As the Category Manager, you are accountable for the development for products sold by the business and supporting rapid product development sprints. You will support the following product categories: Ready Meals, Bakery/ Appetizers & Desserts, Sausages, Produce & Specialty Meats. Reporting to the Head, Non-Core Product Development, the Product Developer is a key member of the Product team and is responsible for supporting continuous improvement in a fast-paced and demanding production & innovation environment. The scope of category management covers the Wild Fork business units in both the US & Canadian markets. Additionally, you will maintain positive relationships with Production Operations, Logistics, Supply Chain & Marketing as well as your vendor community and other internal and external contacts. You have a customer-centric approach and are comfortable flexing between regulatory execution and innovation/ product development.Essential Tasks and Responsibilities:
Responsible for category sales & profitability & margin contributions for the business
Directly work with internal and vendor partners to manage products within your categories with a hands on approach
Lead department level category management using analytical tools such as Qlikview, Business Objects & Excel to find opportunities to optimize margins, reduce costs & improve ROI on new products
Maintain Brand and Business guardrails throughout product development process
Own the movement of the products through the product development lifecycle
Liaise directly with Product Developers to ensure product development projects are completed on time and in
Manage large-scale implementation of products across various channels of the business through close collaboration with functional areas: Marketing, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain & Digital
Formulate purchasing strategies for the business through the analysis of Market & Trends
Strong analytical skills required to quickly understand the category opportunities
Collaborate across the established retail banners in Mexico & Brazil to find synergies in product development, and develop a global platform for sharing best business and product development practices. Strong cross cultural competence and communication skills is ideal to carry out such initiatives
Develop & maintain strong relationships with supplier base for the categories to ensure quality & profitability targets are met
Develop strategic business plans with key vendors.
Monitors operational statistics, reports trends, variances and issues, and takes appropriate action.
Communicate final assortment and department direction to other stakeholders within the company, such as the Leadership team, departmental teams, Marketing, Visual Liaison, Marketing, Online and Retail. Include information about cost, terms, price, distribution and marketing as needed
Coordinate and disseminate product information to Marketing through product review process and to Retail through appropriate communication processes.
Understand, fully use and continuously improve processes and systems.
Liaison with suppliers & maintains successful relationship to meet regulatory requirements for new products within rapid product development cycles
Support new product labelling process as need to support product launch process
Knowledge, Skills and Experience:
Minimum 5 years experience in Category Management in Food Service or Retail sector, Grocery experience preferred
Prior start up experience an asset, in Tech or Food-Tech environments
Deep understanding of trends in retail & food service environments
Prior Food Service or Restaurant experience an asset
Passion for Food & obsession for quality
Strong focus for continuous improvement within category and throughout the business
Strong command of various analytical tools in MS Office (Excel/ Smart Sheets as example)
Support in Process & Continuous Improvement through the Product Development Function
Establishes trust and inspires others
Demonstrated effectiveness navigating cross divisional boundaries
Command of negotiation and relationship building skills
Makes effective organization and people decisions in a manner consistent with Wild Fork Foods values and ethics.
Champions the organization and advocates solutions in the overall Company's best interest.
Uses business knowledge, innovative thinking, and sound judgment in the solution of problems or the pursuit of business opportunities.
Consolidates information from various sources including feedback from others to reach sound decisions.
Considers the ultimate impact of decisions and actions on internal and external customers.
Lean Six Sigma training or black belt certification is an asset
Exceptional written, verbal communication & systems skills (including MS Office)
Working Conditions and Physical Demands:While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk and sit.EOE/Vets/Disability
