Strategic Category Manager – Local Sourcing & Growth

Circle K; Minnetonka (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Circle K is seeking a Category Manager to increase gross profit by selecting local suppliers, evaluating new products, and negotiating pricing. You will plan marketing strategies, support National and Business Area activities, and may supervise junior staff.

The role emphasizes local assortment, planogram execution, and frontline pricing decisions, with travel up to 30% and a focus on analytics and vendor relations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in advertising, finance, management, business economics, or related field preferred. Other combinations of experience and education that meet the requirements may be substituted.
• Five years of experience or more preferred in merchandising; including experience in management

Responsibilities

• Supports the organization strategic direction.
• Responsible for local assortment and planogram execution
• Owns frontline pricing decisions
• Responsible for vendor operations and local relationships
• Responsible for planogram implementation – resets (including all 3rd party relationships)
• Responsible for actionable operational reporting (Out of Stock, Zero Sales Reporting, Delivery Frequency, and others as necessary)
• Selects local vendors, negotiates costs, terms for products, and develops schematics by applying category management principles in accordance with the the organization strategic objectives.
• Increases sales revenues by developing promotional concepts and overlay programs on local assortment.
• Establishes and monitors gross margins by forecasting and developing annual sales quotas, projecting expected sales volume and profit for existing and new products, and determining placement and promotions.
• Projects and measures category sales and gross profit results by developing and maintaining records of item cost, retail, and gross margin dollars.
• Maintains external local and national vendor relations by providing direction, guidance, and information, resolving concerns.
• Recommends changes in products, service, and policy by evaluating results and competitive developments.
• Achieves financial objectives by preparing an annual category review, budget, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances, initiating corrective actions. Allocates program costs by preparing operational and risk reports for analyses aligning with the organization Merchandising
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reading professional publications, establishing personal networks; or participating in professional societies.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing determined Financial and Key Result Area targets pursuant to Company Plan guidelines.

Skills

Strong relationship management

Analytical thinking

Financial acumen

Travel up to 30%

Education

Bachelor’s degree in advertising, finance, management, business economics, or related field

Tools

MS Outlook

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Circle K is seeking a Category Manager to increase gross profit by selecting local suppliers, evaluating new products, and negotiating pricing. You will plan marketing strategies, support National and Business Area activities, and may supervise junior staff.

The role emphasizes local assortment, planogram execution, and frontline pricing decisions, with travel up to 30% and a focus on analytics and vendor relations.