Category Manager, Commissary

About the role

The Category Manager, Commissary at Cumberland Farms is responsible for developing and executing the merchandising strategy for one of the company's most important foodservice categories. This leader owns the commercial performance of the refrigerated packaged foods business, including sandwiches, salads, wraps, snack packs, protein offerings, fruit, and other grab-and-go solutions.

Responsibilities

• Set category strategy
  Develop and execute long-term strategy for cold packaged foods across all of our geographies
  Build category plans that drive sales, traffic, margin, market share, and loyalty
  Identify emerging food trends and translate consumer insights into differentiated products and merchandising strategies
  Build a balanced assortment that delivers both everyday value and premium offerings while optimizing SKU productivity and regional preferences
  Lead seasonal, limited-time, and innovation programs that keep the category fresh and relevant

• Be industry expert
  Serve as the company's subject matter expert on refrigerated grab-and-go foods
  Maintain deep knowledge of foodservice trends, competitive offerings, ingredient innovations, packaging developments, consumer behaviors, and convenience retail best practices
  Benchmark category performance against leading convenience retailers, grocery retailers, and foodservice operators
  Evaluate evolving consumer preferences around health and wellness, protein, fresh ingredients, indulgence, convenience, and value

• Deliver financial results
  Own category P&L performance including sales, gross margin, product mix, inventory productivity, total loss, and promotional ROI
  Develop pricing strategies that balance guest value perception with profitability
  Build annual operating plans and financial forecasts
  Analyze elasticity, promotional effectiveness, competitive pricing, and product mix to maximize financial performance
  Leverage data and analytics to identify growth opportunities and quickly address underperforming products

• Manage vendor partnerships
  Develop strategic partnerships with manufacturers, distributors, and fresh food suppliers
  Lead supplier negotiations focused on cost, quality, innovation, funding, and service levels
  Drive joint business planning activities with key vendor partners
  Evaluate supplier capabilities to ensure consistent product quality and reliability

• Develop products and innovation pipeline
  Partner with culinary, health & safety, operations, and supply chain teams to develop, test, and launch new products
  Lead product lifecycle management from concept through launch and post-launch evaluation, following defined innovation stagegate framework
  Ensure products align with Cumberland Farms’ customer preferences around taste and value

• Support field execution
  Develop merchandising standards, planograms, and promotional strategies that drive consistent execution across all stores
  Collaborate closely with advertising to ensure in-store signage is accurate and on-brand
  Solicit and regularly action feedback from operations to optimize and improve programs

• Continuously improve category performance
  Monitor KPIs and business performance through regular reporting and business reviews
  Utilize POS data, consumer insights, syndicated research, and competitive intelligence to guide decisions
  Continuously optimize assortment, pricing, and promotions based on measurable results

Working Relationships

Collaborate closely with Marketing, Operations, Culinary, Supply Chain, Health & Safety, Legal, and Finance teams.

Minimum Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, Supply Chain, or related field.

Preferred Education

MBA

Minimum Experience

5–8+ years of progressive experience in category management, merchandising, foodservice, grocery, consumer packaged goods, or convenience retail.

Preferred Experience

Direct experience managing refrigerated food or fresh food categories strongly preferred.

Soft Skills

Excellent oral and written communication skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

Physical Requirements

Ability to maneuver and regularly lift and or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.