Category Manager - Grocery

Overview The Category Manager plays a leadership role in product development and category performance within the Grocery department. This role is responsible for driving product innovation, evaluating market trends, and ensuring alignment with Sprouts' quality standards. The Category Manager conducts in-depth analyses of sales data, consumer trends, pricing, and product quality to assess value and sales velocity. Key responsibilities include researching and launching new products or brands, negotiating vendor agreements, and managing the procurement lifecycle from selection and ordering to payment authorization ensuring that all activities support departmental objectives and contractual compliance.

Overview of Responsibilities Embrace our purpose of helping people live and eat better and bring that to life in your categories.  Develop strategies to deliver sales and margin growth and win market share in your categories that support broader Grocery or Frozen department and overall Sprouts strategies. Includes ecommerce and stores. Create assortments and pricing structures to maximize sales, margin and minimize spoilage

Develop and maintain budget, sales, gross margins, and profit goals for department

Drive the category review process with all CFT’s. Launch innovation faster than our competition. Find the optimal balance of building emerging brands and driving strong sales on existing favorites. Lead JBP vendor partnerships and expand our depth of collaboration with vendors and brokers across the business. Build win-win partnerships that enhance our reputation in the industry. Build and create customers’ favorite items in partnership with the Sprouts Brand Team.

Align projects with category and department initiatives and emerging industry trends.

Oversee all department marketing plans and ads, including monthly and weekly flyers, and partner with Shopper marketing and loyalty teams on vendor campaigns. Respond to vendor, customer, and store level issues as needed on a timely basis

Develop and communicate easy to use weekly merchandising plans and directives for stores

Develop and maintain strong vendor and broker relationships

Support and act as a liaison between Sprouts stores and vendors to assure quality products and department standards are being delivered

Supply clear direction for new & existing stores on proper department layout, schematics, opening orders, programs & training

Coordinate and source vendor participation for new store openings and resets#LI-CS1

Qualifications Preferred bachelor’s degree in business or related field, with 3+ years of retail buying experience

Requires long-term strategic and financial planning skills Excellent negotiation and relationship management abilities.

Strong project management skills and the ability to handle multiple priorities.

Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and the Internet Ability to preserve confidentiality of information, communicate with all levels of management and work within strict time frames and resolute deadlines Please note that this position does require travel, a few times a year for trade shows, vendor on site meetings, or other business demands. This is a full-time role that requires 3-5 days a week to be in-person at the Sprouts Support Office in Phoenix, AZ.Benefits

In addition to a rewarding career, Sprouts offers a comprehensive program to help support you and your family. These programs include:

Competitive paySick time plan that you can use to support you or your immediate families health

Vacation accrual plan Opportunities for career growth
15% discount for you and one other family member in your household on all purchases made at Sprouts Flexible schedules

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)401(K)…