Category Manager

URM Stores, Inc. is looking for a talented Category Manager to join our ever-growing team. As our Category Manager, you will be responsible for the development of category specific business plans for retail Member Owners by managing assortments, promotions, and markdowns for assigned categories within all stores. Responsible for supporting retail Merchandising teams across all ad groups by driving relevant retail growth initiatives. The key to success in this role will your ability to combine soft skills with analytical skills, convey research findings and drive actions with your key business partners.

You will work closely with our buyers and Vendor/Brokers to negotiate maximum promotional offerings, cost savings for retailers and URM. Additional planning to build strategies to develop incremental sales through additional sourcing of new programs and managing SKU mix within their responsible categories.

Your Day-to-Day: 

• Development of category specific plans for URM member owner retail groups by assisting in determining and managing assortment decisions, promotional activity, and markdowns.
• Evaluate category specific strategies and business plans to assist member owners mutually agreed upon results.
• Interact collaboratively with supplier partners and retailers through the joint business planning processes.
• Effectively leverage internal and syndicated data to analyze weekly, monthly, and quarterly sales results.
• Develop best practice schematics and layouts utilizing software for retail merchandising execution. 
• Accurately assesses problems and effectively and efficiently arrives at solutions. 
• Establish an environment that encourages aggressive, yet fair, negotiation with all vendors, brokers, and stores. 
• Attend and participate in many supplier and retailer meetings. 
• Oversee the development and facilitating of Category Analyst training for new hires.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by management and adhere to all company policies and procedures.
• Responsible for guiding and signing off all schematics for their categories and managing any member specific requests regarding customized schematics.
• Other Duties as assigned.

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, or other related field or equivalent of five+ years related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Proven track record of successful category management experience.
• Planogram software experience preferred.
• Retail Grocery and or Category Management experience required.
• Strong analytical experience and solid Excel skills.
• Hands on experience creating planograms, ideally with JDA (Space planning software) or other software is a plus.
• Source new suppliers, negotiate pricing/terms, assess supplier performance and request actionable improvement.
• Strong knowledge of assortment planning, space planning & promotional planning.
• Strong Knowledge of forecasting, planning / scheduling, logistics and manufacturing principles.
• Ability to collaborate with a wide range of personalities.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, good judgment, time-management skills, and creativity.
• Excellent organizational skills/ability to prioritize is highly required for this position
• Limited local travel required to assess competition and work on instore resets. Will also attend multiple Trade Shows as per your category representation.

A Legacy of Local Impact Since 1921

For over a century, URM has been the powerhouse behind independent grocers, operating as a proud retailer-owned cooperative. Our mission? To fuel the success of local, community-focused grocery stores by handling everything from purchasing and warehousing to timely delivery of top-quality merchandise.

What sets us apart? Our unique cooperative model means our Member-Owners aren’t just customers—they’re shareholders. We reinvest in their success by returning net earnings from Patronage Department activities as patronage dividends.

Today, URM has grown into a billion-dollar enterprise, employing more than 3,000 dedicated team members across URM and our thriving subsidiaries—Rosauers Supermarkets and Peirone Produce. And we're just getting started.

We work in a supportive team environment and in addition to our amazing culture, our employees enjoy many perks, and below are a few of the highlights of our complete compensation package:

• Salary for this position starts at $32.50 per hour DOE. An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, the prevailing minimum wage for the location, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, and business or organizational needs.
• Insurance Benefits – So that our non-union employees have more to take home from their paycheck, URM pays 100% of the Medical/Dental/Vision/RX Insurance premiums for the employee and over 93% for the employee’s dependents!
• 401k Retirement Plan with an amazing Company match up to 9% of your annual salary!
• Subsidized Life Insurance for employees and great rates for the employee’s family.
• Company paid Long-Term Disability insurance.
• Short-Term Disability and Cancer Insurance available.
• Life Flight Insurance at Special Rate.
• Great vacation plan!
• Six Paid Holidays and four Paid Personal Holidays.
• Paid Sick Days.
• Paid Volunteer Service Day! Get paid to volunteer at your favorite non-profit!
• Experience enjoyable Company sponsored activities through events like URM March Madness Brackets, Family Hockey Night with the Chiefs, Holiday Mingle & Jingle with great raffle giveaways, Summer Evening Wine & Music Event, and Winter Break Movie Night, which are just a glimpse of the fun we have to offer for employees and their families!
• Plus, enjoy a variety of Corporate discounts, from gym memberships, cell phone plans, to computer discounts!
• We also offer an Amazing Employee Discount Program at our Company-owned Grocery Stores!!!!

URM Stores, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, ancestry, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.

We are dedicated to maintaining a work environment free from discrimination in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotions, compensation, and workplace practices.

Please note: All selected candidates must successfully pass a pre-employment drug screening, as URM maintains a drug-free workplace.