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Category Manager Resume Samples
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0-5 years of experience
Managed $145MM retail portfolio of company’s flagship products, short-term and long-term initiatives
- Achieved beverage portfolio expansion of $4MM within retail channel by developing and executing strategic product plan
- Led cross-functional team to commercialize six highly-profitable new products, generating $1.4MM that differentiated the portfolio and drove traffic to retail stores
- Evaluated individual product and overall portfolio Profit & Loss (P&L) statements and applied this information to key business decisions
- Key contributor to forecasting the Annual Operating Plan for [company name] including sales, trade, and profitability targets. Presented to growth strategies to Upper Management
- Researched, analyzed, and monitored competitive landscape for potential opportunities. Created product positioning and messaging to ensure product success in the marketplace
- Controlled $183M product development budget, prioritizing projects that drove innovation
0-5 years of experience
Responsible for center-store categories and services for 185 site convenience store chain. Utilize descriptive and predictive analytics to analyze trends and pursue growth.
- Managed relationships with 60 vendors covering 14 categories, 4000 products and $40 million in sales.
- Negotiated multi-million dollar contracts with suppliers and manufacturers resulting in improved sales and compensation. Increased the top ten CPG manufacturer contracts from 15% to 500%.
- Increased year over year sales 3% while increasing profit margin 2.5% through coordination of new promotions, sku rationalization, and planogram development.
- Directed ATM banking relationship resulting in 18% increase in compensation while growing the transaction count.
- Reduced wasted product 26% through implementation of new ordering procedures at store level.
- Managed strategic gas branding project encompassing planning, communication, permitting, zoning, design, construction and inspection. The conversion resulted in a 20% increase in margin.
- Appointed member of corporate steering committee charged with analyzing procedures for top level management, shareholder communication, new store design and operations.
0-5 years of experience
Held full P & L responsibility for all [company name] operations in a 1,000 store chain. Responsibilities included creation, execution and evaluation of [company name] strategies and tactics. .Personally managed all dispensed beverage and protein categories. Held oversight and supervisory responsibility for both proprietary and branded food operations.
- Managed all [company name] purchasing and procurement activities.
- Generated 10.1% sales increase and11% gross margin increase in [company name] category while store count decreased 17.6%
- Generated 25.6% increase in sales and 26.8% increase in gross margin in same store comparison in [company name] category
- Selected new equipment and upscale product, created new trade dress and promotional plan for hot dispensed beverage category, generating 16% sales and 18% margin increase
- Created and implemented new frozen carbonated beverage program, generating over $3MM in new sales and $1.8MM in new margin dollars
- Selected new equipment, developed new valve line-up and created new promotional plan for cold dispensed beverage category, increasing sales by 28.8% in a category reported flat in our channel
- Developed new promotional and pricing strategy for the roller grill category, increasing sales by 25.7% and margin over 250%
0-5 years of experience
Serve as the business team lead for the Online Marketplace initiative focused on strategic planning, supply chain management and capability development.
- Created new innovative strategic partnerships to accelerate growth and gain market share with key industry leading companies and over 200 external business partners.
- Management of a cross-functional team project focused on the elimination of inventory that was at-risk in the [company name] ecosystem. Reduced over $50M in inventory in 2013 and rolled-out a program to prevent future inventory buildup.
- Successfully planned and led the 2013 holiday promotional strategy which resulted in an 80% revenue improvement over the prior year sales.
- Instituted a team roles and responsibilities governance committee to streamline daily activities. The team drove an incremental 10% in annual revenue and reduced SG&A by 15% in 2013.
- Supervise six analyst positions and mentor three additional employees.
0-5 years of experience
Selected as the first Category Manager (CM) of OTP as the category grew outside the scope of the traditional CM of
Tobacco role.
- Managed a $60M+/year highly-regulated product category encompassing 360+ retail outlets in 5 states throughout the southeast, which consistently met profitability targets.
