to forecast demand, manage inventory, and resolve product availability issues.
• Drive cost reduction through negotiation, ingredient optimization and product builds.

Assortment & Merchandising

• Collaborate with Culinary to build impactful product innovation utilizing consumer insights and macro trends.
• Transform menus and assortment to deliver higher sales and profits.
• Lead the development of planograms and schematics in collaboration with category and operations teams.
• Analyze sales and product performance metrics to optimize assortment and improve gross profit.
• Support testing of new products and promotions, and manage in-store execution.
• Support management of multiple POS systems, kiosks and other technology platforms.
• Coordinate supplier-sponsored events such as samplings and special promotions.

Cross-Functional Communication

• Lead category communication to all cross-functional partners to ensure execution of plans and initiatives.
• Provide insights and recommendations to Operations and leadership based on category performance and customer trends.
• Communicate Sales Plan to operations and cross functional partners across the organization.
• Help train and guide field teams on brand standards.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• EDUCATION: Bachelors/4 Yr Degree
• YEARS OF RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE: 2+ years
• YEARS OF MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE: 1+ years

SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Experience: 2 – 5 years of experience in convenience, retail, foodservice or restaurant category management.
• Customer-obsessed with a strong understanding of category management principles, strategy development, financial management and in-store operations.
• Self-starter with excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in vendor negotiations and supply chain management.
• Familiarity with item management and pricing systems (PDI systems preferred)
• Strong analytical and communication skills.

If an hourly or salary range is included in this ad it represents the range 7-Eleven in good faith believes is the range of compensation for this role at the time of this posting. The Company may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in this state. This range may be modified in the future. No amount is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable under the terms and conditions of the applicable policies and plans. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, long-term incentive compensation, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

For a general description of all benefits 7-Eleven is offering in the US for the position, please visit this link.