E2638 - Category Operations Manager

US Foods; Roanoke (VA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive bonus

Health insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

Disability insurance

Employee stock purchase plan

Life insurance

Job summary

US Foods in Roanoke, VA is seeking an experienced Category Manager to lead implementation plans for category strategies across multiple Distribution Centers. You will drive KPIs, review local assortments, and align with national category goals.

The role requires a four-year college degree, 7+ years in category management, and strong presentation and analytics skills. You will work in a matrix organization, train staff, support FSQA inquiries, and collaborate with culinary and sales teams.

Qualifications

• Four-year college degree in business or related field, or equivalent field experience.
• Minimum 7 years category management experience required, ideally in food service or manufacturing.
• Ability to operate successfully within a matrix organization and collaborate with multiple groups.
• Team-oriented, capable of driving transformation and change management.
• Strong presentation, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills; proficient with Word/Excel; PowerPoint knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Develop implementation plans for category strategy across multiple distribution centers.
• Drive KPIs such as sales growth, category penetration, EB penetration, and pricing analytics.
• Review Area product assortment, identify growth opportunities and issues with SKUs.
• Gather local market data and report on opportunities and competitors.
• Facilitate product training and ensure brand messaging aligns with US Foods strategy.
• Support FSQA inquiries and assist with major Area bids and onboarding.

Skills

Category management

Teamwork

Presentation skills

Analytical thinking

Strategic thinking

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop implementation plan for category strategy customized for multiple Distribution Centers. Ensure implementation is in alignment with overall US Foods category strategy and goals and defined Area needs. Drive KPIs across categories (including sales case growth, category penetration, EB penetration, and TM feedback) and competitive market pricing; work with TMs to refine customer product offering, order guides and potential pricing for new accounts.

Review assigned Area product assortment and gauge product penetration, noting slow or dead SKUs as well as growth opportunities. Responsible for profitable sales growth within assigned categories for their Area. Ensure Area product assortment is in alignment with US Foods category strategy and work to reduce SKU duplication. Ensure all local customer needs are met and aligned with the national strategies.

Maintain lead role in consistently gathering local market data for multiple markets in assigned Area (including trends) through feedback and intelligence from culinary team, sales staff, and vendor partners. Report on new product opportunities and provide data on competitors. Finalize Area assortment and core complement. Communicate changing market conditions and weekly talking points for the sales team and top customers.

Facilitate product training and new product introductions with sales staff. Ensure product/brand message is aligned with overall USF strategy. Work closely with the culinary team, conducting planning meetings to identify accounts and categories and their potential opportunities.

Support and facilitate all FSQA inquiries for the assigned Area through appropriate procedures and work closely with the Region team on any national or regional vendor issues. Support major Area-specific account bids through thorough analysis, coordinate customer on-boarding, and keep sales staff informed of ongoing category strategy.

SUPERVISION

None

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Training:

Four-year college degree in business or related field, or equivalent field experience required.

Work Environment

Onsite : The associate in this role is expected to perform assigned responsibilities inside a US Foods office-based environment.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum 7 years category management experience required, ideally this experience will derive from the food service or food manufacturing industries.

Must possess the ability to operate successfully within a matrix organization, working effectively with multiple groups.

Must be able to work in a team setting, drive organizational transformations and support change management within the organization.

Must be able to provide fact-based recommendations across a variety of management levels resulting in buy-in and improvement in category performance.

Must be self-directed and highly motivated, possessing a strong business acumen, sound interpersonal skills, and excellent presentation skills.

Proficiency in Microsoft Word, and Excel required, working knowledge of PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications

Project management experience

This role may also receive annual incentive plan bonus.

Benefits for this role may include health insurance, pre-tax spending accounts, retirement benefits, paid time off, short-term and long-term disability, employee stock purchase plan, and life insurance.

Compensation depends on relevant experience and/or education, specific skills, function, geographic location, and other factors as applicable by law (for example: state or local minimum wage thresholds). The expected base rate for this role is between

$75,000 - $120,000

***EOE Race/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Protected Veteran/Disability Status***

***EOE– Race/Color/Religion/Sex/SexualOrientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/ Age/Genetic Information /Protected Veteran/Disability Status***