- Responsible for procuring 250+ category SKUs and maintaining planogram placement, contractual agreements for retail
- Negotiated annual vendor contracts and monthly promotional dollars that led to a ~10% increase in category margin year over year in 2013.
- Researched industry trends and monitored the competitive landscape resulting in increased sales of nearly twice the industry average.
- Reviewed product portfolio quarterly to increase both SKU optimization and new product speed to market.
- Led a pricing elasticity test of two main segments within the OTP category that yielded an average of 5% margin lift in test
6-10 years of experience
Manage category spend for indirect items, including travel, recruiting, staffing and facility related services. Research new companies to partner with and launch new products within the financial industry market place. Negotiate to reduce costs from existing and new vendors. Review contracts to protect company interests.
- Introduced cost saving initiatives which resulted in over $1,000,000 in savings annually
- Received Pillar of Excellence award for 2010 for Customer Service, awarded to less than 5% of employees company wide
- Served as purchasing representative for teams which brought new products to market within short time frames
- Improved contracting process by creating templates to reduce amount of time required by both the procurement and legal departments in contract review
0-5 years of experience
Managed category merchandise, visual displays, customer service events and client development.
- Directly responsible for department inventory, oversaw weekly and monthly inventories, and managed store personnel in completing cycle counts.
- Participated in numerous sales and training seminars, reviewed sales goals weekly with regional management, developed targets and trained personnel in proper selling techniques and improved operations competency.
- Analyzed existing client database and developed more robust prospecting tools.
- Maintained a perfect inventory, the first category to achieve this in the history of the store.
- Raised category sales from a $12,000 average to $118,000 in the first quarter.
- Improved visual merchandising, initiated review and renewal of sales catalogues and collateral.
- Streamlined and reorganized product storage. Initiated new guidelines which resulted in decreasing product loss to 0%.
6-10 years of experience
Directed team of 4-5 product managers overseeing various product lines and categories. Actively involved in day-to-day product line, working with suppliers and Marketing on mutual strategies to drive sales.
- Grew GPS category from $30M to $288M, catapulting company to the #1 distributor in the category by aggressively targeting customers, listening to their needs, and forging strong partnerships with GPS suppliers and customers alike.
- Directly contributed to 23% CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) above industry average.
- Managed inventory and planning for product lines encompassing 65% of the company’s revenue.
- Ensured maintenance of optimal inventory levels for lines within the team including inventory turns and reduction of aging inventory.
- Took on problem category challenges, driving solutions and coaching product managers to execute tasks in a timely, efficient, and quality-oriented manner.
- Earned Category Manager of the Year Award 3 times, 2004-2007.
- Hired, trained, and mentored top-producing product managers, who were promoted to increasingly responsible positions.
0-5 years of experience
Developed and implemented strategic sourcing strategies to optimize the supply chain for cost savings opportunities
- Led efforts for a preferred supply base, utilizing GPO’s, consolidating spend, negotiating regional and national contracts
- RFP preparation, supplier selection and lead negotiations
- Developed and documented procurement policies, processes, procedures and best practices
- Managed and maintained suppliers contracts agreements and amendments
- Worked closely with legal on contract terms and conditions
- Purchase construction equipment for facilities maintenance and scheduled deliveries across national locations
Category Manager Duties and Responsibilities
No two category managers are exactly alike, as specific skills vary from employer to employer. However, after analyzing online job postings, we identified several core duties and responsibilities:
Develop Category Strategy After performing research on product trends and customer demand, category managers develop strategies for new or updated products that could improve their category’s overall performance. They also work with the marketing team and build partnerships in the industry to promote a category’s products while cutting costs and increasing product sales.
Manage Inventory Checking inventory levels, procuring additional stock, and getting rid of excess or unwanted inventory are all part of a category manager’s job. Other inventory management tasks include handling product placement, optimizing storage, and creating regular reports on product availability.
