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Associated Wholesale Grocers · 2 months ago

Category Manager - Health/OTC/Wellness

Kansas City, KS

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

5+ years exp

Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) is the nation’s largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets. The Category Manager is responsible for profitable sales growth of assigned Health, OTC, and Wellness categories, collaborating with various teams and suppliers to achieve sales and profitability targets while managing promotional activities and category strategies.

Food and Beverage

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of comprehensive category strategies and initiatives, including assortment planning, shelf optimization, and marketing execution

Partner with key suppliers to build and execute Joint Business Plans, conducting quarterly business reviews to align on growth strategies and performance targets

Oversee both National Brand and AWG Brand assortments, including new product development, to accelerate innovation, drive category sales, and deliver on profitability goals

Manage promotional calendars and event schedules to ensure timely and effective execution of marketing and merchandising initiatives

Ensure all system and file maintenance activities are completed accurately and on time to support efficient operations and data integrity

Oversee category financial performance to achieve established sales and profitability targets

Optimize funding and trade investment opportunities across all vendor programs, including allowances, performance funds, incentives, and marketing contributions

Identify and leverage direct plant ship options and operational efficiencies to enhance competitiveness and improve return on investment

Maintain a deep understanding of competitive dynamics and market trends through engagement with retail members and visits to key markets / trade shows

Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams—including Inventory Management, Center Store, Accounting, AWG Brands, and divisional sales teams—to align initiatives and deliver results

Partner with the Promotions team to execute strategic sales programs, ensuring category and consumer insights are reflected in all promotional activities

Qualification

Category ManagementSourcingProcurementSupply Chain ManagementConsumer Products GoodsFinancial ManagementMarketingConsumer ResearchRetail OperationsMicrosoft OfficeGoogle Suites

Required

Any combination of education, training and experience providing the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

Minimum 5 years Consumer Products Goods or related industry experience

Working knowledge of sourcing, procurement, supply chain management, retail/wholesale/warehouse operations, category business planning, marketing, consumer research, and financial management

Intermediate knowledge of business applications (eg. Microsoft Office and Google Suites)

Preferred

College degree preferred

Minimal travel required: primary travel is to AWG members' retail locations and distribution centers, vendor partner locations and trade-related events and shows