Associate Category Manager

Job summary

The Associate Category Manager is responsible for managing assigned categories by translating strategy into assortment, pricing, and inventory plans. They also collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive profitable growth and improve the overall customer experience.

Job details

Some of what you will do: The Associate Category Manager is accountable for managing defined categories, subcategories, or category workstreams and contributing to sales, gross margin, inventory turnover, and customer experience objectives. Working with direction from a Category Manager or Director of Merchandising, the role translates category strategy into assortment, pricing, promotional, vendor, and inventory plans. The role applies independent judgment within established category strategies, financial guardrails, policies, and approval authorities. The role partners with Centres of Excellence and cross-functional teams to deliver differentiated, channel-relevant assortments and may provide day-to-day guidance, coaching, or project leadership to Category Specialists without formal people-management accountability. Specifically, You Will: ⦁ Own the day-to-day management of assigned categories or subcategories, translating category strategy into assortment, pricing, promotional, vendor, and inventory plans. ⦁ Use sales, margin, inventory, customer, and market insights to identify opportunities, address performance risks, and recommend actions that drive profitable growth. ⦁ Lead assortment planning and product lifecycle activities, including line reviews, new product launches, SKU rationalization, product transitions, and discontinuations. ⦁ Develop competitive pricing and promotional recommendations, secure vendor funding, and partner with Marketing, Digital, and Operations to deliver impactful customer programs. ⦁ Build productive supplier relationships and contribute to vendor selection, sourcing, business reviews, negotiations, and performance management. ⦁ Partner with Supply Chain and cross-functional teams to improve product availability, inventory productivity, sell-through, and the overall customer experience. ⦁ Lead category projects and process improvements while providing functional guidance, knowledge-sharing, and coaching to team members. Some of what you need: ⦁ Minimum of 3-5 years of relevant retail, merchandising, purchasing, product management, or supplier-management experience, including ownership of category deliverables or cross-functional projects. ⦁ Post-secondary degree or diploma with a focus on retail management, merchandising, business, purchasing, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience. ⦁ Strong analytical and financial acumen, with the ability to interpret sales, margin, inventory, customer, and market data and convert insights into practical recommendations. ⦁ Working knowledge of category-management principles, including assortment planning, pricing, promotions, product lifecycle management, inventory productivity, and vendor management. ⦁ Demonstrated negotiation and influencing skills, with sound judgment regarding when to decide, recommend, or escalate. ⦁ Ability to manage defined categories or complex workstreams with moderate independence while balancing multiple priorities and deadlines. ⦁ Clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to build effective relationships with internal partners and suppliers. ⦁ Project-management and problem-solving capability, including planning, coordination, risk identification, and follow-through. ⦁ Customer-focused mindset with awareness of channel, competitive, and market trends. ⦁ Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Experience with merchandising, reporting, product-information, or ERP systems is an asset. Physical demands/working conditions: ⦁ Office environment – Hybrid, with 4 days onsite in Richmond Hill, subject to the hybrid policy. ⦁ Occasional travel may be required. Some of what you will get: ⦁ Associate discount ⦁ Health and Dental benefits ⦁ RRSP/DPSP ⦁ Performance bonuses ⦁ Learning & Development programs ⦁ And more... #MakeAnImpact We value transparency in our hiring processes. Please note, artificial intelligence may be used in certain stages to screen, assess, or select applicants, however, a human reviewer makes all final decisions. This posting is for an existing vacancy.

What you’ll do

The Associate Category Manager is responsible for managing assigned categories by translating strategy into assortment, pricing, and inventory plans. They also collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive profitable growth and improve the overall customer experience.

Requirements

Candidates must have 3-5 years of relevant retail, merchandising, or purchasing experience. A post-secondary degree or diploma in a related business field is also required.

Benefits

• Associate discount
• Health and Dental benefits
• RRSP/DPSP
• Performance bonuses
• Learning & Development programs

Listed skills

• Inventory management · Preferred
• Data analysis · Preferred
• Negotiation · Preferred
• Project management · Preferred
• Microsoft Excel · Preferred
• Microsoft Word · Preferred
• Communication Skills · Preferred
• Problem solving · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Category management
• Assortment planning
• Pricing strategy
• Inventory management
• Vendor management
• Financial acumen
• Data analysis
• Negotiation
• Influencing skills
• Project management
• Product lifecycle management
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving
• Process Improvement
• Project Management
• Performance Management
• Planning
• Management
• Operations
• Coordinating
• Problem Solving
• Influencing Skills
• Leadership
• Artificial Intelligence
• Marketing
• Coaching
• Accountability
• Risk Analysis
• Sales
• Customer Service
• Market Trend
• Vendor Management
• Balancing (Ledger/Billing)
• New Product Development
• Supply Chain
• Verbal Communication Skills
• Category Management
• People Management
• Financial Acumen
• Gross Margin
• Merchandising
• Purchasing
• Product Management
• Follow Through
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Product Lifecycle Management
• Profitable Growth

Job areas

• Retail
• Management & Leadership
• Sales
• Marketing
• Logistics
• Associate Category Manager
• Procurement / Sourcing Manager
• Supply, Distribution and Related Managers
• Purchasing Managers

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