Hardlines Category Manager - Fishing

Leoforce; 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 opportunities

Job summary

Leoforce in Houston is seeking a Senior Hardlines Category Manager for Fishing to lead a top merchandise category. You will shape assortments, drive sales growth, margin expansion, and a superior customer experience with autonomy to own the category and influence strategic decisions.

The role blends analytics and vendor partnerships, requires 4+ years in retail buying or category management, and offers competitive salary with relocation support and a clear path for leadership development.

Qualifications

• 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.

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

Category management

Vendor negotiation

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Team leadership

Job description

Hardlines Category Manager - Fishing

Houston,TX, US

Job Description

Experience: Senior Level

Salary: $160,000 - $175,000 per year

Job Details

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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.

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