Category Manager - Private Label Packaged Food

Overview Category Manager - Private Label Packaged Food

Location:

Pearland, TX (In Office)
Pay Range $130,000 – $500,000+ total compensation

This is not a title-based range.

It is a capability-based range.

Compensation Philosophy $130k–$200k:
Proven category manager, strong executor $200k–$300k:
High-performing category owner, trusted decision‑maker $400k–$500k+:
Rare contributor who consistently drives outsized financial impact

The Role Buc-ee’s is hiring a Category Manager, Private Label Packaged Food, to own and grow Buc-ee’s private label packaged food categories.

This role sits at the intersection of category strategy, analytics, pricing, merchandising, supplier relationships, and commercialization for private label packaged food categories.

You will not just analyze performance. You will own category outcomes and drive decisions that materially impact revenue, margin, product quality, customer experience, and brand standards.

What You’ll Be Responsible For Serve as the product owner and subject matter expert for assigned private label packaged food categories, with accountability for product lifecycle management, product quality, brand standards, and ongoing performance.

Creating and developing a long-term plan and ongoing strategy for private label packaged food categories

Own category performance: sales, margin, pricing, assortment, product development, brand standards, and execution

Build long-term private label category strategy and annual operating plans

Lead pricing strategy, competitive positioning, assortment planning, and private label portfolio optimization

Identify and close category opportunity gaps across assortment, pricing, product development, and portfolio performance

Facilitate product evaluation and approval processes, including competitive and category reviews, supplier submissions, taste testing, focus group sessions, packaging reviews, and product approvals.

Lead SKU rationalization and promotion strategy

Develop and manage supplier relationships and negotiations that support private label product development, product specifications, packaging requirements, and commercialization expectations

Hold suppliers accountable to product specifications, quality standards, cost expectations, packaging requirements, timeline commitments, supply expectations, and execution standards

Lead cross-functional initiatives with merchandising, operations, IT, Quality Assurance, Legal, Graphic Design, suppliers, and distributors to support private label product launch readiness, in-store execution, and post-launch performance

Project management which will include developing project plans, processes, timelines, and launch milestones for private label packaged food initiatives

Translate data into clear operational decisions

Conduct field visits to improve store-level execution

Build executive-level reporting and decision support

Who This Role Is For This role is for high judgment operators who:

Are comfortable owning decisions, not just analysis

Think strategically about category growth and profitability

Communicate insights to executives without noise

Care about results more than titles

Relevant experience in packaged food categories, private label, and product development is strongly preferred.

Category experience is valuable, but high capability operators who learn quickly can succeed here.

Required Capabilities Advanced Excel skills (non-negotiable)
Strong experience working with large retail or operational datasets

Experience building pricing, assortment, or category strategy

Data visualization experience (Tableau, Micro Strategy, or similar)
Strong written and verbal communication

Ability to manage complex projects and multiple priorities

Additional Preferred Capabilities Experience in packaged food categories, private label, product development, or related consumable product categories

Strong understanding of private label food product development, including commercialization, packaging, supplier engagement, product lifecycle management, and project execution.

Strong judgment in assessing product quality, sensory attributes, customer appeal, value, packaging, brand fit, and category relevance.

Ability to translate…