Category Manager - Travel Plaza

Onvo; Scranton (Lackawanna County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Onvo is seeking a Category Manager – Travel Plazas to lead the product assortment and merchandising strategy across travel plaza formats. You will partner with the Director of Merchandising to set pricing, margins, and promotional plans while aligning with cross-functional teams including Pricebook, Operations, and Marketing.

This role requires strong analytical skills, category knowledge, and the ability to travel 30–40% to store locations and trade events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, merchandising, or related field.
• 5+ years in retail merchandising or retail operations with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Familiarity with NetSuite and c-store retail software systems (JDA, Gilbarco Passport, SSCS, PDI).
• Willingness to travel 30–40% to stores and events.

Responsibilities

• Apply category management principles across assigned categories using data for decisions.
• Develop annual category business plans, pricing, and margins.
• Manage product assortment, planograms, and store layouts.
• Build supplier relationships and negotiate pricing, incentives, and deliveries.
• Coordinate bi-monthly promotions and communicate plans to stakeholders.
• Conduct store visits and provide merchandising training.
• Analyze sales data and present performance reports to leadership.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Analytical skills

Communication & negotiation

Project management

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/merchandising

Tools

NetSuite

JDA

Gilbarco Passport

SSCS

PDI

Job description

Job Description:

The Category Manager – Travel Plazas will work closely with the Director of Merchandising to ensure the success of all food service programs that are operating within the Travel Plaza segment. The Category Manager – Travel Plazas will be responsible for the planning and execution of all aspects of the product assortment for specific merchandise categories. This role is critical in ensuring that the company has the right product, in the right quantities, at the right time and at price points to meet the needs of our customers. This position will also work collaboratively with Pricebook, Operations, Marketing, and members of Onvo’s leadership team to develop and execute the company’s merchandising strategy.

Essential Functions:

• Ensure best-in-class category management principles and processes are applied to all assigned categories including the use of scan data and space management principles in decision making. Develop and execute annual category business plans including category specific roles, strategies, and tactics as well as overall marketing goals and objectives.
  Establish pricing and margins for assigned categories.
• Complete competitive price surveys and analyze data for price optimization opportunities.
• Responsible for product assortment, planograms, item deletions and store layouts for assigned categories.
• Establish, build, and manage supplier relationships, including ownership of all financial and service level negotiations including pricing, marketing allowances, rebate incentives, delivery frequency, etc.
• Coordinate and implement bi-monthly promotions for assigned categories and clearly communicate these promotions to other Onvo stakeholders including Operations, Marketing, and Pricebook.
• Work closely with Operations to ensure effective execution of all programs through frequent store visits, in-store training, presentation on monthly Merchandising calls and through other established methods of internal communication.
• Develop and maintain strong product knowledge across all categories under management; serve as Onvo’s “subject matter expert” regarding product/category intelligence and trends for assigned areas.
• Analyze monthly sales data and present category performance reports with commentary to senior Operations personnel on a monthly basis.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the Director of Merchandising.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Proven track record of successful merchandise planning and/or store operations.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data to make decisions. Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with strong project management skills.
• Ability to travel to store locations and industry trade events as needed (Expected travel 30-40%).

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, merchandising, or related field.
• Familiarity with NetSuite.
• In-depth knowledge of c-store retail software systems, including JDA, Gilbarco Passport, SSCS, PDI.
• RAMP Certification, familiarity with state alcohol regulations.
• ServSafe compliance.
• NACS Category Management Certification.
• Foodservice Management experience.

Credentials and Experience:

• 5+ years of experience in retail merchandising or retail operations, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.

Physical Requirements:

• This position may require the lifting of boxes that weigh from 10lbs to 20lbs.

Disclaimer:

The list of Principal Duties, Essential Functions, and Basic Qualifications is illustrative but not exhaustive. Management reserves the right to revise the job description and to require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change without notice.

Onvo is an equal opportunity employer. Onvo maintains a work environment in which Team Members are treated fairly and with respect and in which discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. In accordance with federal, state and local laws, we recruit, hire, promote and evaluate all applicants and Team Members without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, familial status, marital status, and sexual orientation or preference, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Unlawful discrimination will not be a factor in any employment decision.