Position Summary:

The Category Manager is a cross-functional role that owns product category performance by integrating demand planning, inventory strategy, and commercial insights to drive sales, margin, and inventory productivity. The role is responsible for aligning forecasting, channel allocation, retail replenishment and key merchandising initiatives to support overall commercial goals.

Partnering closely with Merchandising, Sales, Visual Merchandising, Marketing, and Planning and Warehouse teams, this role translates strategy into actionable plans and manages initiatives from concept through execution. The Category Manager balances analytical rigor with strong project management to drive alignment in a fast-paced, commercial environment.

This role is remote at 70-80K annually based on experience and includes: medical, dental, and vision coverage, employer paid life & disability, paid time off, flexible holiday time, 401k retirement plan with employer match, and tuition reimbursement assistance. Additionally, we offer exclusive employee discounts on both our glass and pottery products and at our restaurant. This role is remote with preference for candidates in New England area and will require travel onsite to Windsor and store locations as needed at least once a month.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Category Management

Shape seasonal assortment strategies, including SKU productivity, lifecycle management, and line architecture for owned categories
Own category-level performance including sales, inventory productivity, and sell-through; proactively identify risks and opportunities and drive action plans
Develop and maintain category-level financial plans (revenue, margin, inventory) aligned to company targets
Analyze category performance across channels and recommend actions to optimize mix, depth, and timing
Drive decisions on new product introductions, discontinuations, and lifecycle transitions based on performance insights
Act as the central point of view on category health, synthesizing inputs from Merchandising, Sales, Marketing, and Planning

Demand Planning & Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP)

Develop, manage, and continuously improve demand forecasts at the SKU, category, and channel levels to support financial and category plans
Analyze demand drivers including promotions, product launches, lifecycle changes, and go-to-market [GTM] plans; identify risks and opportunities
Aggregate and reconcile forecasts to support inventory, production, financial planning, and purchasing decisions for manufactured and purchased goods
Translate forecasts into actionable inputs for inventory planning, production planning, and purchasing
Support S&OP processes by preparing demand plans, assumptions, and scenario analyses
Monitor forecast accuracy and recommend corrective actions
Maintain and enhance forecasting tools, models, reporting, and processes
Prepare clear reporting and insights for leadership and cross-functional stakeholders
Continuously evaluate planning assumptions and recommend process improvement.

Channel Allocation, Replenishment & Inventory Allocation

Oversee allocation of inventory by channel and retail location in alignment with demand plans and approved strategies
Determine and manage retail replenishment parameters (safety stock) by SKU by store based on historical analysis, seasonal builds, and visual strategy
Collaborate with Merchandising, Product Development, Retail, and Visual Merchandising to ensure allocations align with GTM plans and seasonal assortment strategies
Monitor sales trends and weeks of supply to proactively adjust retail replenishment levels
Drive analysis and recommendations for markdowns, liquidation strategies, and sell-through optimization

Merchandising Strategic Initiatives

Lead project management of key merchandising initiatives
Build and manage project plans, timelines, dependencies, and risk mitigation strategies
Ensure alignment across Merchandising, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Retail, and Operation
Communicate progress and drive accountability to ensure initiatives are executed accurately, on time, and with minimal disruption

Qualifications Required:

Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Supply Chain, Business, Analytics, Economics, or related field
2-5 years of experience in category management
Experience owning or influencing category-level strategy and financial performance (sales, margin, inventory)
Strong business acumen with understanding of pricing, assortment strategy, and product lifecycle management
Strong analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to interpret large data sets
Demonstrated ability to translate data into commercial recommendations and business decisions
3+ years project management experience working with cross-functional teams
Advanced proficiency in Excel
Strong communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders

Qualifications Desired:

Luxury retail experience preferred
Experience with ERP and demand planning tools preferred

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Category Manager

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