Category Manager Bakery

*Please provide a resume.

Company Overview

Bashas is a family-owned regional grocer that operates in Arizona New Mexico and serves four Tribal Nations under five well-known brands including Bashas Food City AJs Fine Foods Eddies Country Store and Bashas Diné supermarkets. Founded in 1932 Bashas has a rich history of serving Arizona families with quality products and great customer service. With more than 110 grocery stores Bashas is one of the largest employers in the state and we are committed to nourishing the communities we serve through purposeful partnerships and giving centered around our vision and purpose of changing the way we eat one plate at a time.

Shared values led Bashas to join The Raleys Companiesin 2021 and the partnership has enhanced our core business through technological advancements shared learning leadership development and new offerings. With more than 21000 team members we are united by a higher purpose: to deliver quality offerings exceptional service and to do right by our people communities and planet.

Whether through our commitment to nutrition and wellness or Bashas legacy of giving back over $100 million to local communities we strive to empower customers with transparency education and access to fresh affordable and nourishing food. Were looking for the same kind of passionate people to join our team grow with us and share ourpurpose.

Position Overview

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for building winning product assortments driving sales performance and shaping a bestinclass customer experience As a Category Manager youll own the vision performance and innovation strategy for your assigned categories ensuring the right products at the right cost reach our customers every day.

In this role youll lead category planning cost negotiations promotional strategy supplier relationships and product innovation. Youll work crossfunctionally with merchandising procurement store operations and global sourcing partners to drive margin growth market share gains and customer satisfaction.

If youre analytical growthminded and energized by balancing both strategy and execution wed love to meet you.

What Youll Do

Category Strategy & Business Performance:

• Develop and execute annual category plans to support sales profit and margin goals.
• Build and optimize product assortment strategies including the integration of global brands across store clusters.
• Apply pricing strategies cost drivers and elasticity insights to deliver strong category performance.
• Evaluate category results and lead continuous improvement efforts to reduce costs in goods supplies and equipment.
• Conduct deep analysis of category performance to identify strengths gaps and opportunities; implement adjustments that increase sales and profitability.
• Monitor and scorecard supplier performance based on price quality assortment and service.
• Assess competitive retailers and market trends to identify threats and opportunities.

Promotions Merchandising & Product Innovation:

• Develop and execute promotional plans that elevate category performance and support brand differentiation.
• Monitor promotion effectiveness and refine plans to maximize ROI.
• Participate in store layout and design conversations for new and remodeled locations offering category expertise.
• Conduct seasonal buying trips and contribute to product R&D to advance innovation and transformation within assigned categories.
• Partner with international agents to identify global sourcing and pricing opportunities.
• Build strategies for seasonal and onetime buys including sellthrough and markdown planning.
• Guide marketing and merchandising teams to ensure successful newproduct launches and bestinclass category offerings.

Supplier Leadership & Negotiation:

• Build and maintain collaborative supplier relationships that drive better costs greater value and stronger product offerings.
• Leverage costofgoods insights and negotiation expertise to secure the best procurement costs.
• Partner with Procurement Analysts to ensure consistent product availability and service levels.
• Achieve promotional funding goals and secure additional funds to support margin and loyalty initiatives.
• Support contract negotiations to align supplier agreements with budget expectations and business objectives.

Leadership & Team Development:

• Provide leadership that reflects our company values and inspires high performance within the merchandising team.
• Interview select evaluate and recognize team members based on business needs and performance contributions.
• Collaborate with crossfunctional leaders on category initiatives and business priorities.

What You Bring

Education & Experience

• Bachelors degree in Business Marketing or a related field.
• 5 years of retail grocery category management experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge & Expertise

• Strong understanding of buying merchandising and retail operations.
• Knowledge of the grocery retail industry and its impact on category strategy.
• Experience with forecasting and demand planning methodologies.

Skills & Strengths

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and sales/merchandising systems.
• Strong financial acumen analytical capability and negotiation expertise.
• Ability to create category strategies and set functional direction.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes affecting cost and quality.
• Knowledge of international sourcing distribution and planning processes.
• Strong influencing skills and the ability to navigate complex issues with senior leaders.
• Ability to respond effectively to new priorities challenges and obstacles.
• Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire teams.