Newly created position in a fast-growing company. Salary Range of $65,000-$85,000 DOE. Organic farming and Organic Plant purchasing preferred.
ABOUT US
Territorial Seed Co. is a growing company focused on helping home gardeners reach their potential and have fruitful gardens each year. We are looking for an experienced Category Manager to join our team. We focus on our employees producing and reaching their full potential, just like we help home gardeners succeed in growing their gardens.
We are looking for someone that wants to not only drive category growth within these product lines, but also loves using them personally. If you have the desire to work with vendors and suppliers securing the highest quality products available and enhance our customers’ lives with the product knowledge you have, then we are looking for you. There are growth opportunities for this role for the right person!
ABOUT YOU
You are passionate about growing healthy, high quality vegetables in your own garden and want to bring that passion to work every day. You love getting “dirty” planting your own seeds, but love sharing with others when your favorite vegetables grow in exciting and unexpected new ways each season.
As our Category Manager, you will be responsible for all things related to the category. Your product category will follow the multi-year product road map while supporting Product Specialists are responsible for the trial grow-outs and evaluations and supporting Purchasing Coordinator . You will also be responsible for all technical and marketing content needed to bring the products successfully to market.
The Category Manager accomplishes this by working closely with the entire Product Management team directly and the Marketing team indirectly throughout the year.
Key Responsibilities
- Responsible for overall category performance including forecasting, budgeting and NET company contribution
- Budgets, manages and reports tracking for Open to Buy targets for all category products
- Creates and executes product pricing strategies based on competitive landscape, value proposition and contribution margin
- Responsible for sourcing, acquiring, and coordinating the delivery and movement of live plants for ecommerce and Retail businesses with support from Purchasing Coordinator
- Maintain regular & active communication with vendors/suppliers to track the availability, delivery timing and quality of materials being purchased with support from Purchasing Coordinator
- Negotiate prices and product quality with suppliers, vendors and other representatives
- Maintain current in-depth knowledge of vendor products and comparative evaluations for price and quality
- Keep current on consumer behaviors, market trends and gardening industry developments
- Develops, communicates and maintains vendor relations and vendor scorecard with Finance team
- Organize, maintain, and track inventory and sell through of all category products
- Coordinate cross-department movement of category products between Farm, Retail and Warehouse/Receiving and ensure proper storage to minimize loss/damage
- Produce weekly/monthly purchasing reports accurately and manage and track all purchase orders created
- Produce weekly/monthly sales reports accurately and present to Leadership team
- Manage vendor certifications (Organic, Biodynamic, phytosanitary, resale, etc.) and ensure all are up to date, organized and maintained on file for quick reference and reporting
- Some travel required to maintain current vendor relationships as well as secure new vendors/suppliers
Position Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in Botany, Horticulture or other Agriculturally related field
- Minimum 4+ years of category management/buying experience, preferably in a Nursery, Garden Supply or other related business in the Home Gardening Industry
- Knowledge of organic farming a PLUS
- Ability to prioritize, self-manage and request help when needed
- Outstanding written communication, reporting and presentation skills
- Valid Oregon Driver’s license and ability to travel domestically as needed
