SR. CATEGORY MANAGER - DISTRIBUTION (CHARLOTTE, NC)

Foodbuy USA; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance / AD

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Paid Parental Leave

Holiday Time Off

Personal Leave

Health and Wellness Programs

Identity Theft Protection

Job summary

Foodbuy USA is seeking a qualified professional to manage distribution partners, develop strategic initiatives, and implement process improvements. This role requires strong analytical and project management skills, with a focus on enhancing relationships and executing business plans effectively.

Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of experience in supply chain or distribution, along with proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint. The position offers a comprehensive benefits package and requires moderate travel.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of work experience in supply chain, distribution, or related fields.
• ISM Foodservice Certification (preferred).
• Financial and forecasting experience with business acumen.

Responsibilities

• Support Business Development and Account Management teams by creating proposals.
• Own monthly forecast activities and work with the supervisor on timely reporting.
• Develop category plans, joint business plans, and presentations.

Skills

Effective written and verbal communication skills

Project management skills

Strong analytical skills

Negotiation experience

Proficiency in Excel

Professional presentation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Foodbuy is an industry leader in procurement and supply chain solutions and a subsidiary of Compass Group PLC.

Job Summary

The primary duty of this position is management of distribution partners, relationships, strategy implementation and process improvement, including understanding Compass Group and member purchasing, developing and executing annual business plans, and identifying value‑added opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Support the Business Development and Account Management teams by creating proposals, negotiating programs, and co‑presenting opportunities to potential customers alongside the Account Manager or Business Development lead.
• Develop category plans, joint business plans and presentations.
• Evaluate ongoing service‑level requirements and maintain distributor scorecards.
• Act as key liaison for customer/sector service‑level issues and improvements.
• Own monthly forecast activities and work with the supervisor to ensure accurate and timely forecast activities and reporting.
• Conduct industry analyses to provide proactive insight to develop a 3‑year category strategy.
• Partner with the BAR (data insights) team to develop tools and scorecards to inform distributor performance.
• Provide ongoing trend analysis of business performance and drivers to seize value‑creating opportunities and corrective actions.
• Develop comprehensive strategy reports.
• Liaise with internal departments (AR, AP, Compliance, BuySmart, Category) to identify and drive complimentary goals and priorities.
• Manage KPIs for direct reports, ensuring training opportunities and personal development plans are identified and established.
• Collaborate with category peers on product route‑to‑market strategy.
• Develop and drive project plans for AR and AP activities, aligning with distributor operations teams to ensure results.
• Engage as SME on broad‑line transitions, supporting communications, business needs, and process improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• 4+ years of work experience in supply chain, distribution, or related fields.
• ISM Foodservice Certification (preferred).
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Project management skills and experience.
• Strong analytical skills using large data sets.
• Negotiation experience.
• Proficiency in developing strategic business plans, creating annual budgets, and managing cross‑functional projects.
• Financial and forecasting experience with business acumen.
• Professional presentation skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Moderate travel (2–4 days per month).

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance / AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Personal Leave
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Equal Opportunity Employer

Compass Group is an equal‑opportunity employer. We are committed to treating all applicants and associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. The company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details are available from the state clearinghouse.

Req ID: 1546399