Category Manager (Retail Buyer)
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). So we need to decide which sections to include based on content.
We have:
- What We Do At Applegreen (company overview). Could be "About the role"? Not exactly. Could be "About the company". But allowed headings list includes "About the role". We could use that heading for company overview. Or we could omit if not matching. The instruction: "use for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." It suggests those are examples; we can use those headings if appropriate. We have content for: Benefits (explicit list). Responsibilities (Key Responsibilities). Qualifications, Experience & Skills (Qualifications). Skills (Additional Skills & Attributes). Also maybe "About the role" could be the Position Summary. Also "What We Do" could be "About the company" but not in list; maybe we can incorporate into About the role or omit. The instruction: "include a section ONLY when the posting has real, specific content for it — never emit a heading followed by filler/placeholder text". So we need to include sections that have real content.
We have:
- Position Summary: a paragraph describing role. Could go under "About the role". That seems appropriate.
- Benefits: list of benefits.
- Responsibilities: list under Key Responsibilities.
- Qualifications: list under Qualifications, Experience & Skills.
- Skills: Additional Skills & Attributes.
We also have "Hybrid Role - 3 days per week in office (Glen Rock, NJ) required." That's schedule info. Could be Schedule section. It says "Hybrid Role - 3 days per week in office (Glen Rock, NJ) required." That's schedule detail. So we can include a Schedule section.
Pay: Not mentioned besides "10% Annual Bonus" which is part of benefits. No base pay. So we should not create Pay section because no specific pay info.
We must not repeat job title as heading. Not include Job ID etc.
We must remove boilerplate: EEO etc. Remove "Applegreen is an Equal Opportunity Employer..." etc.
We must preserve all substantive information.
We need to output only HTML fragment, no /, no markdown fences.
Thus produce something like:
About the role
About the role
Position Summary ...
Responsibilities
- ... ...
Qualifications
- ... ...
Skills
- ... ...
Benefits
- ... ...
Schedule
Hybrid Role - 3 days per week in office (Glen Rock, NJ) required.
We need to ensure we include all substantive info from each section. Let's extract details. **About the role / Position Summary**: "The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that drive sales growth, profitability, and an exceptional customer experience across Applegreen's retail business. This role will manage a portfolio of retail categories and oversee all aspects of product assortment, pricing, promotions, vendor partnerships, and category performance. Working closely with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and vendor partners, the Category Manager will identify business opportunities, optimize product offerings, and deliver category plans that align with business objectives and evolving customer needs. The successful candidate will be a highly analytical, commercially driven professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has a passion for delivering results." We'll put that in a. **Responsibilities** (Key Responsibilities): List: - Category Management & Commercial Strategy - Develop and execute category strategies that support sales growth, margin improvement, and overall business objectives. - Manage product assortment, pricing, promotions, and merchandising plans for assigned categories. - Analyze sales, margin, market, and customer data to identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement. - Conduct category reviews and develop action plans to maximize category performance. - Deliver accurate category forecasts, budgets, and performance reporting. - Monitor product lifecycle performance and recommend additions, deletions, or assortment enhancements. - Vendor & Supplier Management - Build and maintain strong relationships with supplier partners. - Lead annual vendor negotiations to secure competitive pricing, rebates, promotional funding, and favorable commercial terms. - Develop and execute joint business plans with key suppliers. - Monitor vendor performance and ensure compliance with contractual agreements. - Maximize rebate opportunities and ensure achievement of annual rebate targets. - Merchandising & Promotions - Develop and implement effective planograms that maximize sales and enhance the customer experience. - Partner with Operations and Marketing teams to deliver promotional calendars and seasonal programs. - Ensure promotional execution is aligned with regional and seasonal business requirements. - Evaluate promotional effectiveness and recommend future improvements. - Cross-Functional Collaboration - Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, and Merchandising teams to ensure successful category execution. - Support new product launches, category resets, and business initiatives. - Act as a category subject matter expert and provide recommendations to leadership based on data and market insights. - Leadership & Development - Mentor and support junior members of the Commercial team. - Foster collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the department. - Contribute to a high-performance culture that aligns with Applegreen's values and growth objectives. We need to flatten into
- items. Could keep sub-bullets as separate
- but we could also keep them as separate lines. Probably each bullet as
- . We'll keep each bullet as separate
- . For sub-bullets we can also make them separate
- but maybe we keep them as separate
- with indentation not needed.
