Job Description

Overview:
Are you a Category Manager looking to take a leap into a Senior role? Join the Coborn's Merchandising Team today as a Senior Category Manager!
Our Merchandising Team is expanding, and we are searching for a merchandising expert, like you, to lead the strategic direction, drive growth, profitability, and long-term category performance for assigned categories. In this role, you will also oversee assigned categories and lead a team of Category Managers and Category Support Specialists. In addition to owning category outcomes, you will play a key role in shaping go-to-market plans, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring cross-functional execution of pricing, assortment, and promotional initiatives.
If you are looking to expand your career, let us help you! Join our team today!
Duties Overview:
Category Strategy:

• 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.

Data & Market Analytics:

• 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.

Innovation & Trend Leadership:

• 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.

Pricing Strategy & Value Positioning:

• 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.

Promotional & Marketing Strategy:

• 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.

Product Assortment & Merchandising Excellence:

• 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.

Supplier/Vendor Strategy & Business Planning:

• 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.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Execution:

• 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.

People Leadership & Development:

• 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.

What's In It For Me?
Our remarkable employees are at the heart of everything we do. At Coborn's, we're committed to creating a supportive and rewarding workplace--one that offers a vibrant, team-oriented environment, ongoing career growth, and meaningful benefits. As an employee-owned company, we believe in investing in our people and their futures.
We're proud to offer a variety of benefits to both our full-time and part-time employees, including:
Compensation Range: $95,000 - Compensation is flexible based on candidate skills and qualifications.

• 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 ) 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

If you're hired or promoted into a full-time position with our company, you will also be eligible for: 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! Requirements:
Education and Experience:

• 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.

We believe that building a team of people with different backgrounds, beliefs, experiences and perspectives inspires fresh thinking and opens us up to new possibilities. We are an EEO/AA Employer - All qualified individuals, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. What's In It For Me:
Our remarkable employees are at the heart of everything we do. At Coborn's, we're committed to creating a supportive and rewarding workplace--one that offers a vibrant, team-oriented environment, ongoing career growth, and meaningful benefits. As an employee-owned company, we believe in investing in our people and their futures.
We're proud to offer a variety of benefits to both our full-time and part-time employees, including:

• 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 ) 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

If you're hired or promoted into a full-time position with our company, you will also be eligible for: 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! Company Introduction:
Are you friendly, dependable, and passionate about working with people? At Coborn's, Inc., we love serving our guests, supporting our communities, and helping our team members grow their careers. If you're looking for a place where you can build a future while making a positive impact every day, we'd love to talk to you about joining our team!
Coborn's, Inc. is a fast-growing, employee-owned grocery retailer proudly serving communities across the Midwest. Our family of grocery stores includes Coborn's, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods, Hornbacher's, Tadych's Marketplace Foods, Sullivan's Foods, and Kessler's. We offer our guests an elevated shopping experience--both in-store and online--focused on freshness, value, and convenience. Guided by our company vision to inspire happiness, healthy living, and simplicity, this principle has fueled our growth for more than 100 years and is at the heart of everything we do.
Coborn's, Inc. also owns and operates liquor stores under the Coborn's Liquor, Cash Wise Liquor, Andy's Liquor, and Captain Jack's brands. In addition, we operate fuel kiosks and convenience store locations under the Little Dukes and Coborn's Express names. Many of our grocery stores also feature full-service pharmacies to support the health and wellness of our guests. We manage a variety of other retail businesses in markets where the fit is right, including Ace Hardware, Country Floral Gifts & Greenhouse, Caribou Coffee, Dunn Brothers Coffee, Erbert and Gerbert's, Godfather's Pizza, and Pet Supplies Plus. To support our diverse retail operations, we operate our own central bakery, fresh foods commissary, and grocery warehouse and distribution center.

Skills Required