Category Manager, B2B

Who We Are
As the Working and Learning Company, we at Staples Canada, are dynamic, inspiring partners to our customers and the communities in which we live. At Staples, we inspire people to work smarter, learn more and grow every day. We look for people who are curious, approachable, and passionate, and who enjoy finding solutions.
If that’s you, let’s work, learn, and grow together.
We are building an inclusive and diverse team
Staples Canada is creating an inclusive and diverse work environment. We welcome, value and thrive on perspectives and contributions from backgrounds that vary by race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lifestyle, age, educational background, national origin, religion or physical ability. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Some Of What You Will Do
As Category Manager you will be responsible for managing the products, sales, inventory, margin, and turnover of specific categories for Business to business (B2B) Channels. You will provide leadership and inspiration to various projects and initiatives in the Merchandising department. You will ensure department and overall company vision and brand identity is supported through a differentiated product assortment supporting our customers. Each day will be fast paced, challenging, rewarding and meaningful.
Job
Merchandising/Buying
Location(s)
CA-ON-Richmond Hill
Other Locations
CA-ON-Mississauga
Schedule
Full-time
Staples Canada is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion and we encourage applications from all qualified candidates, including those with disabilities.
Specifically, You Will
Category Management:

• Ensure product assortment is both productive and relevant for the market by actively managing the assortment through its product lifecycle
• Ensure your portfolio’s go-to-market strategy is relevant and timely based on business-to-business market needs
• Assess supply issues, vendor performance concerns and collaborate with other departments to perform problem-solving activities to enhance department and company performance.
• Act as industry expert from both a technical and commercial perspective to partner with sales team to win with new customer sales
• Proactively seek out insights from vendors and external trends to drive overall sales, margin, and differentiate our assortment and presence in the market.
• Manage dropship program through our e-commerce channel with new and innovative product selections
• Build an assortment and execute promotional plans that are relevant to the respective channel
• Develop and execute, in coordination with Procurement and Product Development teams, a strategic owned brand strategy to differentiate our product offering in quality, sustainability and value.
• Stay in tune with industry trends, and customer buying behavior to provide relevant material savings opportunities. Coordinate with sales and supply chain teams to realize savings quickly.
• Review product specifications to maintain a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.
• Manage financial plans for our, Staples Preferred /E-commerce, and Business-to-Business banners

Pricing

• Responsible for maximizing the sales and profit of the categories while remaining competitive with pricing.
• Negotiate all vendor buying agreements between the company and respective suppliers.

Inventory Management

• Ensure merchandise is ordered to reflect demand for sale events.
• Maximizing the inventory turnover in the categories to meet budget
• Work with supply chain strategy & optimization teams to determine which products are slow movers, which are rapid moving, which are generating more ROI, etc.

Vendor Relations

• Purchasing of product for a category through the negotiation process.
• Management of market development funds, product returns and inventory mix.
• Work with multiple vendors to decrease lead times and improve on-time delivery, improve overall vendor performance (i.e., lead times, minimum order quantities and tiers, packaging specs, etc.)
• Work with vendors on promotional planning and funding.

Advertising and Visual Merchandising and Website.

• Plan website layout and taxonomy to improve customer shopping experience.
• Work collectively with members of the advertising, marketing and digital teams.
• Partner closely with Marketing, plan aggressive digital advertising programs for executive review.
• Plan omni-channel promotional vehicles including digital, media campaigns, and promotional pages as examples.

People Management

• Oversee, provide guidance and motivate through effective orientation, training, and evaluation.
• Manage through influence with various support teams to bring your categories priorities to life and achieve its objectives
• Hold teams accountable to ensuring they are proactively seeking trends and insights about their categories and assortments, driving a differentiated presence for Staples.
• Provide input into hiring and coach associates through disciplinary actions up to and including termination of employment.

Communication

• Establish regular and effective communication with stores, fulfillment Centers and home office departments.
• Ensure that stores or Fulfillment Centers and other departments receive the information they need with respect to new, changed, or discontinued product.
• Establish relationships various internal stakeholders (for example Outside and inside sales teams, Digital, Finance and Marketing.) to ensure best practices are being executed and shared.

Other

• Participate in special projects.

Some Of What You Need

• Minimum of 5-7 years of category management experience preferably with a national retail chain or five years in the Staples Buyer Development Program
• Post secondary degree/diploma with a focus on retail management, merchandising and purchasing or equivalent experience.
• Ability to foresee market trends and changes in order to make effective buying decisions.

Additional Information

• Periodic travel required.
• Hybrid

Some Of What You Will Get

• Health and Dental benefits
• Associate discount
• Learning & Development programs
• And more...
• RRSP/DPSP
• Performance bonuses

#bringyourpassion