Monitor Performance Category managers monitor the performance of both individual products and their category overall. This involves using data to determine the best- and worst-performing products, creating profit and loss statements, and assessing performance against competitors. Using this information, category managers assess their product and category strategies and develop solutions to improve performance.
Handle Vendor Contracts Considering vendor performance, quality, and costs, category managers seek vendors in the industry, request information, and use their criteria to choose the best suppliers for their category’s products. They negotiate contracts during the signing process and at the time of renewal, and also monitor vendors’ adherence to contractual terms throughout the relationship.
Lead Employees Often working with a cross-functional team of marketing, procurement, and purchasing professionals, category managers provide leadership to execute their category’s strategies throughout the organization. They inform team members of category and product goals, assign roles and responsibilities, and work together to drive performance.
Category Manager Skills and Qualifications
As leaders and strategists, category managers have strong decision-making and people management skills. They often a background in the category of products they manage. Key employer requirements include a business-related bachelor’s degree and up to five years of experience in a related role. Employers also like to see the following skills:
- Supply chain management – involved in the product selection, purchasing, and procurement processes, category managers understand the product life cycle and how to turn their product ideas into goods that are efficiently made available or delivered to customers
- Project management – working with purchasing, procurement, and marketing employees to plan and execute product and category strategies requires project management knowledge
- Financial analysis – category managers use financial analysis techniques to analyze reports, determine product and category performance, and seek ways to cut costs and improve sales
- Negotiation – confidence and a thorough understanding of negotiation strategies help category managers persuade vendors to offer better contract terms
- Analytical thinking – these managers use analytical skills to decide between suppliers, determine new products and promotions for their category, and overcome challenges with inventory management
Category Manager Education and Training
Category managers often have a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, finance, or business administration. These degree programs cover economics, business analytics, accounting, operations management, logistics, purchasing management, and management information systems. Some employers prefer candidates with a Master of Business Administration degree. These programs include core business classes and offer relevant specializations in supply chain management and operations management. In addition, some employers value the Certified in Production and Inventory Management and Certified Professional in Supply Management credentials offered by the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS).
Category Manager Salary and Outlook
The median yearly pay for category managers, classified as wholesale and retail buyers by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is $53,340. The 10th percentile makes about $30,100, while the best-paid category managers make over $97,800. Full-time category managers usually receive health insurance packages, retirement plan options, and paid time off. Because companies can easily outsource their procurement tasks to outside parties, the BLS expects an employment decline of 2 percent for category managers through 2026. However, there are still opportunities for category managers to find jobs since the nonfarm wholesale and occupation is very large, with over 120,000 jobs. Worker retirement can also open spots up for new category managers.
Helpful Resources
Are you interested in learning more about category management? Here are some helpful resources to review:
Category Management Association – the CMA offers category management professionals training programs, professional development tools, networking opportunities, and information about best practices in the industry. It also has a certification program
Caegory Management in Purchasing: A Strategic Approach to Maximize Business Profitability – as a CEO with extensive purchasing experience, author Jonathan O’Brien helps category managers lower costs while offering high-quality products that the market demands. He uses case studies to show how managers can solve problems and make profitable purchasing decisions
American Production and Inventory Control Society – known for offering popular industry certifications for supply chain management professionals, APICS also provides local networking opportunities, a job board, career planning resources, an online library, and industry events
Consumer-Centric Category Management: How to Increase Profits by Managing Categories Based on Consumer Needs – dedicated to helping category managers select products that meet the needs of customers in their industry, this book covers market analysis, advertising, retail strategy, product planning, and performance monitoring. Success stories from companies like General Mills and Hewlett-Packard help show real-world applications of category management techniques
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Last edited by: Gabriela Barcenas, CPRW, Content Writer II -
Gabriela Barcenas
CPRW, Content Writer IIGabriela is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and career adviser. With 10 years of digital media experience and five years of resume writing expertise, her publication history includes fashion, education, travel, social justice, equitable design and career advice.
