Baldor Specialty Food
Description
Overview:
The Category Manager will be responsible for managing the strategic and operational growth of Baldor's fresh produce category. This role will be responsible for analyzing industry and consumer trends, developing strategies and overseeing pricing, promotion and product range management to maximize sales, profitability and customer satisfaction. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the produce supply chain, market trends, seasonal dynamics, and customer preferences.
Responsibilities:
Establish Category Leadership & Curation:
Develop and execute growth strategies for produce categories to achieve sales and profitability goals. Stay ahead of market trends and identify opportunities for new products and cost-saving measures. Develop category business plans for assigned categories using all available resources, including analysis of both internal and syndicated data, (validated) manufacturer input and expertise, commodity reports, trade/industry news, consumer trends and customer feedback. • Plan seasonal product assortments, promotions and sourcing strategies tailored to customer demand.
• Maintains an on-going review process for the merchandising team to include analysis of the assigned category, review of promotional programs for the current and upcoming year and ensuring product freshness and quality control procedures for commodity product lines.
• Develop onboarding and exit strategies for new products and/or products that will be discontinued.
Supplier Management:
Maintain an open channel of communication with the suppliers regarding but not limited to:
Identify, evaluate, and negotiate with growers, distributors, and suppliers to ensure high-quality produce at competitive prices. Foster trust relationships with vendors to achieve better pricing and quality of services. Coordinate new meetings/visits. Responsible for new item intake and code creation within system. Draft + present proposed buy plans. Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure consistent product availability and quality. Product Knowledge:
Serve as internal subject matter expert to assigned products:
Attend industry shows as needed. Lead product sampling and tasting sessions. Conduct competitive landscape analysis on pricing and offerings. Liaise with business development and marketing team(s) to determine promotional activities of product category. Strategy Management + Analytics:
Develop strategic and tactical plans that meet product sales and profit objectives. Collaborate with the sales force to identify growth opportunities within each sales region for assigned products. Implement a Total Cost of Ownership approach to cost optimization and process improvement. Manage pricing for all items (update costs, update prices, update margins on a monthly basis). Manage inventory level with supply chain. Collaborate with Baldor's business partner(s) teams by sharing marketplace and category insights. Support sales team training and development around produce products. Collaboration & Problem-Solving:
Partner with Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance teams to ensure smooth execution of category strategies. Address challenges with a proactive, solutions-oriented approach. Requirements:
• Proven expertise in specialty produce categories.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and analytical skills.
• Solid knowledge of category management, marketing and sales principles.
• Knowledge of PACA laws, and FSMA regulations.
Education and Experience:
• Bachelor's degree or 8-10 years of equivalent experience in F&B Distribution, Production, or a related field.
• Experience managing foreign suppliers, including compliance with FSMA requirements.
Preferred Skills and Attributes:
• Proven track record of delivering cost savings through strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, and supplier management within the produce category.
• Experience in market/supplier analysis and rapid commodity expertise development.
• Inspiring leader with the ability to influence decisions through data and collaboration.
• Results-oriented and driven to meet bold targets.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Problem-solver who uses data to develop innovative solutions.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with urgency, ownership, and integrity.
• Collaborative team player able to work cross-functionally across departments.
• Organized project manager able to handle multiple priorities.
• Meticulous attention to detail and a high standard for quality.
Technology Skills:
• Minimum of 3 years of experience working with ERP/MRP systems (Dynamics365 preferred).
• Microsoft Excel (v-lookup, pivot tables).
• Microsoft Office (Teams, Outlook, Power Point).
Work Environment:
Onsite 4 days per week in Bronx, NY location. Ability to travel occasionally.
#LI-KZ1
#LI-Onsite
Overview:
The Category Manager will be responsible for managing the strategic and operational growth of Baldor's fresh produce category. This role will be responsible for analyzing industry and consumer trends, developing strategies and overseeing pricing, promotion and product range management to maximize sales, profitability and customer satisfaction. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the produce supply chain, market trends, seasonal dynamics, and customer preferences.
Responsibilities:
Establish Category Leadership & Curation:
Develop and execute growth strategies for produce categories to achieve sales and profitability goals. Stay ahead of market trends and identify opportunities for new products and cost-saving measures. Develop category business plans for assigned categories using all available resources, including analysis of both internal and syndicated data, (validated) manufacturer input and expertise, commodity reports, trade/industry news, consumer trends and customer feedback. • Plan seasonal product assortments, promotions and sourcing strategies tailored to customer demand.
• Maintains an on-going review process for the merchandising team to include analysis of the assigned category, review of promotional programs for the current and upcoming year and ensuring product freshness and quality control procedures for commodity product lines.
• Develop onboarding and exit strategies for new products and/or products that will be discontinued.
Supplier Management:
Maintain an open channel of communication with the suppliers regarding but not limited to:
Identify, evaluate, and negotiate with growers, distributors, and suppliers to ensure high-quality produce at competitive prices. Foster trust relationships with vendors to achieve better pricing and quality of services. Coordinate new meetings/visits. Responsible for new item intake and code creation within system. Draft + present proposed buy plans. Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure consistent product availability and quality. Product Knowledge:
Serve as internal subject matter expert to assigned products:
Attend industry shows as needed. Lead product sampling and tasting sessions. Conduct competitive landscape analysis on pricing and offerings. Liaise with business development and marketing team(s) to determine promotional activities of product category. Strategy Management + Analytics:
Develop strategic and tactical plans that meet product sales and profit objectives. Collaborate with the sales force to identify growth opportunities within each sales region for assigned products. Implement a Total Cost of Ownership approach to cost optimization and process improvement. Manage pricing for all items (update costs, update prices, update margins on a monthly basis). Manage inventory level with supply chain. Collaborate with Baldor's business partner(s) teams by sharing marketplace and category insights. Support sales team training and development around produce products. Collaboration & Problem-Solving:
Partner with Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance teams to ensure smooth execution of category strategies. Address challenges with a proactive, solutions-oriented approach. Requirements:
• Proven expertise in specialty produce categories.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and analytical skills.
• Solid knowledge of category management, marketing and sales principles.
• Knowledge of PACA laws, and FSMA regulations.
Education and Experience:
• Bachelor's degree or 8-10 years of equivalent experience in F&B Distribution, Production, or a related field.
• Experience managing foreign suppliers, including compliance with FSMA requirements.
Preferred Skills and Attributes:
• Proven track record of delivering cost savings through strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, and supplier management within the produce category.
• Experience in market/supplier analysis and rapid commodity expertise development.
• Inspiring leader with the ability to influence decisions through data and collaboration.
• Results-oriented and driven to meet bold targets.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Problem-solver who uses data to develop innovative solutions.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with urgency, ownership, and integrity.
• Collaborative team player able to work cross-functionally across departments.
• Organized project manager able to handle multiple priorities.
• Meticulous attention to detail and a high standard for quality.
Technology Skills:
• Minimum of 3 years of experience working with ERP/MRP systems (Dynamics365 preferred).
• Microsoft Excel (v-lookup, pivot tables).
• Microsoft Office (Teams, Outlook, Power Point).
Work Environment:
Onsite 4 days per week in Bronx, NY location. Ability to travel occasionally.
#LI-KZ1
#LI-Onsite