Apply on Employer Site

Coborn's, Inc. · 1 day ago

Senior Category Manager - On-Site

St Cloud, MN

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

7+ years exp

Coborn's, Inc. is a fast-growing, employee-owned grocery retailer proudly serving communities across the Midwest. They are seeking a Senior Category Manager to lead strategic direction and drive growth and profitability for assigned categories while overseeing a team of Category Managers and Specialists.

AssociationHealth CareHuman ResourcesSmall and Medium Businesses

Responsibilities

Lead multi-year strategic planning for assigned categories that align with company goals

Define and evolve category roles across fresh and center-store assortments

Represent category objectives in annual planning and executive-level discussions

Use data analytics to drive pricing, promotions, and assortment strategies

Develop strategic recommendations based on loyalty data, market share, and predictive modeling

Mentor team in analytics literacy and data-based decision making

Monitor competitors and emerging trends to identify innovation opportunities

Act as a thought leader on food retail innovation and shopper behaviors

Partner with private brand teams to launch differentiated offerings

Lead pricing strategy design for everyday low price, promotions, and high-low segments

Balance price perception, profitability, and promotional cadence across all store formats

Partner with pricing analytics to run competitive scans and elasticity models

Design integrated promotional programs that align with the guests' shopping behavior and sales targets

Partner with marketing and store teams to ensure alignment of plans and executional excellence

Leverage vendor funding and co-marketing to amplify reach

Maintain a balanced mix of core, seasonal, local, and new products across stores and banners

Remove redundancy while offering variety, ensuring merchandising presentations are aligned to guest preferences and engagement

Ensure alignment across in-store and online channels

Own strategic vendor relationships and contract negotiations, unlocking value and innovation

Develop business plans that integrate private and owned brands

Influence supplier investments in pricing, marketing, and innovation

Collaborate and serve as the voice in strategic projects that include pricing architecture, omnichannel strategy, and digital merchandising

Partner with operations, marketing, supply chain, and finance to ensure seamless execution and alignment of goals and priorities

Act as the liaison between merchandising and the executive teams and provide clear communication to support field and operational success

Lead, coach, and develop a team of Category Managers and support roles, providing direction, feedback, and coaching to ensure clarity of priorities and deliverables

Lead by example by directly managing a high-impact category while coaching team members on execution, prioritization, and strategy development

Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement

Qualification

Category ManagementData AnalyticsVendor NegotiationMarketing StrategyMerchandising ExcellenceLeadership ExperienceCoaching SkillsAnalytical ThinkingCommunication SkillsTeam CollaborationProblem SolvingAdaptabilityCreativityCustomer Focus

Required

Bachelor's degree in business, Marketing, Merchandising, or related field preferred

7+ years' experience in areas of category management, merchandising, or retail strategy; grocery experience preferred but not required

2+ years' experience in a leadership position

Strong data analytical and negotiation skills

Experience using tools such as Excel or Power BI to make data-driven decisions

Benefits

10% employee discount on grocery items, with additional franchise-specific discounts available at company owned Ace Hardware, Caribou Coffee, Erbert and Gerbert’s, and Pet Supplies Plus locations.

Get Paid Daily with DailyPay - for employees who would like access to their pay before payday, we offer this great benefit!

Paid Time Off (PTO/Vacation)

Paid Floating Holidays & time and a half (1 ½) paid for hours worked on a company-recognized holiday!

Sunday Premium Pay - an extra $1 per hour for hours worked on Sundays (some exclusions apply)

Paid Military Leave

Employee recognition programs with monetary rewards including in-store vouchers, years of service, and employee of the month

Employee Health & Wellness Programs, Challenges and Resources - to assist our team members in living a life of wellbeing!

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - unlimited phone access to legal, financial, and work-life services and up to five free in-person counseling sessions, per situation/issue, per year

Access to a national discount marketplace for travel, electronics, auto/home insurance, entertainment and more!

Tools, resources and opportunities for career growth and development

401(k) plan options - we also match up to 20% of the first 5% contributed

Participation in our Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) - yes, we’re employee-owned! Our team members benefit from the success of the company through this company-sponsored benefit!

Education benefits including tuition discount and scholarship programs

Additional Voluntary Benefits - such as vision, accident and critical illness insurances

Medical & Dental Insurance, Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Tuition Reimbursement, Adoption Reimbursement, Paid Family Caregiver Leave, as well as company-sponsored Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, and Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance!