Category Manager, Produce

About Us

At Fresh Direct, we are reinventing the grocery experience.

Since day one, our mission has been simple: bring the best, freshest food directly from the farm to people's homes - faster, fresher, and smarter than anyone else.

We're not just a food company. We're a technology-powered, customer-obsessed team building one of the most innovative end-to-end food supply chains in the industry. From proprietary routing systems to our state-of-the-art fulfillment center, every part of our business is designed to deliver unmatched quality, convenience, and care.

We partner directly with farmers, fishermen, and artisans to source the highest quality ingredients - then use smart data, automation, and logistics to deliver them at peak freshness.

It's grocery shopping reimagined - and we're just getting started.

If you're passionate about innovation, care deeply about what people eat, and want to help build the future of food, we'd love to meet you.

The Role

The Produce Category Manager creates comprehensive category strategies to meet customer needs and organizational goals. Responsibilities include managing pricing, assortment, and selection for assigned categories, leading vendor negotiations, and providing thought leadership on trends and innovation. The position also focuses on driving a consumer-centric selling culture through Assortment, Site Planning, and Pricing activities. The ideal candidate has demonstrated success within a merchandising function, including product sourcing and selection, eCommerce site selling strategies, and the grocery supply chain, and is interested in joining a team of passionate food experts at Fresh Direct.

What You'll Do

* Responsible for producing a comprehensive and cohesive category strategy which successfully meets the needs of our customers and achieves category goals while supporting organizational business plans.

* Manages pricing for assigned categories.

* Manages assortment and selection for assigned categories (i.e. final approval for all assortment decisions).

* Conducts periodic category reviews in order to align category strategy with current customer and market trends.

* Leads vendor negotiation and develops effective, collaborative relationships.

* Drive the day-to-day activities of a selling organization culture with a consumer-centric focus through Assortment, Site Planning, and Pricing responsibilities.

* Establish base and promotional pricing for assigned categories that deliver on the Fresh Direct strategy on-site and achieve targets for sales, gross margin and units.

* Manages performance for assigned category including Units per Order, Sales, Gross Margin, Average Order Size, and Shopper Marketing revenue.

* Responsible for all category financial & customer metrics.

* Responsible for procurement and replenishment (Fresh) and a key stakeholder in stock position at the shelf (Center Store), as measured by in-stock, inventory/days on hand, forecasting and seasonal impacts.

What You'll Bring

* Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, Merchandising, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.

* 5-8 years of progressive experience in Grocery Retail, eCommerce, Category Management, Merchandising, Buying, or a related industry.

* At least 3 years of experience merchandising within Produce.

* Demonstrated experience managing category performance, assortment planning, pricing strategies, and vendor relationships.

* Strong analytical, financial, and business acumen with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.

* Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.

* Experience managing projects and leading cross-functional initiatives.

* Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills

* Strong understanding of category management principles, merchandising strategies, and retail economics.

* Ability to balance customer needs, operational requirements, and financial objectives.

* Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

* Excellent organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.

* Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

* Strong project management skills with the ability to lead medium- to large-scale initiatives.

* Effective collaborator with outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building skills.

* Track record of identifying and implementing process improvements and operational efficiencies.

Our Values at Fresh Direct

We live these values every day:

A Passion for our customers

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We listen, innovate, and act quickly to exceed expectations with every order and interaction.

One team, one mission

Everyone contributes & every role matters. We break silos, lift each other up, and share a relentless focus on delivering results. That way, we win together.

Delivering excellence, every time

We take pride in the quality of our food, service, and the…