What are the responsibilities and job description for the Category Manager position at OTG Management?
YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY IS NOW BOARDING:
Join OTG as a Category Manager now and drive a new type of hospitality. Explore career opportunities in a unique hospitality environment with some of the industry's best compensation and benefits, including PTO, Healthcare and a competitive 401k match.
WHAT IS OTG?
OTG has revolutionized the hospitality industry by pushing the boundaries of excellence. With more than 300 in-terminal dining and retail locations across 10 airports, OTG and its 5,000 Crewmembers serve millions of travelers each year.
WHY OTG?
By joining our team, you’ll discover endless opportunities to explore, learn and realize your greatest potential in some of the most exciting hospitality environments around. Our people drive our experiences, so we offer our crewmembers some of the best compensation and benefits in the industry.
We transform airport experiences. You drive it.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Position Summary:
The Category Manager is a hands-on leadership role and an expert in the Packaged Foods category of products, who will support the Merchandising Team and buyers to: develop and execute a strategic plan for the overall category and each sub-category, to maximize category results through program/product innovation, key vendor development, and effective inventory management. Responsibilities include in-store retailing of Packaged Foods, category and sub-category profitability; vendor management; sourcing on-trend and healthy products/ ingredients; pricing and marketing; point of contact to support airports with ordering, pricing, labeling, marketing, and promotion of products; assisting with new market openings and company-wide rollouts.
Creating and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with business partners as well as a high level of knowledge about customer interests are critical to being successful in this position.
Category Management, Strategic Planning Execution, and Inventory Supply Chain:
- Lead, contribute to and execute the strategic plan for the category and sub-categories
- Maximize category results through key vendor development and program/product innovation
- Leverage fact-based decision-making to drive growth and profitability.
- Partner with QA teams to ensure proper handling of fresh products within the bakery category
- Using trend forecasts, set ordering guidelines to effectively maximize the profitability of inventory flow that would account for every-day and promotional movement
Pricing and Marketing:
- Recommend every-day and promotional pricing points in order to competitively position products
- Develop and negotiate supplier agreements to include promotional funding and other varying levels of support to market products within the category
Vendor Management:
- Effectively communicate in order to build cooperative relationships with market manufacturers and distributors
- Maximize supplier profitability and contribution per sku
- Develop strategic alliances based on innovation and product development
- Negotiate pricing, vendor programs, delivery, and payment terms
- Facilitate mutually beneficial agreements around promotional opportunities and support
- Be first to market in new products, innovation and points of differentiation
Product/Inventory Management:
- Monitor suppliers and work with them to manage all parts of the product purchasing process
- Monitor and update order guides
Responsibility includes subcategories of products including:
- Fresh pre-packaged bakery items
- Packaged Snacks (chips, popcorn, pretzels, etc.)
- Packaged Bars
- Packaged Candy and Nuts including private label
- Packaged jerky and similar products
- Packaged sweet snacks and similar products
- Packaged Healthy and on-trend products
- Non-alcoholic beverages (oversee category manager in this role)
Qualifications and Requirements:
- Proven ability to build and lead a team to develop and execute a strategic plan
- Product knowledge in all packaged foods categories is required. Natural/organic grocery management experience preferred
- Bachelor’s degree in business, retailing, management, sales, or marketing preferred
- Minimum 5 years relevant experience in category management strategy and execution, in grocery retail or related setting, including broker/vendor/supplier relationships; packaged foods category preferred
- Experience with product purchasing, negotiating, financial analysis, and inventory control at a corporate or chain retail level
- Previous P&L management and strong financial analysis skills
- Previous experience with planogram execution required
- Proficient in using MS Office, Excel, database and word processing programs.
- Exceptional skills in decision-making, negotiation, communication, relationship-building, organization and attention to detail
- Ability to multi-task, pivot and succeed in a fast-paced environment with a focus on customer service
Physical Demands:
- Must be able to work in a professional office setting with extensive computer and telephone use daily.
- Must be willing to travel to airports on a regular basis and tradeshows on an occasional basis
OTG Concessions Management, LLC and its subsidiaries and affiliates are proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace and employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.