Category Manager
Department: Analytic Support 105604
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Sterling Heights
Reporting To: Derrick Frailing
Description
A Taste of Who We Are:
Backed by a tireless commitment to high quality, innovative culinary offerings and unparalleled client and guest services, Continental consistently ranks among the top contract dining and refreshment providers in the nation according to Food Management Magazine, the industry's source for food service news and trends.
Our Mission
Delight our guest. Every meal. Every day.
Our Core Values
Exceptional - We recruit and retain phenomenal people who consistently go the extra mile to deliver results that lead the industry.
Hospitality - We are tirelessly committed to providing the highest quality food, beverages, and service by anticipating our guests'' needs so they can count on memorable experiences every time.
Collaboration - We prioritize working together with a shared vision and effective & transparent communication, we unite as one team to achieve remarkable experiences.
Responsibility - we hold ourselves accountable to be there for our team and clients, to deliver what we say we will, when we say we will and check in on progress along the way.
Innovation - We are forward-thinkers always looking for new processes, technologies, and techniques to increase efficiencies and scalability to improve our services.
The Experience You'll Create:
The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing category, assortment, pricing, supplier, product lifecycle, and promotional strategies across assigned Refreshment Services Group channels. This role uses customer insights, market trends, supplier capabilities, and item-level performance to improve sales, gross margin, product mix, waste, and the guest and client experience.
The Category Manager sets the commercial direction, approved assortment, pricing, supplier, product lifecycle, and promotional strategy. Merchandising owns planogram strategy and creation, product swaps, new-business planograms, resets, replenishment settings, and field execution.
Category Strategy & Planning
- Develop category plans for assigned vending, micro-market, office coffee services, and adjacent channels.
- Define category roles, customer needs, growth priorities, product architecture, and financial objectives.
- Use customer insights, market trends, competitive intelligence, and performance data to identify growth opportunities.
- Translate strategy into clear assortment, pricing, promotional, financial, and execution requirements.
- Recommend regional or channel variations when supported by customer demand or operating needs.
Assortment, Planograms & Product Lifecycle
- Manage approved assortments, product mix, SKU productivity, and lifecycle decisions.
- Evaluate products using sales velocity, margin, cost trends, waste, stockouts, customer preferences, and operational requirements.
- Lead new item introductions, tests, substitutions, rationalization, discontinuations, and approved exceptions.
- Coordinate approved product transitions with Merchandising, Operations, Procurement, suppliers, and other affected teams.
- Lead client and healthy program management, including approved assortments, nutritional information, product requirements, program standards, performance, and ongoing optimization.
Pricing, Promotions & Margin
- Execute enterprise pricing strategy within assigned categories and maintain appropriate price architecture and tiers.
- Monitor gross margin and recommend pricing, assortment, mix, cost, or supplier actions to achieve financial goals.
- Evaluate supplier cost changes, rebates, incentives, and purchasing programs with Procurement and Finance.
- Develop promotional recommendations, including products, price points, timing, funding, and expected outcomes.
- Review promotional results and improve waste economics through pack size, shelf life, supplier terms, and assortment decisions.
Performance, Compliance & Analytics
- Maintain category scorecards covering sales, units, margin, mix, SKU productivity, waste, availability, promotions, compliance, and supplier performance.
- Monitor compliance with approved assortments, planogram direction, pricing, promotions, and category standards.
- Partner with Merchandising and Operations to identify execution gaps, establish corrective actions, and track completion.
- Use performance data, field feedback, and commercial judgment to identify root causes and prioritize action.
- Prepare executive-ready business reviews that communicate performance, risks, opportunities, financial impact, and recommendations.
Supplier & Cross- Functional Partnership
- Serve as the primary category contact for suppliers and align capabilities, costs, terms, service, innovation, and growth programs with category strategy.
- Evaluate supplier proposals for customer relevance, financial return, operational feasibility, strategic fit, and incremental value.
- Hold suppliers accountable for agreed funding, service levels, product information, and performance commitments.
- Provide Merchandising with approved assortments, planogram direction, space guidance, pricing, transition timing, and financial targets.
- Partner across functions to support launches, customer needs, acquisitions, new business openings, and business transitions.
Process & Continuous Improvement & Team Development
- Improve category tools, reporting standards, data quality, and operating rhythms.
- Balance customer value, financial performance, supplier programs, and operational practicality in decision making.
- Lead, coach, and develop assigned team members by setting clear expectations, priorities, and accountability.
- Provide regular feedback, development planning, and ongoing support to strengthen category management capabilities.
- Support recruiting, onboarding, training, and knowledge sharing to build team capacity and ensure continuity.
- Foster a collaborative, results-oriented culture focused on ownership, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.
Ingredients for Thriving:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Analytics, or a related field preferred.
- 2+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, pricing, retail, foodservice, convenience, consumer products, or a related multi-site environment.
- Strong understanding of category strategy, assortment optimization, planogram development, pricing, margin drivers, supplier programs, and promotional effectiveness.
- Strong financial and analytical skills with the ability to convert performance data into actionable recommendations.
- Experience leading cross-functional initiatives across Operations, Finance, Procurement, Sales, Marketing, Merchandising, and Analytics.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.
- Strong communication, organization, and decision-making skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Savor the Benefits:
We offer a range of benefits for eligibles team members, including:
- Health Coverage - Medical, Dental and Vision
- Voluntary Life/AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Critical Illness
- 401(k)
- Paid Time Off
- Wellness Programs
- Additional Perks
To see a summary of current benefits, please visit https://www.continentalserves.com/work-at-continental/#benefits.