Home Chef · 2 months ago
Category Manager, Produce
Chicago, IL
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$75K/yr - $90K/yr
4+ years expHome Chef is the leading meal solutions company with both a retail and online presence. The Category Manager, Produce owns the end-to-end category strategy, sourcing, and supplier management for Home Chef’s fresh produce program, focusing on building sourcing strategies that support menu innovation and operational excellence.
DeliveryFood and BeverageRestaurants
Responsibilities
Own the produce category sourcing strategy, including cost management, supply assurance, and quality optimization
Lead supplier identification, vetting, and onboarding in collaboration with Food Safety, Quality, and Procurement Operations teams
Conduct market research and analysis to identify industry trends, seasonal availability, and pricing dynamics affecting produce supply
Develop and manage RFPs, bid analyses, and supplier negotiations to deliver competitive total cost of ownership and long-term value
Evaluate sourcing decisions based on supplier capability, risk, cost structure, and logistics alignment
Collaborate with Culinary and Product Development teams to support menu innovation, new product launches, and spec optimization
Serve as the primary contact for produce suppliers, managing relationships to ensure alignment with Home Chef’s operational and quality expectations
Establish and monitor supplier KPIs, including on-time performance, quality adherence, and cost compliance
Lead regular business reviews with key suppliers to evaluate performance, resolve issues, and identify opportunities for improvement
Partner with Finance and Operations to validate pricing, volume forecasts, and cost changes
Drive continuous improvement in supplier performance through feedback, audits, and corrective action management
Participate in Produce Expo visits to collaborate with new and existing vendors
Partner closely with Culinary, FSQA, Operations, Procurement, and Distribution teams to ensure alignment between category strategy and execution
Collaborate with the Procurement team to resolve supply shortages, quality issues, or logistics disruptions at fulfillment centers
Work cross-functionally to develop produce handling, storage, and specification standards that improve product quality and shelf life
Support the forecasting and planning process by providing insight into seasonal trends, yield considerations, and market fluctuations
Provide guidance and mentorship to Buyers and Category Associates supporting the produce category
Foster collaboration across the broader Category Management and Procurement teams to ensure alignment and knowledge sharing
Represent the Produce category internally as the subject matter expert for supplier landscape, product trends, and category performance
Own category-level cost forecasting and budgeting, analyzing trends to identify cost reduction and efficiency opportunities
Review and analyze category spend data to monitor performance and ensure compliance with budgetary targets
Partner with the Sourcing Analytics & Strategy team to assess category performance, benchmark pricing, and evaluate sourcing scenarios
Support development of KPI dashboards and category reports that track savings, cost drivers, and supplier metrics
Qualification
Required
4+ year(s) experience in strategic sourcing, ideally within perishable goods
Strong analytical skills, with competency in Excel
Experience in relationship management
Completion of a four-year degree in business or a related field
Benefits
Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance available
Paid holidays, sick time and vacation time
401k program
Flexible spending accounts for qualified medical, dependent care, parking, or transit expenses
Company
Home Chef
Home Chef is a provider of subscription-based meal kit delivery services to help people to save time while enjoying home cooking.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Home Chef has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (3)
2024 (2)
2023 (2)
2022 (3)
2021 (4)
2020 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$57MKey Investors
L CattertonShining Capital
2018-05-23Acquired
2016-09-29Series B· $40M
2016-06-28Debt Financing
Leadership Team
Erik Jensen
CEO
Recent News
2025-12-29
2025-11-05
Company data provided by crunchbase