Hardlines Category Manager - Fishing

Australia-Employment; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 160,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation package

401(k) with company match

Career growth path

High visibility role

Job summary

Jobot in Houston, TX is seeking a Hardlines Category Manager - Fishing to own a major product category, drive strategy, and lead a small merchandising team. You will own P&L, negotiate with top suppliers, and shape assortments across channels to deliver sales and margin growth.

You’ll combine analytics with intuition, build strong vendor relationships, mentor merchants, and influence key business decisions in a growth-focused national retailer.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of retail buying, merchandising, or category management experience.
• Experience owning a significant product category with sales, margin, and inventory responsibility.
• Strong vendor negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Proven ability to analyze data and translate insights into business decisions.
• Experience leading or developing team members preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies that drive revenue, profitability, and market share growth.
• Build compelling assortments that align with customer demand, industry trends, and business objectives.
• Manage vendor relationships, negotiate terms, and identify opportunities to improve margins and profitability.
• Analyze sales performance, inventory productivity, pricing, and promotional effectiveness to optimize results.
• Partner closely with planning, allocation, replenishment, sourcing, eCommerce, and marketing teams to ensure successful execution.
• Evaluate market trends, competitor activity, and emerging brands to identify new opportunities.
• Lead seasonal line reviews and assortment planning processes.
• Drive promotional and advertising strategies to maximize category performance.
• Mentor and develop a team of merchants, helping build future leaders within the organization.

Skills

Retail buying

Merchandising

Category management

Vendor negotiation

Data analysis

Team leadership

Financial acumen

Job description

Hardlines Category Manager - Fishing

$160000 - $175000 per year | Houston, TX | On-site | Permanent

Turn your passion for fishing and merchandising into impact—own a category, lead a team, and grow with a retailer investing heavily in its future.

A bit about us:

We are a nationally recognized, retailer with a strong footprint across the United States and a proven track record of sustained growth. Our culture is people-first and performance-driven. We believe in empowering leaders with true ownership of their categories, encouraging entrepreneurial thinking, and creating clear pathways for advancement.

This is an opportunity to join a stable, well-capitalized organization that combines the scale of a national retailer with the agility and energy of a growth-focused business. Leaders here are given visibility, autonomy, and the resources needed to make a real impact.

Why join us?

• True Category Ownership – Full P&L responsibility, Open-to-Buy control, vendor strategy, and assortment planning authority
• High Visibility Role – Direct impact on enterprise strategy with cross-functional leadership exposure
• Robust Relocation Package – Comprehensive support including moving expenses, temporary housing assistance, and transition support
• 401(k) with Company Match – Long-term wealth-building support
• Career Growth Path – Clear advancement opportunities within a stable, expanding national organization
• Collaborative, Entrepreneurial Culture – Work alongside experienced merchandising, planning, sourcing, and eCommerce leaders

Job Details

As the Category Manager, you will lead one of our most important merchandise categories, developing product strategies that deliver sales growth, margin expansion, and exceptional customer experiences. You'll have the autonomy to shape assortments, identify emerging trends, negotiate with top industry suppliers, and influence key business decisions across multiple channels.

This role is ideal for a merchant who thrives on combining analytics with intuition, enjoys building strong vendor relationships, and wants to lead and develop a team while owning a significant piece of the business.

What You'll Do:

• Develop and execute category strategies that drive revenue, profitability, and market share growth.
• Build compelling assortments that align with customer demand, industry trends, and business objectives.
• Manage vendor relationships, negotiate terms, and identify opportunities to improve margins and profitability.
• Analyze sales performance, inventory productivity, pricing, and promotional effectiveness to optimize results.
• Partner closely with planning, allocation, replenishment, sourcing, eCommerce, and marketing teams to ensure successful execution.
• Evaluate market trends, competitor activity, and emerging brands to identify new opportunities.
• Lead seasonal line reviews and assortment planning processes.
• Drive promotional and advertising strategies to maximize category performance.
• Mentor and develop a team of merchants, helping build future leaders within the organization.

What We're Looking For:

• 4+ years of retail buying, merchandising, or category management experience.
• Experience owning a significant product category with responsibility for sales, margin, and inventory performance.
• Strong vendor negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Proven ability to analyze data and translate insights into business decisions.
• Experience leading, coaching, or developing team members preferred.
• Strong financial acumen, including inventory management, forecasting, and profitability analysis.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Passion for retail, merchandising, and the outdoor industry is highly valued.

Jobot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide an inclusive work environment that celebrates diversity and all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Jobot also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. It is Jobot’s policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.

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