Director, Category Management & Procurement

Responsibilities

The Director will lead category management and procurement functions to drive profitable growth through optimized product assortments and effective vendor partnerships. They are responsible for managing P&L, setting sales budgets, and ensuring successful execution of retail programs across convenience store locations.

Requirements

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree (MBA preferred) and over 10 years of experience in procurement or category management within the retail industry. Strong leadership, analytical skills, and a proven track record in contract negotiation and strategic planning are essential.

Skills

• Category management
• Procurement
• Strategic planning
• Retail operations
• Vendor management
• Contract negotiation
• Data analysis
• P&L management
• Financial acumen
• Team leadership
• Space planning
• Product assortment
• Pricing optimization
• Supply chain management
• Merchandising
• Budgeting

Benefits

• Industry training
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Performance bonuses
• 401(k) match

About this role

We are looking to hire an Director, Category Management & Procurement that will
support the category management team in the Long Beach area. We offer industry
training, medical, dental and vision insurance, performance bonuses, and a
401(k) match.

The Director of Category Management & Procurement, reporting to the Vice
President of Marketing and Merchandising, will lead our category management and
procurement functions. This role is critical in driving profitable growth by
optimizing product assortments and ensuring that United Pacific’s full range of
retail products meet the needs of our growing and diverse customer base. The
Director will have a deep understanding of the convenience retail industry,
strong leadership skills, and a proven track record of successfully leading
category management and procurement teams. The ideal candidate will exhibit
strategic vision and the ability to execute those strategies at retail. They
will be a data-driven,

analytical decision-maker, utilizing external and internal data to validate the
success of new and existing programs. The Director will develop effective
promotional strategies to attract customers and grow basket at our stores,
enhance profitability through price optimization, and secure improved product
costs and increased vendor funding through exceptional contract negotiations.
The Director will strategically manage vendor partnerships to align with our
strategic objectives. They will work closely with operations and other
stakeholders to ensure the successful execution of programs at retail.

We are a growing company and believe in providing a great place to work and
grow. Our motto is “I Got It!” and if you’re looking for a stable, rewarding,
challenging career then “I Got It!”

Essential areas of the position include:

* Lead, innovate, and develop product assortment plans for 600+ convenience
stores across the West Coast and Midwest.
* Utilize external syndicated data to identify trends, consumer behavior
opportunities and gaps in our retail offering.
* Optimize store planograms to meet market / customer trends. Determine optimal
space planning, to achieve maximum sales revenue.
* Manage our wholesale distributor partner relationship to ensure service
levels and other contractual obligations are met.
* Monitor inventory levels and turns to ensure we maximize sales by reducing
voids at retail and minimizing obsolete product exposure.
* Lead, coach, and foster a top-performing team environment that encourages
creative thinking, proactive solutions to challenges and is results drive
* Oversee our growing private label item mix value chain and seek opportunities
to expand the portfolio of items
* Work with the brand marketing and loyalty team to curate offers to drive
customer loyalty adoption and retention
* Identify technology opportunities to enhance our supply chain and develop
forward thinking product assortment plans
* Take ownership of the monthly Profit & Loss (P&L) for the category management
function, ensuring financial targets are on track
* Drive profitability by effectively managing sales initiatives, cost
strategies, and promotional investment ROI, while maximizing vendor funding
* Set sales budgets and margin targets for the department and team that align
with the company's growth plans. Periodically review results with the
category team, and if plans are at risk, adjust tactics and strategies as
needed to ensure goals are met.
* Prepare monthly and quarterly presentations of category result drivers with
strategic recommendations to executive management, ensuring alignment with
company objectives and gaining support for key initiatives.
* Proactively identify new potential vendor relationships, maintain existing
vendor relations, successfully negotiate profitable contracts, and holds
vendors accountable to agreed terms.  
* Travel to stores as needed to ensure satisfactory implementation of said
programs.
* Participate in company-wide initiatives as needed.

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

* Bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field. An MBA is
highly preferred
* 10+ years of experience in procurement, category management/merchandising in
the convenience store industry, big box retail, grocery, or applicable retail
environment
* 7+ years in leadership roles with a track record of successfully managing and
developing high-performing teams. Ability to inspire, motivate, and guide
team members towards achieving strategic goals
* Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on
long-term planning and execution
* Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to interpret data to make
informed decisions that drive business growth
* Proven expertise in negotiating with suppliers to secure favorable terms and
build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships
*  Ability to understand customer/market needs and trends, with the capacity to
translate this knowledge into effective and innovative product assortment,
pricing, and placement strategies
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to
effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and present ideas to
executive leadership
* Strong financial acumen with the ability to develop and manage budgets,
analyze financial reports, and make data-driven decisions to drive results
* Ability to adapt to changing market conditions and business needs, with a
proactive approach to identifying opportunities
* Proficiency in procurement and category management software and tools, as
well as Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
* Ability to travel as needed.

The job qualifications described here are representative of those that must be
met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Reasonable accommodati...

About Alta Convenience

Retail · 1,001-5,000 employees · headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado · founded 1994