We are seeking a Category Manager – Grocery who brings an ownership mindset, strong commercial instincts, and a genuine passion for food. This role drives end-to-end category performance across Grocery, Frozen Grocery, HABA, and HHGM—owning assortment strategy, vendor partnerships, pricing, promotions, and financial results—while aligning every decision with Sunterra’s brand, values, and customer promise.
As the company’s Subject Matter Expert for these categories, you will combine data-driven analysis with Sunterra’s commitment to quality and guest experience to ensure a curated, competitive, and operationally sound assortment. This role is hands-on, collaborative, and high-impact—designed to strengthen cross-functional influence and build the foundational capabilities required for future advancement within Sunterra’s Purchasing leadership structure.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Category Management
- Maintain and develop category strategies that maximize sales, profitability, and market share, aligning with Sunterra’s brand values, customer promise, and premium positioning.
- Forecast and achieve category sales goals, gross profit dollars, and growth objectives across Grocery, Frozen Grocery, HABA and HHGM.
- Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for your categories, staying current on trends, commodity markets, CPG innovation, competitive insights, and local consumer preferences (traveling as needed).
- Lead evaluation and decisions on new product listings, reformulations, packaging changes, discontinuations, and innovation pipelines.
- Partner with Marketing to support and strengthen category-specific marketing strategies, storytelling, and seasonal activations.
Supplier / Vendor Relations
- Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, brokers, and distributors to secure favourable terms, reliable supply, competitive costing, and high service levels.
- Negotiate costs, promotional funding, payment terms, and long-term agreements; steward transparent communication and proactive vendor accountability.
- Conduct joint business reviews and align on growth plans, performance expectations, and category opportunities.
Market / Internal Relations
- Work collaboratively with Market Teams and all departments across the organization, including Operations, Accounting, Marketing & Communications, Sunterra Farms, Sunterra Meats, Sunterra Greenhouse and Soleterra.
- Educate store teams on new products, category resets, value drivers, and merchandising direction to ensure consistent execution.
- Provide unwavering support to Markets through clear communication, decision transparency, and service-focused collaboration — a core behaviour for future Purchasing leadership.
Data Management
- Compile and validate orders from stores as needed, coordinating with suppliers and logistics partners to maintain supply continuity and minimize stockouts.
- Analyze purchasing and performance metrics; produce standard and ad hoc reports for internal stakeholders and senior leadership.
- Recommend and implement reporting improvements to enhance the Procurement/Purchasing data environment, accuracy, and visibility.
- Conduct competitor price checks and build executive-ready reports for the Purchasing Manager and Senior Management Team.
- Ensure all system-entered data (costs, retails, attributes, promotions, pack sizes) is accurate, current, and compliant across SMS, Access, Excel, Order Guides, Inventory Spreadsheets, and PO Project. (Critical for succession into Purchasing.)
Pricing Strategy
- Analyze market trends, price ladders, promotional mechanics, and competitive activity to develop data-driven pricing strategies that protect margin and enhance value perception.
- Manage assortment (item setup & maintenance), shape pricing architecture, and lead shelf allocation and adjacencies for all assigned categories.
- Align pricing and promotional decisions with corporate objectives, customer expectations, and category roles.
Merchandising
- Collaborate with Market Teams to develop effective, visually appealing in-aisle merchandising for Grocery, Frozen, HABA and HHGM.
- Ensure merchandising direction aligns with Sunterra’s brand, seasonal priorities, and customer experience goals.
- Translate category strategies into executional guides, planograms, and visual cues that support sales growth and product storytelling.
Inventory Management
- Monitor inventory levels across all stores and categories to ensure optimal stock levels, reduce waste, and minimize out-of-stocks.
- Support frozen logistics requirements, pack size transitions, and substitution strategies that protect availability and cost structure.
- Partner with Purchasing and Logistics to elevate fill rates toward industry-leading standards.
Market Analysis
- Conduct regular category performance and market trend analysis to identify new opportunities, competitive threats, and whitespace for innovation.
- Apply insights to strengthen strategy, assortment, pricing, and vendor partnerships across assigned categories.
Promotions
- Plan, negotiate, and execute promotional activities that drive traffic, enhance value perception, and increase basket size.
- Coordinate all promotional components, including vendor funding, feature execution, digital and in-store alignment, and post-event performance reviews.
- Participate in special projects as assigned.
Quality Control
- Ensure all packaged grocery, frozen, HABA, and HHGM items meet company standards for quality, regulatory compliance, labeling accuracy, and date-code governance.
- Lead and support recall/withdrawal processes as required.
Reporting
- Prepare regular and executive-level reporting on category performance, including sales, margin, inventory, price position, and promotional impact.
- Lead internal and external strategic reviews for assigned categories.
- Communicate results across the organization with clarity, insight, and actionable next steps.
Personal Attributes
- Ownership mindset, strong commercial instincts, passion for food.
- Highly analytical, detail-oriented, and data-driven; able to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Collaborative communicator who builds trust with Market Teams, suppliers, and cross-functional partners.
- Innovative problem-solver with strong organization and follow-through.
Qualifications:
Minimum Position Qualifications
- 5+ years in procurement, replenishment buying, merchandising, category management, retail operations or brand management, including vendor negotiations, pricing, margin management, and promotional planning.
- Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Grocery, Frozen Grocery, HABA and HHGM.
- Strong Excel and data analysis capability; proficiency in Word and Outlook; SMS/Access experience an asset.
- Excellent organization, multi-tasking, and communication skills; ability to travel independently.
As a family-owned company, we value many things, including our loyal customers, quality products, hard-working team members, and the communities in which we operate. From farm to market and right through to our customers' tables, we consistently operate with honesty, integrity, care, and pride. While we are in the fresh food business, our first priority is to be good to those around us. Just like finishing a hard day's work on the farm, working at Sunterra will provide you with a sense of ownership, pride, and the satisfaction of a job well done. We value our team members as much as our loyal customers, and we want you to be part of our amazing team. Come see what it’s like to work at Sunterra. Full-time and part-time Team Members receive a 50% discount on selected prepared foods when enjoyed in-store (items vary by location).
