Category Manager - Snacks

ABOUT THRIVE MARKET

Thrive Market was founded in 2014 with a mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy and affordable for everyone. As an online, membership-based market, we deliver the highest quality healthy, and sustainable products at member-only prices. Every day, we help our 1.4M+ Members find better products, support better brands, and build a better world in the process. We are a profitable, half-billion-dollar revenue business proving that mission-focused companies can succeed. We are also a Certified B Corporation, recently became a Public Benefit Corporation, and are a Climate Neutral Certified company. Join us as we bring healthy and sustainable living to millions of Americans in the years to come.

THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced Category Manager to own merchandising efforts for the Salty Snacks category at Thrive Market. This role will be responsible for driving growth in revenue and margin for the category through product assortment and selection, vendor relationship management, pricing, promotion, site merchandising, and a keen understanding of trends. A key component of this position is having a fundamental understanding of the brands, products, and trends driving the Salty Snacks space while upholding our high standards for quality products & ingredients. We maintain a highly curated assortment compared to many of our online competitors.

Our merchandising team is lean, and as a business, we are growing quickly, which means priorities change constantly. We’re looking for a nimble, accomplished category management professional who is equally comfortable designing processes, setting clear strategy, and working cross-functionally to achieve our growth goals. The role typically requires 15-20% travel to trade shows and vendor meetings when possible.

• Grow and maintain the Salty Snacks category to meet expansion goals, including revenue, margin, and other KPIs, while balancing our ingredient/quality standards.
• Drive category strategy and innovation, including best-in-class shopping experiences for Salty Snacks.
• Identify, seek out, and cultivate strong vendor relationships with large volume vendors. Negotiate the best pricing and margin terms, promotional support, maintain consistent and clear communication, and represent Thrive Market’s brand and values in every interaction.
• Track, measure, and analyze data to report KPIs and metrics. Identify successes/challenges within category performance, act on areas for improvement, and inform new brand/product opportunities.
• Negotiate with partners to secure competitive everyday value pricing for our members, new item free-fill, marketing & promotional budgets, rebate growth incentives, delivery, and payment terms.
• Drive the new product/brand onboarding process to ensure timely market addition.
• Collaborate closely with the Merchandising Marketing team to develop and execute annual promotional strategies for brands and categories.
• Partner with the Procurement team on inventory forecasts, new item projections, vendor fulfillment rates, expiry risks, and exit strategies for slow-moving inventory.
• Be curious, experimental, and rigorous in your research to ensure our assortment at Thrive Market is on-trend and setting the bar for new products. Know the competitive landscape inside-out.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and be a positive leader both within the merchandising team and the company as a whole.

• 3+ years of experience in a buying or category management role.
• E-commerce experience highly preferred.
• Strong negotiation and vendor relationship skills.
• Deep knowledge of consumer trends and behavior, as well as ingredients, preferably in the Salty Snacks space.
• Proven track record of over-delivering on KPIs and financial plans.
• Fluency in technical and tactical merchandising: Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Sheets expertise is critical.
• Willingness to roll up your sleeves and dive into the day-to-day of category management and item launches.
• Exemplary communication skills: you can present, write clear/concise emails, and understand how best to communicate with different teams and people.
• Self-directing and self-correcting: you’re a natural problem solver skilled at prioritization.
• Flexibility and ability to adapt quickly to an ever-evolving environment.
• Over-the-top excitement about making healthy, affordable products available to every American.

• Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision, life and disability)
• Competitive salary (DOE) + equity
• 401k plan
• 9 Observed Holidays
• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Subsidized ClassPass Membership with access to fitness classes and wellness and beauty experiences
• Ability to work in our beautiful co-working space at WeWork in Playa Vista and other locations
• Free Thrive Market membership with exclusive employee discount
• Coverage for Life Coaching & Therapy Sessions on our holistic mental health and well-being platform

• Compensation Description - The base salary range for this position is $80,000 - $100,000/Per Year. 
• Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on several factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and geographic location. 
• Total Compensation includes Base Salary, Stock Options, Health and Wellness Benefits, Flexible PTO, and more!  

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