Category Manager

About the Role

We are seeking a strategic and analytical Category Manager to drive category growth, supplier performance, and profitability. This role will own the commercial strategy for the Packaging category, overseeing supplier relationships, product portfolio optimization, pricing guidance, margin improvement, rebate performance, and market intelligence.

Working cross-functionally with Sales, Purchasing, Supply Chain Analytics, Finance, and supplier partners, the Category Manager will help identify growth opportunities, optimize sourcing strategies, improve inventory productivity, and strengthen the company's competitive position.

This is a strategic and commercially focused role, emphasizing category performance and long-term growth rather than day-to-day purchase order execution.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute category strategies aligned with company growth, profitability, supplier, and customer objectives.
• Identify opportunities for product expansion, private label, preferred supplier programs, product substitutions, and cross-selling.
• Partner with category leadership to establish strategic priorities, annual goals, and action plans.
• Monitor market trends, competitive activity, customer demand, and supplier developments.
• Develop action plans to address underperforming products, suppliers, and margin trends.
• Maintain substitute product catalogs and alternative sourcing strategies to support customer needs and mitigate supply gaps.

Financial & Commercial Performance

• Analyze category performance, including sales, gross margin, rebate income, SKU productivity, supplier performance, inventory turns, and overall profitability.
• Drive improvements in gross margin dollars and percentages, supplier program income, rebate performance, and inventory productivity.
• Support pricing guidance, margin expectations, supplier cost-change processes, and profitability initiatives.

Customer & Sales Support

• Partner with Sales and Finance leadership to evaluate customer-specific inventory, profitability, and deal economics.
• Support customer-specific stocking strategies, including volume commitments, margin expectations, supplier support, inventory risk, and exit plans.
• Assist Sales with sourcing requests by evaluating existing product offerings and identifying alternative solutions when needed.

Supplier Strategy & Vendor Management

• Lead supplier negotiations related to rebates, cost changes, private-label opportunities, and strategic programs.
• Collaborate with Purchasing to address supplier service levels, lead times, fill rates, backorders, cost changes, and supply disruptions.
• Identify and qualify alternative suppliers to reduce risk, improve competitiveness, and support business growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Statistics, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• 1–3 years of experience in supply chain analytics, planning, logistics, data analysis, or a related field.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret large datasets, identify trends, and recognize anomalies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and familiarity with database management.
• Exposure to ERP systems, planning tools, and business intelligence platforms preferred.
• Basic understanding of supply chain concepts, statistical analysis, and inventory management principles.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to collaborate across teams and with external partners.
• Experience in wholesale distribution or the paper and packaging industry is a plus.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English and work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Must be able to successfully complete a drug screen and criminal background check.

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a key product category, influence commercial strategy, and make a measurable impact on growth and profitability. The ideal candidate combines analytical thinking, commercial judgment, and collaborative problem-solving to improve category performance and deliver value to customers and the business.