Dairy Category Manager

Cub; Stillwater (MN); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive 401k

Flexible PTO

Hybrid work

Health benefits

Mentorship program

Job summary

UNFI is seeking a Dairy Category Manager in Stillwater, MN. The role develops category strategies to drive sales, profitability, and market share while aligning with merchandising goals. The job requires strong analytical skills, vendor negotiations, and cross-functional collaboration.

The position involves a hybrid work model with three days in the Stillwater office, along with travel to company offices, distribution centers, or other locations for meetings and program execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent relevant work experience in food retail considered
• Strong merchandising and category management background with store operations exposure
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to analyze category performance

Responsibilities

• Develops annual category business plans, including sales and gross profit projections based on historical performance, market trends, and competitive analysis
• Creates pricing strategies, promotional calendars, and assortments by category and zone to optimize sales and profitability
• Manages vendor relationships, negotiations, item authorizations, and line discontinuations to maximize profitability
• Designs schematics and adjacencies to strengthen category roles across departments
• Plans ads, displays, and merchandising programs across stores and ensures alignment with strategies
• Performs post-promotional and ongoing performance analysis and maintains scorecards
• Collaborates cross-functionally with procurement, merchandising, store operations, and corporate teams to meet targets
• Regular store visits to assess program execution and opportunities

Skills

Merchandising

Category management

Analytical thinking

Negotiation

Excel

P&L understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

ERP systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

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