Category Manager - Travel Plaza
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Skills
About the role
Job Description:
Onvo is seeking a strategic and results-driven Category Manager to lead merchandising initiatives across our travel plazas. This role is responsible for developing and executing category strategies, optimizing assortment and pricing, managing vendor relationships, and driving profitable growth across assigned product categories.
The ideal candidate combines strong analytical skills with a passion for retail, using data-driven insights to enhance the customer experience and maximize category performance.
What You'll Do
Category Strategy & Merchandising
- Develop and execute category strategies that support company sales, margin, and growth objectives.
- Manage product assortment, item selection, planograms, product lifecycle decisions, and category optimization.
- Ensure the right products are available at the right price, in the right locations, and at the right time.
- Analyze sales trends, customer purchasing behaviors, and market conditions to identify opportunities for growth.
- Establish pricing strategies and margin targets for assigned categories.
- Conduct competitive price surveys and recommend pricing actions to remain competitive while protecting profitability.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors.
- Lead negotiations related to product costs, rebates, promotional funding, marketing support, delivery schedules, and service agreements.
- Monitor vendor performance and ensure suppliers meet company expectations and service standards.
- Identify new products, emerging trends, and strategic vendor opportunities.
- Plan and execute promotional programs for assigned categories.
- Partner with Marketing and Operations teams to ensure successful promotion execution.
- Communicate promotional plans, product launches, and merchandising initiatives clearly across the organization.
- Evaluate promotional performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Work closely with store operations teams to ensure consistent execution of merchandising programs.
- Conduct regular store visits to evaluate category performance, merchandising standards, pricing accuracy, and customer experience.
- Support training initiatives related to product knowledge, merchandising programs, and category objectives.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Operations, Marketing, Pricebook, Finance, and Leadership.
- Analyze sales, profitability, inventory, and performance metrics for assigned categories.
- Prepare and present regular business reviews and category performance reports.
- Utilize data to identify trends, opportunities, risks, and recommendations.
- Serve as the subject matter expert for assigned categories and market trends.
What We're Looking For
- 5+ years of experience in retail merchandising, category management, convenience retail, travel plazas, grocery, or related industries.
- Proven success developing and managing merchandise categories that drive sales and profitability.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales and inventory data and make strategic recommendations.
- Excellent negotiation, vendor management, and relationship-building skills.
- Strong communication and presentation abilities.
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.
- Ability to travel regularly to store locations and industry events (approximately 30-40% travel).
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and retail reporting systems.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Retail Management, Marketing, or a related field.
- Experience within convenience retail, travel centers, fuel retail, grocery, or food service environments.
- Familiarity with NetSuite and retail management systems.
- Knowledge of category management principles, planogram development, and merchandising best practices.
- Understanding of state alcohol regulations and category-specific compliance requirements.
- Experience with retail software platforms such as JDA, Gilbarco Passport, PDI, or similar systems.
Why Work at Onvo?
At Onvo, we're committed to being Always Quick, Always Kind, and Always Convenient. As a Category Manager, you'll have the opportunity to directly influence the products, pricing, and promotions that shape the customer experience across our growing network of travel plazas. You'll work alongside a collaborative leadership team in a fast-paced environment where your ideas and expertise will make a measurable impact.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off and company holidays
Disclaimer:
The list of Principal Duties, Essential Functions, and Basic Qualifications is illustrative but not exhaustive. Management reserves the right to revise the job description and to require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change without notice.
Onvo is an equal opportunity employer. Onvo maintains a work environment in which Team Members are treated fairly and with respect and in which discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. In accordance with federal, state and local laws, we recruit, hire, promote and evaluate all applicants and Team Members without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, familial status, marital status, and sexual orientation or preference, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Unlawful discrimination will not be a factor in any employment decision.