What are the responsibilities and job description for the Category Manager, Deli & Fine Cheese position at FreshDirect?
Brief Description
About Us
At FreshDirect, we are reinventing the grocery experience. Since day one, our mission has been simple: bring the best, freshest food directly from the farm to people’s homes — faster, fresher, and smarter than anyone else.
We are not just a food company – we are a technology-powered, customer-obsessed team building the most innovative end-to-end food supply chain in the industry. From proprietary routing systems to our state-of-the-art fulfillment center, every part of our business is designed to deliver unmatched quality, convenience, and care.
We partner directly with farmers, fishermen, and artisans to source the highest quality ingredients, then use smart data, automation, and logistics to get them to our customers’ doors at peak freshness. It’s grocery shopping reimagined — and we’re just getting started.
If you are passionate about innovation, care deeply about what people eat, and want to be part of a team doing what no one else is doing, come help us build the future of food.
Position Summary
The Category Manager, Deli & Fine Cheese creates comprehensive category strategies to meet customer needs and organizational goals. This role manages pricing, assortment, and product selection for the Deli & Fine Cheese category, leads vendor negotiations, and provides thought leadership on trends and innovation.
The position also drives a consumer-centric selling culture through assortment management, site planning, pricing, and promotional activities to grow topline revenue and manage profitability.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record in merchandising, including product sourcing and selection within Fresh categories, and is eager to join a team of passionate food experts at FreshDirect.
What You’ll Do
Total Rewards & Benefits
About Us
At FreshDirect, we are reinventing the grocery experience. Since day one, our mission has been simple: bring the best, freshest food directly from the farm to people’s homes — faster, fresher, and smarter than anyone else.
We are not just a food company – we are a technology-powered, customer-obsessed team building the most innovative end-to-end food supply chain in the industry. From proprietary routing systems to our state-of-the-art fulfillment center, every part of our business is designed to deliver unmatched quality, convenience, and care.
We partner directly with farmers, fishermen, and artisans to source the highest quality ingredients, then use smart data, automation, and logistics to get them to our customers’ doors at peak freshness. It’s grocery shopping reimagined — and we’re just getting started.
If you are passionate about innovation, care deeply about what people eat, and want to be part of a team doing what no one else is doing, come help us build the future of food.
Position Summary
The Category Manager, Deli & Fine Cheese creates comprehensive category strategies to meet customer needs and organizational goals. This role manages pricing, assortment, and product selection for the Deli & Fine Cheese category, leads vendor negotiations, and provides thought leadership on trends and innovation.
The position also drives a consumer-centric selling culture through assortment management, site planning, pricing, and promotional activities to grow topline revenue and manage profitability.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record in merchandising, including product sourcing and selection within Fresh categories, and is eager to join a team of passionate food experts at FreshDirect.
What You’ll Do
- Develop and execute a cohesive category strategy that meets customer needs and supports organizational goals.
- Manage pricing and promotional plans to deliver on sales, gross margin, and unit targets.
- Oversee assortment selections, including approvals for new items and discontinuations.
- Conduct periodic category reviews to align strategy with customer and market trends.
- Lead vendor negotiations and build strong, collaborative relationships with vendors and internal stakeholders.
- Drive a consumer-centric selling culture through assortment, site planning, pricing, and promotional execution.
- Establish base and promotional pricing aligned with FreshDirect’s strategy.
- Manage category performance metrics such as Units per Order, Sales, Gross Margin, Scrap, Average Order Size, and Shopper Marketing revenue.
- 5–8 years of experience in grocery retail, eCommerce, or a related merchandising/category management role.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including presentation abilities.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
- Proven ability to manage mid-sized projects and cross-functional initiatives.
- Experience driving consumer-focused category strategies that impact sales and profitability.
- Strong problem-solving and follow-through skills in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
- High level of initiative, enthusiasm, and solution-oriented mindset.
- A true passion for food and FreshDirect’s mission to deliver the best to customers.
- A supportive environment that encourages learning, development, and career growth.
- The opportunity to be part of a team that keeps FreshDirect’s operations running efficiently every day.
- A collaborative culture where your contributions directly impact success.
- Exposure to leading technology and production systems in the food industry.
- A company that values innovation, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Total Rewards & Benefits
- Competitive compensation, equity, and benefits to help employees do their best work.
- Time Off: PTO, Safe & Sick Time, and Paid Holidays.
- Health Benefits: Medical, Vision, Dental, and Voluntary Disability coverage.
- Financial Benefits: 401(k) with employer match and Life Insurance.
- Location: Our Bronx campus features an on-site gym, cafeteria, and employee market. Free on-site parking and shuttle service from nearby MTA stations.
- People Investment: Job training and leadership development programs; tuition discounts in partnership with local colleges.
- Perks: 20% employee discount on FreshDirect online orders and wine store; on-site market markdowns; vendor spotlights and engagement events to experience products firsthand.
Salary : $90,332 - $106,000