Category Manager (Merchant)

Clark Associates, Inc.; Lancaster, Northern (Lancaster County, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Clark Associates, Inc. in Lancaster, PA seeks a Merchant to manage performance within a major product category. The role develops growth strategies, negotiates effective vendor programs, and nurtures supplier partnerships to support catalog objectives and deliver value to customers.

This position is hybrid, requiring 3 days per week in-person, with collaboration across internal and external partners to optimize pricing, quality, and service while aligning with organizational goals.

Qualifications

• Experience in overseeing category management within a segment or major category.
• Strong vendor negotiation experience to secure favorable terms and pricing.
• Ability to develop and execute growth strategies for assigned categories.
• Analytical mindset to drive pricing, quality, and service improvements across categories.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills to work with internal and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Oversee category management within an assigned segment or major category, ensuring alignment with business and category strategies.
• Negotiate and execute annual vendor programs that deliver competitive pricing, favorable terms, and strategic value.
• Develop, implement, and own growth strategies for assigned categories.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key vendors to support long-term category objectives and catalog strategy.
• Identify opportunities for improvement across pricing, quality, and service, and implement enhancements proactively.
• Apply proficiency in category analysis and development to optimize performance and support strategic decisions.
• Utilize strong organizational and communication skills to collaborate across partners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of product materials, features, and attributes to inform category decisions.
• Independently identify category improvement opportunities and execute plans to address them.

Skills

Category management

Vendor negotiations

Growth strategy development

Pricing and value optimization

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Job Summary

The Merchantis responsible formanaging performance within an assigned product segment or major category. This role develops and executes growth strategies, negotiates competitive vendor programs, and nurtures strong supplier partnerships that support overall catalog and categoryobjectives. The Merchant drives continuous improvement in pricing, processes, quality, and service while ensuring alignment with organizational goals and delivering value to customers.

This is a hybrid position that requires 3 days a week in-person.

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilityrequired. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Oversee category management within an assigned segment or major category, ensuring alignment with business and category strategies
• Negotiate and execute annual vendor programs that deliver competitive pricing, favorable terms, and strategic value
• Develop, implement, and own growth strategies for assigned categories
• Build andmaintainstrong relationships with key vendors to support long-term categoryobjectivesand overall catalog strategy
• Identifyopportunities for improvement acrosspricing,quality, and service, and implement enhancements proactively
• Applyproficiencyincategory analysis and development tooptimizeperformance and support strategic decision-making
• Utilize strong organizational and communication skills to collaborate effectively across internal and external partners
• Demonstrate knowledge of product materials, features, and attributes to inform category strategy and product decisions
• Independentlyidentifycategory improvement opportunities and execute plans to address them