Category Manager - Stillwater, MN

Job Overview

This role is hybrid—3 days on site in Stillwater, MN and 2 days working from home.

The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that drive sales, profitability, and market share while aligning with overall division and corporate merchandising goals.

Core Responsibilities

• Develops annual category business plans, including sales and gross profit projections, based on historical performance, market trends, and competitive analysis.
• Creates and maintains pricing strategies, promotional calendars, and product assortments by category and zone to optimize sales, profit, and customer experience.
• Manages vendor relationships, including negotiations, new item authorizations, line discontinuations, and allocation of vendor funding to maximize profitability.
• Designs schematics and recommends adjacencies to strengthen category roles and departmental performance.
• Plans and coordinates ads, displays, and merchandising programs across stores, ensuring alignment with departmental and divisional strategies.
• Conducts post‑promotional and ongoing performance analysis at item, category, and department levels, maintaining scorecards to track results against goals.
• Collaborates cross‑functionally with procurement, merchandising, store operations, and corporate teams to implement initiatives and ensure inventory and service level targets are met.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for vendors within assigned categories, attending planning meetings and ensuring effective communication of plans.

• Regularly visits stores to assess program execution and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Supports and implements corporate initiatives within assigned categories.

Education/ Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent relevant work experience in food retail considered.

Experience

• Previous store operations experience or similar role with strong exposure to operations and merchandising approaches.
• Familiarity with Category Business Planning.
• Experience with procurement, logistics, and inventory management.

• Strong understanding of merchandising methodologies, store operations, and financial management (including P&L interpretation).
• Financial, mathematical, statistical, marketing, merchandising, and consumer research knowledge to analyze internal/external drivers of results.
• Advanced analytical and problem‑solving skills; ability to take initiative and make sound, timely decisions.
• Strategic planning, organization, and project management skills.
• Good judgment is required for this position as there may be times when direct supervision may not be immediately available.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills to build and maintain effective business relationships.
• Relationship management and negotiation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Internet research tools.

Hybrid Role

• This position follows a hybrid schedule working in office three (3) days per week. The acceptable split between onsite and remote work is determined by the manager. Hybrid associates may choose to work from an office on a more frequent basis than required.

Travel (minor)

• This position may require the associate to travel to company offices, distribution centers, or other locations for specific meetings or other business reasons.

Physical Environment / Demands

• Most work is performed in a temperature‑controlled office environment.
• Incumbent may sit for long periods of time at a desk or computer terminal.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Incumbent may use calculators, keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment in the course of a normal workday.
• Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in the completion of job duties.

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