Senior Category Manager

REMOTE • CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATESSustainability • Natural Foods • Organic Foods

Attention category managers, data enthusiasts, and natural foodies: Would you like to apply your business and retail expertise to supporting socially responsible, independent, and community-owned grocery stores? Do you enjoy building relationships and digging into data to develop business insights?

This position will provide leadership, oversight, and strategic direction to Category Managers and Associate Category Managers and NCG’s category management and promotions programs.

This is an ideal position for those who have leadership experience in category management who enjoy strategizing to optimize brands’ investments, strengthen NCG’s industry position and help member co-ops compete and differentiate themselves in the market. Up to 15% business travel required including overnights and weekends.

Our goal is to attract qualified candidates and encourage applications from all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any characteristic protected by applicable law.Primary Responsibilities:

• Supports the Category Management Director to set team vision, goals, workplans and prioritization within and in support of the broader Purchasing department and NCG business plans and priorities.
• Leads category and promotional strategies with assigned category managers to support member co-ops’ sales and profitability and strengthen NCG’s position within the Natural Products industry.
• Develops and maintains trade relationships; manages high-level engagements and escalations; develops strategic relationships with key suppliers to ensure early insights into new trends and products; helps existing partners plug into and understand our programs.
• Establishes growth-based incentives with brands and multi-brand companies that contribute to NCG's revenue goals while ensuring NCG programs remain consumer-centric.
• Manages the financial performance of assigned categories and category managers; regularly monitors revenue performance to ensure monthly revenue targets are met or exceeded to support yearly revenue targets; develops and implements response plans when achieved revenue falls short of revenue targets.
• Provides strong and effective leadership and supervision for assigned Category Management team staff, including interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and correcting employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems; ensuring adherence to NCG policies and procedures.
• Works with NCG’s Advocacy and Sustainability team to integrate NCG’s advocacy guidelines with NCG's purchasing programs and priorities.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years’ leadership experience with the category management process and demonstrated success developing and implementing category, promotional, pricing, and shelf-placement strategies required.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in developing relationships with sales representatives and brokers for brands or working as a brand or broker representative required.
• Previous supervisory experience preferred.
• Demonstrated success in negotiations.
• Ability to design consumer-centric shelf plans and effective, visually attractive promotional displays.
• Strong understanding of both high/low and EDLP pricing strategy.
• Experience operating within and meeting budget.

National Co+op Grocers: For more information about our company, please visit www.ncg.coop/about-us.

Benefits, benefits, benefits! We offer a generous salary and benefits package including 4 weeks PTO at hire, medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA with company contribution, company-paid life and disability insurance, identity theft protection, comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a matching 401(k) plan, and many perks! The salary for this position annually is $147,800. To view NCG's 2025 Benefits Summary copy/paste bit.ly/NCG2025BenefitsSummary into an internet browser.

Home Office Option: This position is eligible for a home office in the contiguous U.S. if within 100 miles of a major airport and there is sufficient internet bandwidth and mobile phone service for work to be completed efficiently.

Workstation Option: For individuals interested in working from an office, workstations are available in our St. Paul, Minnesota office. St. Paul is part of the major metropolitan area which along with Minneapolis is known as the Twin Cities. The area is known for its excellent parks, bike trails, and other outdoor activities; vibrant arts, culture, and dining scene; and cultural diversity. Our office is conveniently located between St. Paul and Minneapolis at 2610 University Ave W. There is free parking and the Green Line Light Rail stops at our building (Westgate Station).

Individuals with Disabilities: National Co+op Grocers wants all interested and qualified candidates to be able to use this career site to review and apply for employment opportunities. If you have a disability and need an accommodation to access this site, please contact us for assistance at (866) 709-2667 ext. 2992.

No recruiters or agencies please.