Category Manager - Sporting Goods
Posted by Mid-States Distributing, LLC on 07/09/2019
Job Basics
Industry Sector: Hunting/Shooting
Job Categories: Management - Product -Brand
Company Type: Retail
State: TX
City: Fort Worth
Country: United States
Required Experience: 5 - 7 years
Job Type: Full Time
Salary: $70,000 +
Required to Relocate: Yes
Required to Travel: Yes
Employee May Telecommute: No
Job Seeker Must Live Within: 50+ miles
Job Description & Requirements
The Category Manager position is a highly important role in our new Commercialization team! This position serves as the central hub of all things that happen within the respective category. Our Category Managers will develop and manage supplier relationships, events and merchandising programs on behalf of the Mid-States Membership. This will involve collaboration with the Business Unit (division), committees, stockholders, member buyers and executive management to leverage the combined purchasing power of the cooperative.
At its core, the position serves as an ambassador for the category. It requires a keen understanding of retail merchandising, and how to creatively utilize the unique opportunities that the Mid-States organization holds to create value for our members. Working with cross-functional teams, external resources and suppliers, the CM is always working to enhance profitability and grow the category volume. This position requires a strong awareness of industry trends, ability to build and foster relationships, strong negotiation skills, clear communication skills, high analytical aptitude, and most importantly the ability to create consensus through influence.
Prior experience and passion in the outdoor sporting goods business is preferred. With strength in the Firearms, Ammunition, Optics, Security, and/or Hunting categories.
Essential Functions:
The following functions and tasks are necessary to support the direct and indirect business. The direct business is our centralized sourcing, purchasing and distribution service to our members and is our growth engine. The indirect business is our traditional program management that does not come through our centralized distribution model and remains a critical element of our Members’ core business needs.
- Develop and manage supplier relationships in assigned category (Sporting Goods)
- Research, select and certify supplier merchandise programs
- Forecast and budget in responsible areas with cross functional teams
- Manage master data for assigned categories while working to enhance programs
- Coordinate supplier involvement and participate in the design, management and execution processes of the semi-annual tradeshows
- Negotiate, drive/guide “direct” programs from inception to implementation
- Ensure assigned annual revenue plan is achieved through tradeshow structured resources
- Manage supplier assortments & recommend leveraged buys
- Communicate all aspects of supplier programs to the membership via website, mailing, e-mail, tradeshows and meetings
- Manage and analyze each assigned suppliers’ programs for value and accuracy
- Identify and drive new business opportunities by conducting analysis on market trends and facilitation of coordinated line reviews
- Resolve conflicts between suppliers and members in a “win-win” scenario
- Coordinate and manage supplier “Top to Top” meetings, member committee meetings and associated category line reviews
- Present, influence and promote our Learning Management Solution to suppliers to foster commitment and participation
- Support the execution of Private Brand Strategy
- Other duties as assigned
Competencies:
- Positive Attitude & Team player
- Ability to “sell” your vision to member buyers, their owners and our suppliers
- Self-directed associate who can drive results as well as take balanced risks and make decisions
- Able to multi-task and define long and short-term objectives and establish priorities
- Understands the complexities of different cost structures and continuously looks for opportunities to improve processes
- Ability to offer opinions and support senior management and business leaders
- Demonstrated integrity and ethical standards
- Global Sourcing and product development
- Strong organizational, communication (Oral / Written / Public Speaking) and effective collaboration skills
- Flexibility and agility to change and adapt to ever evolving customer, channel and business needs
Required Education and Experience:
- Bachelor's degree or higher in business, retailing, management, sales, marketing OR equivalent work experience
- Minimum seven (7) years of retail buying, sourcing, or category management experience. Including negotiation, contracting and supplier performance management in a distributor/wholesale/retail environment
- Previous experience in the outdoor industry is a plus (Hunting, Fishing, Camping, and Shooting Sports)
- Proven negotiation skills through collaboration & strategic thinking
- Track record of creating exciting volume driving initiatives, improving profitability, and finding cost saving efficiencies
- Experience with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system
- Proficient in MS Office applications such as Outlook, Excel, Word & PowerPoint
- Proven project management skills
- Strong analytical, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail
- Possess the inter-personal, written and verbal communication skills needed to interact with people at all levels of the organization
- Ability to confidently present to large groups
- Proven knowledge of the end-to-end retail Merchandising, Advertising, Marketing and Supply-Chain business processes
- Competitive Salary
- 10 Paid Holidays
- Paid Time Off (PTO) starts accruing from day 1 and is available after 90 days
- Employer pays 85% of health and dental premiums for employee only and family coverage when enrolled in base plan
- Employer contributions to Health Savings Account (HSA) for HSA eligible health plans
- Flexible Spending Accounts (General Medical, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care Reimbursement) available
- Voluntary Vision Coverage
- Employer paid Term Life and AD&D Coverage, Short and Long-Term Disability
- Optional additional life insurance available
- 401(k) with company match and discretionary profit sharing (upon meeting eligibility requirements)
- Casual dress code
