Job Information
BUNZL Category Manager in Morton Grove, Illinois
Description
This position in hybrid onsite in Morton Grove, IL.
Responsibilities include overall management and success of a group or category of non-consumable products related to Grocery, Food Service, Janitorial and Processor business segments. Brand strategy, private label development, and sustainable packaging product lines are important strategies managed by this position and integral to success in the role.
The ideal candidate will have success in developing and managing strategic relationships with domestic and import manufacturers and suppliers to maximize product profitability, availability, and customer satisfaction throughout its lifecycle. This position is also responsible for managing strategic supplier relationships and defining the appropriate brand strategy for the categories assigned.
Responsibilities:
Ownership of assigned product category performance and management of the overall health of the portfolio.
Strategic engagement with supplier community to develop and implement initiatives that enable profitable growth.
Monitor the health of assigned categories and manage the product lifecycle.
Develop category and market expertise that allows the organization to effectively compete in target market segments; this includes market trends and competitive analysis, as inputs to the development of our assortment strategy.
Leverage market intelligence to validate and benchmark costs and competitive pricing.
Monitor market needs and trends, competitive products, and the changing production schedules of approved manufacturers to improve competitive positioning.
Work to develop "Best Value" product opportunities that include best performance, customer acceptance, and continuous improvement.
Develop product pricing policies and negotiate best cost vendor programs to improve product positioning while improve margin.
Rationalize and consolidate product lines to improve inventory turns and create volume cost improvement opportunities.
Manage on-going supplier relationships and execute supplier performance management initiatives in accordance with standards and guidelines and in collaboration with business partners.
Manage multiple projects and initiatives within assigned categories with the ability to meet defined timelines and provide proactive status communication to business partners
Establish category ownership with internal and external stakeholders.
Support sales staff with special product requirements and costing. Work to improve go-to-market strategy and speed of new product implementation.
Support sales staff by problem solving and recommending new and different packaging products as they become available.
Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred.
5+ years’ experience in Category Management or relevant business experience is required.
Proven expertise in negotiating and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
Must be process-driven and analytical with a continuous improvement mindset.
Knowledge of the distribution environment, food service, janitorial and processor packaging, inventory management systems, and supplier selection and qualification processes.
Product knowledge across multiple industries a definite plus.
Strong business and financial acumen, and Microsoft Office skills.
Excellent people skills, emotional intelligence, and the ability to translate customer requirements into results.
Ability to create excellent relationships and quickly gain credibility with internal and external stakeholders.
Possess strong planning, organizational and time management skills, as well as strong analytical problem-solving skills.
Multi-task with the ability to change direction quickly and often.
Bunzl is a global leader in the Cleaning & Hygiene, Food Processing, Grocery, Health Care, Non-Food Retail, and Safety industries. We have grown both organically and through acquisitions to sales in excess of $10 billion. Bunzl North America is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Bunzl North America owns and operates more than 100 warehouses and serves all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and parts of the Caribbean and Mexico. With more than 5,000 employees and 400,000 plus supplies, Bunzl is regarded as a leading supplier in North America.
Bunzl Distribution offers competitive salaries, a comfortable work environment, and a full range of benefits including a 401k with a company match.
Bunzl Distribution has a tradition of commitment to equal employment opportunity. It is the established policy to attract and retain the best qualified people without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex/gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status as provided by law.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)