Director of Category Management

The Director of Category Management leads the category management function and a team of Category Managers and Analysts, setting the strategic direction for multiple product categories while championing new category development for the business. This role combines hands-on category leadership with team management, cross-functional influence, and ownership of special projects that shape how the sales and operations organization approaches category strategy. The ideal candidate is a strategic, energetic, and driven leader who builds trusted partnerships with buyers and manufacturers, mentors and develops talent, and brings an influential, credible voice to leadership. This role maintains a strong customer-centric mindset, given our partnership with Target and our manufacturer partners.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Category Managers and Category Analysts, setting clear goals, providing regular feedback, and building a high-performing, collaborative team culture
• Own hiring, onboarding, and performance management decisions for the category team
• Mentor category managers and analysts in support of category development and best-in-class service, building bench strength and succession readiness
• Set team priorities and workload across categories, ensuring capacity aligns with business needs and deadlines

Category & Business Strategy

• Develop and implement, in partnership with buyers, the overall strategy for assigned product categories
• Build trusted, senior-level relationships with buyers and manufacturer partners to fully understand category goals and bring best-in-class insights that align with broader business objectives
• Provide executive-level representation and communication of category performance, synthesizing merchandising strategy, product performance, brand contribution, consumer insights, and market trends
• Develop and validate optimized assortment plans against business plans and incremental growth targets
• Champion new ideas, promotional strategies, and purposeful change to achieve category and company goals
• Set direction for planogram strategy, trend analysis, and market opportunity identification across categories
• Direct competitive shops online and in territory to inform competitive benchmarking, white space opportunity, price optimization, and innovation
• Oversee analysis of guest data and its translation into optimized assortment decisions
• Monitor market conditions, sales trends, and promotional behaviors, translating findings into strategic recommendations for leadership
• Direct digital analysis for a holistic view of category recommendations and market insight
• Leverage technology and market-based tools to recommend winning assortments, aesthetics, and shelf space optimization
• Deliver clear, concise, and thorough presentations of recommendations to influence senior leadership and drive achievement of goals
• Utilize multiple data sources to build cohesive, impactful, data-driven narratives that inform strategic decisions

New Category Prospecting

• Identify, evaluate, and prospect new category opportunities that align with company growth strategy and market whitespace
• Build the business case for entry into new categories, including market sizing, competitive landscape, and financial opportunity
• Partner with buyers, manufacturers, and internal stakeholders to pilot and scale new category initiatives

Special Projects & Category Oversight

• Own and lead special projects on behalf of the sales and operations team, driving cross-functional initiatives from scope through actionable results
• Provide category oversight across the sales and operations team, ensuring consistency in strategy, standards, and best practices across categories
• Lead and engage multi-member teams on special projects, ensuring clear accountability and measurable outcomes
• Serve as an escalation point for complex category issues, ensuring timely resolution and alignment across stakeholders
• Represent BSG community values and philosophy in all internal and external interactions

• Strategic leadership with the ability to inspire, energize, and align a team around a shared vision
• Proven people management experience, including coaching, development, and performance management
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills
• Ability to work independently as well as lead and collaborate across teams and departments
• Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment
• Strong executive presentation and influencing skills
• High energy, driven, and positive attitude

• Bachelor's Degree in Retailing, Management, Sales, or related field; MBA a plus
• 7 years of experience in Category Management, with prior Captain or Validator experience preferred
• 2 years of experience directly managing and developing a team
• Hands-on knowledge of industry tools, analytical techniques, and planogram-building software (JDA, DOMO, etc)
• Target experience strongly preferred