Salary Range
USD $80,000.00/Yr. - USD $93,000.00/Yr.
Overview
The Job in a Nutshell
The Category Manager – Dairy/Meat, is responsible for developing and maintaining category assortments, planograms, pricing, and promotional strategies that support Natural Grocers’ competitive position and profitability. This role leads supplier negotiations, drives margin performance, stays aligned with trends and seasonality, and supports successful store‑level execution through strong collaboration and oversight.
Responsibilities
Main Ingredients:
Assortments & Planograms
Develop and maintain core assortments and schematics, including new, exclusive, and private label items
Manage product introductions, discontinuations, and store‑specific assortments
Partner with coordinators and stores to ensure accurate and consistent execution, including new store launches
New Products & Vendor Support
Evaluate new products to ensure alignment with Natural Grocers’ quality standards
Negotiate with suppliers to secure competitive costs, value‑added programs, and exclusivity opportunities
Maintain strong vendor and broker relationships to support long‑term category growth
Ordering & Inventory
Manage promotional, new products, and new store ordering activities
Manage accurate pricing and inventory levels
Ensure returns, recalls, and related credits are properly executed and recovered
Promotions & Pricing
Manages promotional execution, documentation, and validation of vendor funding
Implement pricing strategies that balance competitiveness and margin goals
Oversee pricing, freight, and promotional discrepancies to minimize lost sales and margin risk
Communication & Collaboration
Serve as a key point of contact for stores, coordinators, suppliers, brokers, and internal partners
Provide guidance and education to support successful in‑store execution of purchasing initiatives
Supervisory Responsibilities
Hire, coach, and manage Purchasing Assistant(s) or other support roles
Oversee daily workflow, accuracy, and prioritization
Conduct performance reviews and manage employee development and corrective actions in accordance with company policy
Qualifications
Recipe for Success:
Bachelor’s degree in business preferred
Minimum 3 years’ experience in a buying or category management role, preferably corporate retail in natural foods
Excellent written and communication skills are required
Ability to manage several complex projects simultaneously while working under pressure to meet deadlines
Computer proficiency and technical aptitude with the ability to utilize MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Access, and Outlook are required
Previous experience with SAP a plus
Strong analytical skills with the ability to analyze results
Strong relationship building, negotiations, and influencing skills
Travel up to 25%
This job description is not an employment contract. It does not guarantee a job or that the above listed duties are the limit of responsibilities. The job and job description are subject to change with and without notice. Employees are required to accomplish any and all tasks assigned to them by their Manager and/or other Store Support Center manager that might not be listed in this job description.