Location: Mississauga, ON
Reports to: Director of Merchandising
The Category Manager is responsible for owning the performance and strategy of an assigned product category across physical locations, ecommerce, and other business channels. This role drives category growth, margin performance, assortment planning, supplier partnerships, and promotional execution.
Working cross-functionally with operations, marketing, ecommerce, inventory planning, supply chain, and finance, the Category Manager plays a key role in delivering strong commercial performance and customer value.
Manage a portfolio of approximately 1,000 to 2,500 SKUs within assigned categories
Influence assortment, pricing, and promotional strategies across multiple locations and ecommerce channels
Manage relationships with domestic and international supplier partners
Oversee vendor programs including pricing agreements, rebates, and promotional funding
Own overall category performance including sales growth, margins, inventory health, and assortment strategy
Develop and execute category strategies aligned with business objectives
Identify opportunities for assortment expansion, SKU rationalization, and innovation
Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities
Build and maintain strong supplier relationships
Negotiate pricing, rebates, and promotional support
Lead supplier business reviews and identify growth opportunities
Source new suppliers and products both domestically and internationally
Manage supplier onboarding and performance evaluation
Develop and manage category pricing strategy to balance competitiveness and profitability
Monitor margin performance at both category and SKU levels
Analyze cost changes and adjust pricing accordingly
Partner with finance to track rebates and vendor programs
Manage large SKU assortments (1,000–2,500 items)
Identify underperforming products and optimize assortment
Drive new product introductions and innovation initiatives
Support development of private label programs, where applicable
Partner with marketing and ecommerce to develop promotional plans
Identify opportunities to drive category growth through promotions
Support seasonal programs and product launches
Analyze sales, margin, and inventory data to identify opportunities
Track key metrics such as revenue growth, gross margin, inventory turns, and SKU productivity
Provide insights and recommendations to improve performance
Partner with operations to ensure strong in-store execution
Work with supply chain and inventory planning to maintain availability
Collaborate with marketing and ecommerce on growth initiatives
Coordinate with finance on vendor funding and rebate tracking
This role plays a key part in shaping category strategy, supplier partnerships, and product innovation. The Category Manager will help identify emerging trends, launch new products, and drive growth across both physical and digital channels.
Category assortment decisions
Supplier selection and negotiations
Pricing strategy and execution
Promotional planning
Product innovation within the category
Minimum 5+ years in category management, merchandising, buying, or procurement
Experience in foodservice distribution, grocery retail, or wholesale preferred
Experience managing large SKU assortments
Strong commercial and financial acumen
Proven negotiation and supplier management skills
Data-driven decision-making ability
Ability to identify market opportunities and innovation
Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills
Bilingual (French & English) is an asset
Advanced Excel and data analysis skills
Experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP) or merchandising platforms
Ability to analyze large datasets
Experience with business intelligence tools is an asset
Candidates may come from organizations such as major foodservice distributors, grocery retailers, or wholesale businesses
This role is primarily office-based in Mississauga, with occasional travel required to locations, supplier sites, and industry events.
Chad Management is a recruitment agency that works closely with small and large companies to find them candidates that best fit the required position.
At Chad Management we believe that you should work at what you love. A third of our lives is spent working, so let Chad find a job that is right for you.
