Category Analyst, Food

Job Summary GoTo Foods has an exciting opportunity for a Category Analyst. This position is responsible for supporting multiple Procurement categories across our 7 restaurant brands. The analyst is primarily responsible for driving product setup processes, analyzing the business, and collaborating with suppliers to implement supply chain solutions that improve pricing, item specification, logistics, inventory, and distribution. In addition, the Category Analyst will work collaboratively with Category Management and internal stakeholders to source select category products, facilitate RFPs, collaborate on product innovation and specification recommendations, build and improve category reporting, track supplier quality and savings, manage supplier relationships, maintain pricing contracts, data, and Legal agreements. Essential Functions Pricing & Contract ManagementLead the monthly pricing and contract update process, including requesting updates from suppliers, reviewing data, working to fix errors, and providing a summary of cost change impacts Ensure all agreements are fully executed and loaded into Focus Brands contract management systemsWork collaboratively with Category Manager and Legal to draft/execute agreementsMaintain and improve data accuracy in our pricing systemsCoordinate accurate data entry and maintenance into GoTo Foods supply chain systems including suppliers, new prices, new price effective dates, product attributes, etc.Ensure continued data integrity maintenance for all GoTo Foods systemsMaintain information tracking tools for supplier contacts, conference, & item fees Work with suppliers and cross-functional team to optimize line-of-supply and freight costs within the distribution networkSupport GoTo Foods distribution transition initiativesCategory Analysis & ReportingDevelop process improvements, dashboards, analytical methods, and reporting tools that provide clear business value for, and insights into, the identified categoryIdentify and recommend cost savings and value opportunitiesProactively identify improvement opportunities and create innovative win-win customer and supplier strategies that are regularly shared with Procurement leadershipUtilize existing reporting functions to gather cost/spend information, and summarize for impactful decision makingMaintain and improve data accuracy of product specifications, plant audits, and other QA requirementsCoordinate accurate data entry and maintenance of detailed item specifications, active production facilities, etc. Manage and monitor supplier inventory and production, coordinate response to supply issues, and engage supplier and cross-functional team on solutionsMonitor value creation across the supply chain networkTrack and report on key supplier KPI metricsNew Product Development & InnovationWork directly with the Category Manager to launch new products and innovations with our suppliers, as well as Brand Marketing and Operations teamsManage new item information collection, pricing, contract management & approval for new item setup within internal and external systems. Manage and track commercialization projects through the onboarding processIdentify, recommend, and commercialize product solutions that contribute to company-wide sustainability, cost-savings, and/or value creation goals Strategic Sourcing & Vendor ManagementInteract with suppliers and internal groups to collect data and improve our understanding of the identified categoryLead communications to suppliers for pricing renewals, procurement/transition updates, forecasts, and other widespread GoTo foods initiatives. Communicate & help resolve supply security escalations, collaborating with internal teams to avoid product outages. Analyze supplier reporting to help make category decisions, allocate inventory, etc. Provide recommendations on how to optimize our supplier partnerships/SKUs across all 7 brands. Assist Category Manager in planning and executing activities related to sourcingCoordinate, develop, and conduct research and analysis of strategic sourcing activitiesPerform cost and scenario analysis and benchmarking to ensure that Focus Brands has an excellent understanding of the supply marketWork directly with the Category Manager to administrate and analyze Requests for Information & Proposal (RFIs and RFPs), aiding in the negotiation of new business awards and contracts with vendorsEducation Bachelor's Degree, Supply Chain Management, Accounting or related field, Required Work Experience 1-2 years of experience in the procurement/sourcing, foodservice, packaging, supply chain, or equivalent industry (logistics, planning, food & beverage, etc)Experience with vendor management, sales, and/or customer service – any role that builds the communication and relational skills necessary for managing relationships with outside organizations, clients, and/or internal stakeholdersA strong skillset with data analysis and critical thinking:Proficiency with Microsoft Excel (modeling, goal seek, VLOOKUP, index (match), pivot tables, formulas, graphing)Demonstrated ability to work under pressure in an undefined, ever-changing environmentSkills Demonstrated ability to navigate through the strategic sourcing process Knowledge of Supply Chain/Category Management/Foodservice PricingAdditional experience in strategic sourcing, purchasing, consulting, cost accounting, or finance Understanding of purchasing, accounts payable, work management and financial systems applications including a strong understanding of financial information, budgets, and program performanceProcess-oriented and experienced with project management, PMP certification even betterAdvanced proficiency with Excel, including data analysis, dashboards, and critical thinking (pivot tables, vlookup, formulas, graphing, modeling, index (match), goal seek)Proven proficiency with PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, ArrowStream, Jira, and/or other foodservice contract management technologyExperience with large data sets to yield information that supports business needs/questions, even better if experience with pulling & formatting data from large ERP systemsStrong critical thinking skills, ability to exercise judgment, manage complexity and ambiguity Ability to create reporting and dashboard tools via Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or other visualization software Independently motivated and autonomousAbility to work cross-functionally in a collaborative mannerStrong written and verbal communication skills CertificationsTravel Requirement None