Category Manager - Meat & Seafood

About Thrive Market

Thrive Market was founded in 2014 with a mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy and affordable for everyone. As an online, membership-based market, we deliver the highest quality healthy, and sustainable products at member-only prices, while matching every paid membership with a free one for someone in need. Every day, we leverage innovative technology and member-first thinking to help our over 1,600,000 members find better products, support better brands, and build a better world in the process. We are also a Certified B Corporation, a Public Benefit Corporation, and a Climate Neutral Certified company.

Join us as we bring healthy and sustainable living to millions of Americans in the years to come.

THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced Category Manager to lead merchandising efforts for the Meat & Seafood category at Thrive Market. This role will be responsible for driving growth in revenue and margin through thoughtful product assortment and selection, strategic vendor relationship management, pricing, promotions, and site merchandising.

A key component of this position is having a fundamental understanding of the brands, sourcing practices, and industry dynamics that define the high-quality, sustainable meat and seafood space. Experience in the protein category—particularly with premium, pasture-raised, grass-fed, organic, or wild-caught products—is strongly preferred.

Thrive Market maintains a highly curated assortment that aligns with our rigorous quality standards and values. Our lean team and fast-paced environment require someone who is nimble, analytical, and action-oriented—someone who can set and drive clear strategy while also diving into the day-to-day details.

This is a cross-functional role that will work closely with Supply Chain, FSQA, Procurement, Owned Brand, and Merch Marketing partners to ensure category success both online and in our fulfillment centers. The role typically requires ~15–20% travel to vendor meetings, production facilities, and trade shows when possible.

We're looking for a category management professional who is excited to shape the future of how members shop for better-for-you protein products—and who thrives in a high-growth, mission-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Grow and manage the Meat & Seafood category to achieve revenue, margin, and inventory efficiency goals while upholding Thrive Market’s strict sourcing and quality standards
• Drive category strategy and innovation, including optimizing the member shopping experience for Meat & Seafood and identifying white space for new items, pack sizes, or sourcing models (e.g., bulk proteins, prepared options, or exclusive items)
• Actively identify and cultivate strong vendor relationships—including direct suppliers and UNFI partners—negotiating best-in-class pricing, margin terms, promotional support, and marketing investments
• Review and vet all new brands and items for quality, ingredient, and sourcing compliance in close collaboration with FSQA and Owned Brand teams
• Track and analyze performance metrics to assess category health, inform decision-making, and identify areas for improvement or expansion
• Manage the full onboarding process for new items and suppliers, ensuring timely and accurate launches
• Secure vendor support across everyday pricing, accruals, promotional funding, and annual rebate programs
• Partner with the Procurement and Supply Chain teams on forecasts, vendor fulfillment, expiry risks, and exit strategies for slow-moving or seasonal inventory
• Collaborate with the Merchandising Marketing team to build impactful promotional calendars and brand marketing campaigns that align with our seasonal and evergreen category priorities
• Be curious, trend-driven, and rigorous in researching category innovation—from regenerative meat sourcing to sustainable seafood practices—and translate insights into assortment recommendations
• Know the competitive set and member preferences inside and out to ensure Thrive Market is offering the most compelling value and selection in the natural and organic meat & seafood space
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with internal teams, and act as a strong representative of Thrive Market’s brand and values in all vendor and partner interactions
  
  

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in a buying, category management, or merchandising role
• Meat and/or seafood category experience strongly preferred
• Familiarity with e-commerce and/or natural/organic CPG industry is a plus
• Proven ability to manage vendor relationships, negotiate effectively, and influence outcomes
• Collaborative and proactive team player who thrives in a fast-paced environment
• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Passionate about sustainable food systems and Thrive Market’s mission
• Fluency in technical and tactical merchandising: Excel, Power Point, Google Sheets expertise critical
• Willingness to roll your sleeves up and get into the day to day of category management and item launches
• Exemplary communication skills: you can present, write clear/concise emails, and understand the nuances of how best to communicate with different teams and vendors
• Self-directing and self-correcting: you’re a natural problem solver skilled at prioritization
• Flexibility and ability to adapt quickly to an ever-evolving environment
• Over-the-top excitement about making healthy, affordable products available to every American
  
  

Belong To a Better Company

• Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision, life and disability)
• Competitive salary (DOE) equity
• 401k plan
• 9 Observed Holidays
• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Subsidized ClassPass Membership with access to fitness classes and wellness and beauty experiences
• Ability to work in our beautiful office in Playa Vista
• Free Thrive Market membership with exclusive employee discount
• Coverage for Life Coaching & Therapy Sessions on our holistic mental health and well-being platform
  
  

We're a community of more than 1 Million members who are united by a singular belief: It should be easy to find better products, support better brands, make better choices, and build a better world in the process.

At Thrive Market, we believe in building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic culture. If you are excited about this role along with our mission and values, we encourage you to apply.

Thrive Market is an EEO/Veterans/Disabled/LGBTQ employer.

At Thrive Market, our goal is to be a diverse and inclusive workplace that is representative, at all job levels, of the members we serve and the communities we operate in. We’re proud to be an inclusive company and an Equal Opportunity Employer and we prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as a company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. If you’re thinking about joining our team, we expect that you would agree!

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please email us at eeo@thrivemarket.com and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Ensure your Thrive Market job offer is legitimate and don't fall victim to fraud. Thrive Market never seeks payment from job applicants. Thrive Market recruiters will only reach out to applicants from an @thrivemarket.com email address. For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.thrivemarket.com.

© Thrive Market 2025 All rights reserved.

Job Information

• Compensation Description - The base salary range for this position is $85,000 - $110,000/Per Year.
• Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on several factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and geographic location.
• Total Compensation includes Base Salary, Stock Options, Health and Wellness Benefits, Flexible PTO, and more!