Sr. Category Manager, Bakery- Modesto, CA

About Us

We are California’s largest regional, full‑service grocery chain, founded over 70 years ago in Modesto, California, where our headquarters are still located today. With 194 stores across Central and Northern California and Western Nevada, our banners—Save Mart, Lucky, and Food Maxx—are cherished regional brands, serving the unique needs of their communities.

It’s our 12,000 passionate associates who make our company a great place to work and shop. We prioritize investing in our people, stores, and neighborhoods, and work closely with local suppliers to bring fresh, quality products at affordable prices to our customers. Shoppers can access our offerings in‑store, online, or through convenient home delivery and curbside pick‑up.

The Save Mart Companies is part of The Jim Pattison Group, a family‑owned, diversified holding company operating primarily in the U.S. and Canada and headquartered in Vancouver, BC. The Jim Pattison Group has a long‑term strategic focus to see their companies succeed and grow. Together, our dedication to our associates and customers, commitment to growth and innovation, and our family traditions continue to thrive.

The Sr. Category Manager conducts category reviews to assess performance of across customer segments, stores and items. This role translates consumer segment data & insights into specific category assortment, merchandising, advertising/promotions and pricing strategies.

• Strategic Planning
  • Conduct category reviews to assess performance across customer segments, stores and items.
  • Details out category plans and drives execution. Designs, executes category initiatives.
  • Develop and assist with the successful execution of the merchandise planning and allocation plan, to fulfill growth and revenue goals.
  • Support the banner’s strategic product roadmap for assigned area, to include product launch and product marketing in order to meet customer need.
• Data Analysis
  • Translate consumer segment data & insights into specific category assortment, merchandising, advertising/promotions and pricing strategies.
  • Through analytics, store visits, and other research elements, determines future product needs for assigned categories.
  • Routinely uses numerical information in their work.
• Product Offerings
  • Develop a portfolio of customer‑centric product offerings for assigned categories that promotes the unique banner identity and ensures that the banner is relevant in every market and drives customers to the stores.
  • Responsible for all aspects of product life cycle management to include understanding market demands, technology trends, and the competitive environment for assigned categories.
  • Determine product offerings and promotional plans for assigned categories to achieve operating results.
• Vendor Management
  • Support vendor negotiation for category initiatives (e.g., "category month" for specific categories).
  • Serve as the primary interface with suppliers in day‑to‑day interactions, and effectively manage these relationships to support banner sales and profit goals.
  • Select partners, negotiate relationship terms, lead category reviews, evaluate vendor performance.
• Leadership
  • Coordinates across support teams and synthesizes inputs.
  • Liaise between Merchandising and Consumer Analytics & Insight.
  • Work with the Merchandising and Marketing teams to ensure assigned categories are effectively merchandised for optimized customer experience and sales ("total store experience") – to include teaching/training opportunities during store visits.
  • Work collaboratively with Sourcing to define the cost of goods and provide promotional planning requirements in support of banner and cross‑banner collaborative supplier negotiations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Some of our competitive offerings include generous benefits packages (Health, Dental, Vision, Life and AD&D, 401K), tuition reimbursement and scholarship opportunities, vacation and personal holidays, and in‑store purchase discounts.

Hiring pay range: $ -

• Effective communicator in a variety of settings.
• Approaches problems by using a…