What are the responsibilities and job description for the Category Manager, Produce 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’re not just a food company. We’re a technology-powered, customer-obsessed team building one of the most innovative end-to-end food supply chains 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 deliver them at peak freshness.
It’s grocery shopping reimagined — and we’re just getting started.
If you’re passionate about innovation, care deeply about what people eat, and want to help build the future of food, we’d love to meet you.
The Role
The Produce Category Manager creates comprehensive category strategies to meet customer needs and organizational goals. Responsibilities include managing pricing, assortment, and selection for assigned categories, leading vendor negotiations, and providing thought leadership on trends and innovation. The position also focuses on driving a consumer-centric selling culture through Assortment, Site Planning, and Pricing activities. The ideal candidate has demonstrated success within a merchandising function, including product sourcing and selection, eCommerce site selling strategies, and the grocery supply chain, and is interested in joining a team of passionate food experts at FreshDirect.
What You’ll Do
We live these values every day:
A Passion for our customers
Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We listen, innovate, and act quickly to exceed expectations with every order and interaction.
One team, one mission
Everyone contributes & every role matters. We break silos, lift each other up, and share a relentless focus on delivering results. That way, we win together.
Delivering excellence, every time
We take pride in the quality of our food, service, and the experience we create. Our team goes above and beyond to earn trust and guarantee 100% freshness.
Act with integrity
We operate with honesty, respect, and accountability in how we treat our customers, teammates, and partners. We own our outcomes and always do what’s right, even when no one is watching.
Make fast, bold decisions
We challenge the status quo, embrace technology, and take smart risks to build a better future. At the same time, we stay true to our NYC roots and care for our community.
We love food. Yes, literally all of us.
What You’ll Love About Working Here
$90,000 – $106,000
Total Rewards & Benefits
We embrace an in-office culture, composed of individuals who thrive on the collaboration and energy that comes from working together in a shared space. We are looking for people who excel in this environment, where physical presence enhances connections and engagement. At FreshDirect, we've created an environment that thrives on teamwork, where associates can innovate, grow, and have successful careers. Many of our leaders have successfully come up through our ranks. Because of our team's extraordinary efforts, we are a leading innovator in the e-commerce and grocery industries.
Equal Opportunity
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Fresh Direct, LLC and its affiliates do not discriminate against applicants or employees because of their race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, marital status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, or any other factor protected by federal, state, or local law.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the Team member(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of individuals in this position. Position expectations may be subject to change as the needs of the organization changes.
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’re not just a food company. We’re a technology-powered, customer-obsessed team building one of the most innovative end-to-end food supply chains 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 deliver them at peak freshness.
It’s grocery shopping reimagined — and we’re just getting started.
If you’re passionate about innovation, care deeply about what people eat, and want to help build the future of food, we’d love to meet you.
The Role
The Produce Category Manager creates comprehensive category strategies to meet customer needs and organizational goals. Responsibilities include managing pricing, assortment, and selection for assigned categories, leading vendor negotiations, and providing thought leadership on trends and innovation. The position also focuses on driving a consumer-centric selling culture through Assortment, Site Planning, and Pricing activities. The ideal candidate has demonstrated success within a merchandising function, including product sourcing and selection, eCommerce site selling strategies, and the grocery supply chain, and is interested in joining a team of passionate food experts at FreshDirect.
What You’ll Do
- Responsible for producing a comprehensive and cohesive category strategy which successfully meets the needs of our customers and achieves category goals while supporting organizational business plans.
- Manages pricing for assigned categories.
- Manages assortment and selection for assigned categories (i.e. final approval for all assortment decisions).
- Conducts periodic category reviews in order to align category strategy with current customer and market trends.
- Leads vendor negotiation and develops effective, collaborative relationships.
- Drive the day-to-day activities of a selling organization culture with a consumer-centric focus through Assortment, Site Planning, and Pricing responsibilities.
- Establish base and promotional pricing for assigned categories that deliver on the FreshDirect strategy on-site and achieve targets for sales, gross margin and units.
- Manages performance for assigned category including Units per Order, Sales, Gross Margin, Average Order Size, and Shopper Marketing revenue.
- Responsible for all category financial & customer metrics.
- Responsible for procurement and replenishment (Fresh) and a key stakeholder in stock position at the shelf (Center Store), as measured by in-stock, inventory/days on hand, forecasting and seasonal impacts.
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, Merchandising, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
- 5–8 years of progressive experience in Grocery Retail, eCommerce, Category Management, Merchandising, Buying, or a related industry.
- At least 3 years of experience merchandising within Produce.
- Demonstrated experience managing category performance, assortment planning, pricing strategies, and vendor relationships.
- Strong analytical, financial, and business acumen with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.
- Experience managing projects and leading cross-functional initiatives.
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
- Strong understanding of category management principles, merchandising strategies, and retail economics.
- Ability to balance customer needs, operational requirements, and financial objectives.
- Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Excellent organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to lead medium- to large-scale initiatives.
- Effective collaborator with outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
- Track record of identifying and implementing process improvements and operational efficiencies.
We live these values every day:
A Passion for our customers
Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We listen, innovate, and act quickly to exceed expectations with every order and interaction.
One team, one mission
Everyone contributes & every role matters. We break silos, lift each other up, and share a relentless focus on delivering results. That way, we win together.
Delivering excellence, every time
We take pride in the quality of our food, service, and the experience we create. Our team goes above and beyond to earn trust and guarantee 100% freshness.
Act with integrity
We operate with honesty, respect, and accountability in how we treat our customers, teammates, and partners. We own our outcomes and always do what’s right, even when no one is watching.
Make fast, bold decisions
We challenge the status quo, embrace technology, and take smart risks to build a better future. At the same time, we stay true to our NYC roots and care for our community.
We love food. Yes, literally all of us.
What You’ll Love About Working Here
- A fast-paced, innovative environment where ideas turn into action
- Opportunities for growth — many of our leaders have risen through the ranks
- Direct impact on how thousands of customers experience food every day
$90,000 – $106,000
Total Rewards & Benefits
- Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits
- PTO, Safe & Sick Time, and Paid Holidays
- Medical, Vision, Dental, and Voluntary Disability coverage
- 401(k) with employer match and Life Insurance
- State-of-the-art Bronx campus with on-site basketball court, cafeteria, and employee market
- Onsite FREE parking
- FREE employee shuttle bus service from nearby Subway station
- Training, leadership development, and tuition discount at local colleges
- 20% employee discount on FreshDirect online orders and Brooklyn wine store
- Minimum 50% employee discount at our onsite employee market
- Mobile phone discounts through partnerships with T-Mobile and Verizon
- Gym membership discounts through NYSC
We embrace an in-office culture, composed of individuals who thrive on the collaboration and energy that comes from working together in a shared space. We are looking for people who excel in this environment, where physical presence enhances connections and engagement. At FreshDirect, we've created an environment that thrives on teamwork, where associates can innovate, grow, and have successful careers. Many of our leaders have successfully come up through our ranks. Because of our team's extraordinary efforts, we are a leading innovator in the e-commerce and grocery industries.
Equal Opportunity
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Fresh Direct, LLC and its affiliates do not discriminate against applicants or employees because of their race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, marital status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, or any other factor protected by federal, state, or local law.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the Team member(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of individuals in this position. Position expectations may be subject to change as the needs of the organization changes.
Salary : $90,000 - $106,000