Category Manager, Produce & Specialty Foods- Eataly Corporate

Company Description

Eataly is the world’s largest artisanal Italian food and beverage marketplace! Eataly is not a chain; each Eataly is different, with its own character and own theme – but all with the same aim... for our guests to:

• EAT authentic Italian food at our restaurants, cafés and to-go counters
• SHOP a selection of high-quality Italian, local and homemade products
• LEARN through our classes and our team’s product knowledge

Job Description

The Produce Category Manager / Junior Buyer supports the procurement and management of Eataly’s produce and specialty foods category, ensuring premium fresh and frozen produce meets the needs of our retail markets, quick service and on-site restaurants. This role focuses on data and analysis to maintain and enhance catalogue data, including cost updates, weekly price adjustments, promotional billing, and recipe maintenance across Eataly’s databases. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, skilled in data management, and passionate about sourcing produce for retail and culinary applications regionally.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Product Lifecycle & Supply Chain Management

· Oversee the full product lifecycle of fresh and frozen produce and specialty foods—including procurement, inventory control, logistics, and distribution.

· Manage a cost-effective supply chain, proactively identifying and implementing cost and process improvements while resolving issues.

· Monitor produce market trends, supplier offerings, and competitor activity (e.g., local farmers’ markets, specialty grocers) to guide sourcing and pricing decisions.

· Lead procurement and logistics — negotiate supplier contracts to reduce costs and secure favorable terms.

2. Cross Category Collaboration

· Build strategic partnerships with internal teams (e.g., Back of house, finance, logistics, operations, marketing) to define product requirements, coordinate sourcing initiatives, and align pricing, quality standards and drive timely product launches

3. ERP Data Management

· Facilitate data cleanup and migration to the new ERP system.

· Maintain and update the produce catalog—covering product costs, weekly price adjustments, promotional billing, and recipe data—for both retail and restaurant menus.

4. Reporting

· Generate performance reports to track store metrics, identify trends, and monitor contractual obligations.

· Provide data-driven insights to optimize inventory levels, pricing, and sourcing strategies, ensuring alignment with both retail demand and restaurant menu requirements (e.g., seasonal/local produce, heirloom vegetables, organic/biodynamic items).

5. Operational Support

· Assist with daily operational challenges, including out-of-stock situations, delivery delays, quality issues, and invoice/payment discrepancies.

· Deliver on-site support during new store openings to ensure a smooth launch.

6. Promotions & Billing

· Develop proposals for promotions and activations, and assist with calculating and managing promotional cost recoveries (billbacks).

7. Additional Duties

· Provide cross-category support on an ad‑hoc basis, stepping in to assist with other categories as needs arise

· Performs other duties as required or assigned

Qualifications

2+ years’ experience in produce procurement/management—wholesale or retail—with fresh produce focus.

· Advanced Excel (VLOOKUP, PivotTables, INDEX/MATCH) for inventory and pricing insights

· ERP familiarity (e.g., Microsoft D365) a plus.

· Exceptional analytical accuracy with strong organizational skills.

· Organized multitasker, adept at meeting fast-paced retail and restaurant demands.

· Collaborative communicator, skilled at negotiating supplier agreements and coordinating across vendors, chefs, and retail teams.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

· Availability to troubleshoot urgent issues on occasional nights and weekends

· Occasional travel to Eataly North America locations, for extended periods of time during new store openings

The annual compensation for this role is $75,000 - $90,000

Additional Information

Benefits and Perks

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• RRSP with company match
• Bonus program
• Free family meal daily
• Discounts at Eataly
• Classes on products and Italian cuisine
• Referral bonus program
• and more!

Eataly is an equal employment opportunity employer. It is the Company’s policy to not unlawfully discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability or any other characteristic made unlawful to consider by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Eataly al