Product Business Manager

The Product Business Manager leads category strategy and product lifecycle execution across assigned UNFI Brands categories. This role drives new item innovation, oversees item maintenance and data integrity, and ensures vendor and item compliance through strong cross‑functional partnerships. Working closely with PD/QA, Brand Management, Buyers, Merchandising, and Sales Operations, the position leads category reviews and CBPs, ensures aligned planning, accurate forecasting, and effective promotional and merchandising strategies.

The Product Business Manager also manages MDF spend, analyzes performance to inform decision‑making, and ensures end‑to‑end process excellence for on‑time, successful market execution.

• Lead item assortment strategy, including new item development, lifecycle management, and maintenance of existing products.
• Drive new item innovation from concept through commercialization, ensuring alignment with category and brand strategies.
• Oversee item maintenance activities, ensuring item data integrity and operational readiness.
• Ensure vendor and item compliance by partnering closely with PD/QA and maintaining strong vendor relationships.
• Collaborate with Brand Management and PD/QA teams to develop, refine, and execute innovation and growth plans.
• Lead category workshops and support CBP planning, including promotional strategy, pricing recommendations, and POG placement.
• Participates in review of full assortment; reviews and gives input into national and local vendor recommendations; supports the discontinued/markdown planning process for national items.
• Develop and implement merchandising and sales strategies across assigned categories and product lines.
• Create and execute semester plans for assigned categories, aligning priorities and execution milestones across teams.
• Lead promotion effectiveness analysis and participate in joint planning to optimize performance and ROI.
• Maintain P&L accountability for MDF spend, ensuring alignment with budget guidelines and optimal deal depth.

• Buyer/Procurement Partnership:
  Collaborate closely with Buyers to support purchase order follow‑up, resolve supplier deduction issues, and ensure inventory levels meet demand requirements.
• Merchandising
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Partner with the Merchandising team to develop and execute promotional plans, secure and manage supplier funding, support forecasting needs, and act as a primary liaison for supplier communications.
• Sales Operations Alignment:
  Coordinate with Sales Operations to communicate supplier‑related challenges, provide updated new‑item status inputs, and ensure accurate forecasting and sales planning.
• Brand Management
  
  Collaboration:
• End‑to‑End Process Ownership:
  Ensure all cross‑functional activities align to established timelines and support accurate, on‑time market release in accordance with agreed‑upon milestones.

• Lead and contribute to high‑visibility stretch projects that advance category, brand, or organizational priorities.
• Manage larger, more complex category desks, demonstrating increased ownership, strategic thinking, and decision‑making autonomy.
• Mentor and develop associates, providing guidance, support, and coaching to strengthen team capability and build bench strength.
• Take on expanded category responsibility beyond GFD, supporting categories such as Grocery, Meat, or Produce and contributing broader expertise across the business.
• Provides functional guidance, mentoring, and day to day direction to Category Merchandising Specialists to support execution quality and workflow alignment.
• Leads cross functional work streams, project teams, and category initiatives without…