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Director of Category Management

Pro Search | Bangor, ME, United States

Posted Date 3/02/2026
Full job description

Direct Hire Bangor, Maine

  • Location: Bangor, Maine
  • Type: Direct Hire
  • Job #20582
ProSearch is partnering with a Bangor, ME client to hire a Director of Category Management to own P&L and lead category strategy including supplier partnerships, pricing, promotions, planograms, and assortment optimization to grow sales, margin, and ROI across multi store network. This role drives profitable growth, optimizes category portfolios, and builds strong supplier partnerships while leading the category management team. The Director ensures strategies align with company objectives, customer needs, and the operational realities of convenience retail.
Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Planning
• Develop enterprise-wide category strategies with clear financial and performance objectives
• Oversee the creation, execution, and continuous improvement of category plans
• Establish performance benchmarks, KPIs, and scorecards
• Identify trends, customer insights, and market opportunities to drive innovation and growth
• Ensure alignment with brand positioning, store formats, and company goals
Financial Leadership
• Oversee P&L performance for all merchandise categories, including sales, gross margin, inventory investment, and return on capital
• Lead financial planning, forecasting, and budgeting for category portfolios
• Analyze enterprise-level metrics such as margin mix, space productivity, inventory turns, and ROI to guide decisions
• Partner with Finance and Operations to ensure disciplined financial execution
Supplier & Negotiation Leadership
• Establish strategic supplier relationships that drive growth and innovation
• Oversee contract negotiations, pricing strategies, trade funding, and promotional investment to maximize ROI
• Drive supplier collaboration on innovation, assortment optimization, and go-to-market strategies
• Ensure supplier performance, compliance, and alignment with company standards
Product, Merchandising & Execution
• Oversee pricing strategy, promotions, and planogram standards
• Optimize categories for space constraints, demand, and efficiency
• Balance innovation with assortment performance to maximize sales, margin, and customer relevance
• Ensure consistent, high-quality execution across the network
Leadership & Team Development
• Lead and develop category and merchandising specialists
• Set team expectations, goals, and accountability standards
• Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance
• Serve as a voice on the leadership team, influencing strategy and priorities
Qualifications
• Strong ability to read, analyze, and interpret business and technical materials
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedural documents
• Effective presentation and communication skills
• Proficiency in mathematical concepts, including probability, statistics, ratios, and proportions
• Strong problem-solving skills in complex, variable environments
• Ability to interpret written, oral, diagram, and schedule-based instructions
• Proficiency in project management, spreadsheet, and word processing software
Education / Experience
Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from a four-year college or university; five to ten years of experience and/or training; or equivalent combination
Job Type
Regular
Industry
Management

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