Strategic Category Manager: Hardware & Home Improvement

MissionHires; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

19-store retail network

High-visibility role

Autonomy and collaboration

In-store merchandising initiatives

Job summary

MissionHires is seeking a Category Manager to lead strategy and performance for assigned hardlines categories across a 19-store network. You will own assortment, pricing, promotions, vendor relationships, and inventory productivity, collaborating with store operations and cross-functional partners to drive profitability.

The role emphasizes strong analytical capabilities, negotiation skills, and hands-on merchandising leadership to ensure effective category plans and in-store execution across

Qualifications

• 3–7 years in category management or related roles.
• Experience in hardware/home improvement retail preferred.
• Strong knowledge of hardware categories and store execution.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies to drive sales and margins.
• Manage assortments across hardware/home improvement categories.
• Analyze sales, margin, inventory turnover, and market trends.
• Lead vendor negotiations on costs, terms, and promotional support.
• Create promotional calendars and in-store merchandising plans.
• Collaborate with supply chain to optimize stock and reduce stockouts.
• Support planogram compliance and signage with store teams.
• Evaluate new products and vendor programs for profitability.

Skills

Category management

Vendor negotiations

Merchandising strategy

Analytics

Excel/BI

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

BI tools

Job description

MissionHires is seeking a Category Manager to lead strategy and performance for assigned hardlines categories across a 19-store network. You will own assortment, pricing, promotions, vendor relationships, and inventory productivity, collaborating with store operations and cross-functional partners to drive profitability.

The role emphasizes strong analytical capabilities, negotiation skills, and hands-on merchandising leadership to ensure effective category plans and in-store execution across