Category Manager - Beverage, Dry Grocery

This position is onsite and may report to any of our CBI locations in North Carolina (Greensboro) or South Carolina (Florence). Relocation assistance is not offered.

About the role

Manage customer relations, purchasing, and financial management functions for your product category to achieve maximum profits and customer satisfaction. Coordinate buying, selling, and merchandising efforts between vendors and distributors to ensure satisfied customers, profitable sales, and above-average performance in stock levels, inventory turns, and days accounts payable outstanding.

Responsibilities

• Maintain optimal inventory levels to meet customers’ needs.
• Monitor over-committed and urgent items.
• Increase inventory turns by consolidating shipments to full truckloads.
• Resolve slow-moving and dead inventory by selling it or billing the customer.
• Stay current with product knowledge by attending food shows, buying shows, and seminars.
• Train customers on product knowledge.
• Review reports on over-committed items, buyer’s outs, stock adjustments, receiving discrepancies, and sales below cost.
• Negotiate buy brackets, inbound freight rates, backhaul dollars, cash discounts, extended terms, and earned income.
• Ensure costing and pricing accuracy, addressing changes, discrepancies, and customer audits.
• Process vendor returns, including entering vendor bill backs before merchandise leaves the warehouse.
• Assist accounting with invoicing customers for storage and finance charges on excess inventory.
• Set up vendor bill backs with the Vice President of Purchasing.
• Review monthly financial and operational reports.
• Work with Accounts Payable to ensure vendor bill backs are promptly billed and deducted.
• Review vendor accounts receivable and customer credit memos, billing back to manufacturers as needed.
• Negotiate, approve, and resolve billing vs. receiving discrepancies, vendor bill back issues, and lost cash discount negotiations with Accounts Payable.
• Maximize days accounts payable purchases outstanding.
• Perform other duties as assigned and comply with all company policies and standards.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent experience.
• 5–7 years of related experience.
• 6 months–1 year of supervisory or management experience.

Benefits

• Day 1 Health & Wellness Benefits.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• 401K Employer Matching.
• Education Assistance.
• Paid Time Off.

Safe and inclusive working environment with a culture of rewards, recognition, and respect. Growth opportunities performing essential work to support America’s food distribution system.