Thus produce a long list.
**Qualifications** (Qualifications, Experience & Skills):
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.
- Minimum 5 years of retail buying, category management, merchandising, or procurement experience within the convenience retail, grocery, FMCG, or retail industries.
- Strong experience negotiating supplier agreements and managing vendor relationships.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Office Suite.
- Experience with PDI and retail reporting platforms preferred.
- Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret and leverage data to drive business decisions.
- Excellent planning, organization, and project management skills.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- Ability to build effective relationships with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
**Skills** (Additional Skills & Attributes):
- Commercially minded with a strong focus on sales growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
- Adaptable and comfortable working in a rapidly evolving and growing organization.
- Self-motivated, proactive, and results-oriented.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to execute with urgency.
- Proven ability to prioritize competing demands and meet deadlines.
- Positive, solution-focused mindset with a strong "can-do" attitude.
- Collaborative team player with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.
- Sound judgment and effective decision-making skills.
- Resilient and calm under pressure.
- Demonstrated leadership capability and ability to develop others.
- Willingness to travel as needed to support business objectives.
**Benefits**:
List:
- Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
- Paid Time Off
- 401(k) with Company Match
- 10% Annual Bonus
- Hybrid Work Arrangement
- Earned Wage Access – Pay on Demand
- Education Assistance
- Employee Referral Bonus
- Pet Insurance
Note: Hybrid Work Arrangement is also schedule but we already have schedule section; but it's also a benefit. We'll include in benefits list as given.
**Schedule**:
- Hybrid Role - 3 days per week in office (Glen Rock, NJ) required.
We also have "What We Do At Applegreen" content. Should we include that? It's company overview. Could be part of About the role? Might be better to include as a separate section like "About the company". But not in allowed headings list; but we could still use
for any heading? The instruction says use
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). It implies we should use those headings; but we could also use other headings if needed? It says "use
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule)." That suggests those are examples; we could use other headings but they'd be
as well. However, to be safe, we could incorporate the "What We Do" content into the About the role section as a preamble. But the About the role currently is Position Summary; we could prepend the company description before the Position Summary within same
or separate
. That would preserve all info. Thus About the role section will have two paragraphs: first about company overview, second about position summary. Let's craft:
About the role
At Applegreen, our mission is to delight customers in transit with passionate hospitality and brands they love. Applegreen is a leading roadside retailer operating high-quality travel plazas and service areas in the US, Ireland, and the UK. Founded on a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and customer experience, Applegreen combines fuel, convenience retail, and a diverse portfolio of food and beverage offerings to create welcoming destinations for customers. In the U.S., Applegreen partners with major transportation authorities and operates more than 100 service plazas along some of the country’s busiest highways and turnpikes. The company is known for modern facilities, strong national and local food brands, and an emphasis on freshness, quality, and sustainability. At Applegreen, our people are at the heart of what we do. We foster a culture that values teamwork, development, and accountability, offering employees opportunities to grow their careers in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Applegreen continues to expand while remaining focused on delivering exceptional service to customers and creating a great place to work.
The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that drive sales growth, profitability, and an exceptional customer experience across Applegreen's retail business. This role will manage a portfolio of retail categories and oversee all aspects of product assortment, pricing, promotions, vendor partnerships, and category performance. Working closely with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and vendor partners, the Category Manager will identify business opportunities, optimize product offerings, and deliver category plans that align with business objectives and evolving customer needs. The successful candidate will be a highly analytical, commercially driven professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has a passion for delivering results.
Then Responsibilities etc. Make sure we don't include any boilerplate like EEO. Now produce final HTML. Check for any repeated content: we included Hybrid Work Arrangement in benefits; schedule section separate. Make sure we didn't miss any substantive info: The "Our Core Value" section: "Our Core Value Our core values define who we are and guide how we work every day. They shape our decisions, inspire our actions, and influence how we engage with our customers, suppliers, business partners, and one another. Our customers and communities are at the heart of everything we do.We value and develop our people.We are driven by pace, passion and performance.We seek opportunities and embrace change." This is substantive content about core values. Should we include?