Senior Category Manager - Fresh Categories - Corporate

Job Location:

Central Kitchen
- Seattle, WA 98108, Position Type:
Full-Time Exempt (Salaried), Salary Range: $91,468.00 - $ Salary, Job Shift: Day (8:00AM to 4:00PM),

Uwajimaya, a family-owned business, and a cornerstone of Asian grocery retailing since 1928, is seeking dedicated individuals to join our dynamic team. With a legacy of excellence and a commitment to providing exceptional customer experiences, Uwajimaya has grown to become the premier destination for Asian food culture in the Pacific Northwest.

We are seeking individuals who are passionate about delivering excellent customer service, driven to excel in their roles, and motivated to contribute to our vibrant team. Whether you're a seasoned professional or eager to start your career, we welcome candidates from all backgrounds who share our enthusiasm for food, customer service, and Asian culture.

• A flexible, friendly, and diverse work environment
• Competitive starting wages
• Employee discounts on food and gift items
• Paid holidays from day one
• Excellent health benefits
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Long term disability
• Life insurance
• Opportunities for growth and advancement
• Supplemental insurance options available

The Senior Category Manager
- Fresh Categories at Uwajimaya is responsible for the day-to-day business of the meat category and strategic oversight of the produce and seafood categories. This role develops and executes category plans that drive sales, gross profit, and market share while maintaining product quality, freshness, and customer satisfaction. The Senior Category Manager directly manages meat assortment, purchasing, supplier relationships, pricing, promotions, and business reporting, and works with produce and seafood category leaders and store teams to align strategies, monitor results, and address business needs.

The role partners with stores, suppliers, marketing, merchandising, and supply chain teams to deliver consistent execution across retail locations. It requires strong analytical and interpersonal skills, a thorough understanding of fresh-food operations and procurement, and deep knowledge of Japanese and Pan Asian food. The Senior Category Manager oversees the Category Assistant and provides training and mentoring to Associate Category Managers and other category team members as needed.

• Develop and implement fresh-category strategies for meat, produce, and seafood that align with overall business objectives. Analyze market trends, competitive activity, sales results, and customer feedback to guide assortment, pricing, and promotional decisions.
• Manage the day-to-day business of the meat category, including assortment decisions, purchasing coordination, product availability, cost updates, retail pricing, promotions, and accurate item and vendor data. Partner with store teams to resolve product and supply issues promptly.
• Build and maintain strong supplier and vendor relationships, with direct responsibility for meat suppliers. Negotiate contracts, costs, terms, and promotional support to improve profitability and supply continuity; guide produce and seafood teams on supplier strategies and business opportunities.
• Partner with store managers, the VP of Retail Sales, and marketing and merchandising teams to establish fresh-category merchandising guidelines and promotional plans. Coordinate consistent in-store execution, presentation, and customer communication across locations.
• Monitor and report on sales, gross profit, margins, inventory turnover, shrink, and promotional results for meat, produce, and seafood. Manage corrective actions for meat and work with produce and seafood category leaders to develop and follow through on action plans.
• Conduct consumer research and gather customer and store-team insights to understand shopping behaviors and preferences. Use these insights and knowledge of Japanese and Pan Asian cuisine to identify assortment opportunities and improve customer satisfaction.
• Provide strategic oversight of the produce and seafood categories by reviewing category plans, assortments, pricing, promotions, supplier issues, and business results with the responsible category leaders. Align priorities, provide guidance, and elevate significant risks or resource needs to the VP of Retail Sales.
• Partner with store operations and supply chain teams to balance inventory, demand, shelf life, and replenishment across fresh categories. Support…