Senior Category Growth Strategist

Staples; Framingham (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Inclusive culture

Flexible PTO

7 observed holidays

Discounts for online and retail

401(k) company match

Wellness programs

Job summary

Staples is seeking a Senior Manager, Category Development in Framingham, MA to shape multi-year category growth strategies and guide portfolio priorities across Merchandising and cross-functional partners.

You will lead analytics-driven category discussions, align stake-holders, and stress-test business cases to support ROI-focused investments while coaching a diverse team of analysts and managers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, marketing, economics, or related field.
• 8+ years of professional experience in category management, strategy, merchandising, analytics, or related field.
• Experience developing category growth strategies and evaluating business cases, risks, and returns.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience using Tableau or Power BI.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year category growth strategies, portfolio roadmaps, and actionable plans aligned with enterprise and financial objectives.
• Identify growth platforms, innovation opportunities, and emerging market trends, and recommend where to invest, expand, defend, or exit.
• Evaluate portfolio performance and innovation pipelines, prioritize resources, and recommend strategic trade-offs across competing opportunities.
• Lead category strategy discussions with Divisional Merchandising Managers and senior leaders, using insights and analytics to influence business decisions.
• Align Merchandising, Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, Sourcing, and other partners around shared priorities and execution plans.
• Assess market attractiveness, customer behavior, competitive dynamics, and financial performance to guide category direction.
• Build and stress-test business cases, validate assumptions and risks, and drive disciplined, ROI-focused investment decisions.
• Represent Category Development in leadership forums and strategic planning discussions, communicating complex strategies clearly and persuasively.
• Lead, coach, and develop Managers, Associate Managers, and/or Analysts while strengthening capabilities in analytics, strategy, and storytelling.
• Set clear expectations, support talent and succession planning, and foster an inclusive, accountable, and high-performing team environment.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Business acumen

Analytical skills

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Change management

Results oriented

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/related field

MBA or advanced degree

Tools

Excel

Tableau

Power BI

SQL

Python

Job description

Staples is seeking a Senior Manager, Category Development in Framingham, MA to shape multi-year category growth strategies and guide portfolio priorities across Merchandising and cross-functional partners.

You will lead analytics-driven category discussions, align stake-holders, and stress-test business cases to support ROI-focused investments while coaching a diverse team of analysts and managers.