Director of Category Manager

SUMMARY

The Director oversees the assigned category and supplier program strategies to drive UniPro Member income. The Director has responsibility and accountability for the assigned department’s overall effectiveness, budgeted income generation and to coordinate successfully achieving UniPro’s overall Category Management strategies for those departments.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Proactively work with UniPro Members to grow specified category earned income by managing EA & SPA income programs, committed programs, Block Buys, Tier and Volumetric, and other earned income programs.

• Continuously negotiate and seek to improve supplier earned income programs through a) higher EDA rates per pound, per case, or on a percentage basis, and b) improved SPA allowances, promotions, incentives, and growth programs.

• Proactively work with and monitor specified suppliers to ensure they are supporting members and consistently growing sales and earned income. Create expectations that suppliers align their yearly growth goals with UniPro’s.

• Establish effective working relationships with key suppliers and provide their companies with value for funds expended to the degree possible/consistent with the needs of UniPro Members.
• Rationalize the approved category supplier base, adding new suppliers where appropriate and/or terminating under-performing suppliers.
• Responsible for the lead role of Partners Plus supplier negotiations and income generation.
• Proactively work with the UniPro Member Development department to ensure coordination of activities between the departments to target and grow member purchases, earned income, and top line sales.
• Achieve budgeted department growth goals for purchases and earned income and manage departmental expenses within budget.
• Provide UniPro Members with timely and accurate market trend information.
• Implement strategic buy opportunities for all UniPro Members as seasonal, market and supplier offerings are presented.
• Work with the Quality Assurance Department and UniPro Branding Teams to develop theme, packaging and products consistent with the purpose of creating and maintaining a UniPro Brand available to all UniPro Members, where appropriate.
• Represent the specified category at the national, bi-annual Purchasing Conferences.
• Provide information, secure allowances and promote activities designed to enhance UniPro Members’ financial returns from the Specific category.
• Facilitate interaction between Assigned suppliers and Peachtree Logistics and the UniPro Marketing department. Seek opportunities to maximize Peachtree, Partners Plus and other Earned Income opportunities through coordinated cross-departmental activity.

SUPERVISION GIVEN AND RECEIVED

Reports directly to Sr Director or Departmental Vice President

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL CONTACTS

• Internal contacts with UniPro Senior Management, Human Rsources, Quality Assurance, IT, NDA, Accounting/Finance, Meeting & Planning, Member Development and Marketing
• External contacts with UniPro Members, approved suppliers and potential new suppliers.

OTHER FUNCTIONS

• May be required to attend various category Industry Training and Educational Seminars to remain well versed in current industry direction and innovations.
• May be required to attend various category Industry Conventions, Shows and Supplier Plants to maintain existing supplier contacts as well as develop new Supplier relationships.
• Communicate assigned Supplier news and activities through established communication channels, to UniPro Foodservice, Inc. and UniPro Members

JOB REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience. Minimum Ten (10) years’ experience in the Foodservice industry required as well as three (3) years’ experience in Buying Group/Corporate or Distribution with emphasis in Foodservice Category Management experience preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, budgeting and associate management; Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office (Windows, Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint).