Dairy Category Manager

Cub; Edina (MN); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive 401k

Flexible PTO

Hybrid work model

Health benefits

Mentorship program

Job summary

UNFI in Edina, MN seeks a Dairy Category Manager to lead category strategies that drive sales, profitability and market share. The role focuses on annual business planning, pricing, promotions, and assortment optimization across stores, with heavy vendor collaboration.

The ideal candidate has merchandising, operations, and financial acumen, plus strong analytical and negotiation skills, in a hybrid work environment. Bachelor's degree preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent relevant work experience considered in food retail.
• Experience with procurement, logistics, and inventory management.
• Strong understanding of merchandising methodologies, store operations, and financial management (including P&L).

Responsibilities

• Develops annual category business plans including sales and gross profit projections.
• Creates pricing strategies, promotional calendars, and product assortments by category and zone.
• Manages vendor relationships, negotiations, and item authorizations to maximize profitability.
• Designs schematics and adjacencies to strengthen category roles.
• Plans ads, displays, and merchandising programs across stores.
• Conducts post-promotional and ongoing performance analysis with scorecards.
• Collaborates cross-functionally with procurement, merchandising, store operations, and corporate teams.
• Serves as primary vendor contact within assigned categories.

Skills

Merchandising expertise

Store operations knowledge

Financial management / P&L

Analytical thinking

Strategic planning

Project management

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Internet research tools

Job description

*This position is hybrid with 3 days in office in Edina, MN.

Job Overview:

The Dairy Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that drive sales, profitability, and market share while aligning with overall division and corporate merchandising goals.

Job Responsibilities:

Core Responsibilities

• Develops annual category business plans, including sales and gross profit projections, based on historical performance, market trends, and competitive analysis.
• Creates and maintains pricing strategies, promotional calendars, and product assortments by category and zone to optimize sales, profit, and customer experience.
• Manages vendor relationships, including negotiations, new item authorizations, line discontinuations, and allocation of vendor funding to maximize profitability.
• Designs schematics and recommends adjacencies to strengthen category roles and departmental performance.
• Plans and coordinates ads, displays, and merchandising programs across stores, ensuring alignment with departmental and divisional strategies.
• Conducts post-promotional and ongoing performance analysis at item, category, and department levels, maintaining scorecards to track results against goals.
• Collaborates cross-functionally with procurement, merchandising, store operations, and corporate teams to implement initiatives and ensure inventory and service level targets are met.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for vendors within assigned categories, attending planning meetings and ensuring effective communication of plans.

Additional Responsibilities

• Regularly visits stores to assess program execution and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Supports and implements corporate initiatives within assigned categories.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Job Requirements:

Education/ Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent relevant work experience in food retail considered

Experience:

• Previous store operations experience or similar role with strong exposure to operations and merchandising approaches
• Familiarity with Category Business Planning
• Experience with procurement, logistics, and inventory management

Knowledge/Skills/ Abilities

• Strong understanding of merchandising methodologies, store operations, and financial management (including P&L interpretation).
• Financial, mathematical, statistical, marketing, merchandising, and consumer research knowledge to analyze internal/external drivers of results
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to take initiative and make sound, timely decisions
• Strategic planning, organization, and project management skills
• Good judgment is required for this position as there may be times when direct supervision may not be immediately available.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills to build and maintain effective business relationships
• Relationship management and negotiation skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Internet research tools
• Hybrid Role: This position follows a hybrid schedule working in office three (3) days per week. The acceptable split between onsite and remote work is determined by the manager. Hybrid associates may choose to work from an office on a more frequent basis than required.
• Travel (minor): This position may require the associate to travel to company offices, distribution centers, or other locations for specific meetings or other business reasons.

Physical Environment/Demands:

Office Roles:

• Most work is performed in a temperature-controlled office environment.
• Incumbent may sit for long periods of time at a desk or computer terminal.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Incumbent may use calculators, keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment in the course of a normal workday.
• Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in the completion of job duties.

About UNFI:

We are North America's premier grocery wholesaler, delivering the widest variety of fresh, branded, and owned brand products to community grocers and retail chains alike. A pioneer in natural and organic foods, we are growing and transforming to meet the needs of an evolving workplace. Our 29,000+ employees work across America in our 50 Distribution Centers and corporate offices. Learn more: Organic, Natural and Conventional Food | Wholesale Food Distributors | UNFI

Benefits:

Competitive 401k, Flexible PTO plan, Hybrid, Health benefits - first of the month following 30 days of employment, mentorship program/developmental opportunities.