Senior Category Manager
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What you'll do
- Develop portfolio-specific strategies across key category management levers: assortment, distribution, pricing, promotions, and inventory management
- Translate category strategies and playbooks into localized, region- and/or store-specific programs that reflect unique market dynamics and consumer preferences
- Build and maintain compelling cannabis product assortments, balancing national priorities with regional/banner-specific opportunities
- Develop and maintain optimal shelf pricing by analyzing margin targets, competitive benchmarks, consumer price sensitivity, and promotional elasticity
- Actively manage inventory health by monitoring sell-through and weeks of supply with a focus on mitigating aging inventory through assortment changes and/or promotional markdowns
- Prepare product and vendor setup and maintenance requests, ensuring accuracy of all master data attributes in close partnership with Merchandising Operations
- Maintain planograms and menu boards, ensuring timely preparation, clarity of instruction for stores, and optimal slotting based on business, customer, and vendor objectives
- Act as the primary relationship lead for 50+ suppliers, managing all aspects of the partnership lifecycle including onboarding, business reviews, commercial negotiations, billing, collections, and issue resolution
- Partner with key suppliers to continuously refine joint business plans, aligning on growth targets, investment priorities, and commercial opportunities
- Lead the sourcing and set up of new suppliers to address assortment gaps and evolving customer needs, including the negotiation of commercial agreements
- Design and continuously improve supplier engagement processes, governance frameworks, planning cycles, and performance review cadences to create a consistent and scalable partnership model
- Develop reporting, scorecards, and business reviews that measure supplier performance, evaluate commercial program effectiveness, and identify growth opportunities
What they're looking for
- 7+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, or a related role
- Experience working in a fast-paced retail and/or consumer goods environment
- Proven experience managing external partnerships, negotiating commercial agreements, and influencing senior stakeholders
- Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to turn large amounts of disparate data into clear, actionable insights
- Advanced proficiency in Excel with experience working with large datasets, financial analysis, and performance reporting is required
- Strong financial acumen with a solid understanding of retail KPIs, margin mechanics, promotional economics, and inventory metrics
- High attention to detail, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities across regions and timelines
- Experience coaching and managing at least 1 direct report
Nice to have
- Bonus points if you have experience working in cannabis
- Experience working with enterprise-grade BI systems
- Bonus points if you have experience working with PowerBI
Summarised by NextRaise from the employer’s description, which follows in full below.
Full description from employer
Work Location
Toronto Corporate OfficeAbout the Role
The Senior Category Manager plays a critical role in managing assortment, distribution, pricing, promotions, and inventory management strategies for an assigned portfolio within SNDL's Cannabis Retail network. This is a highly visible, analytical role, ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of data and retail operations.
Reporting to the Senior Director, Retail Merchandising & Commercial Strategy, you’ll be accountable for driving sales, margin, and other objectives whilst ensuring strategies are tailored to local market dynamics and consumer preferences.
Candidates who can work a hybrid schedule out of SNDL's Toronto (49 Spadina Ave) or Edmonton Offices (17220 Stony Plain Rd) are strongly preferred. Exceptional candidates working remotely from Ontario, Alberta, or British Columbia may also be considered
Responsibilities
- Category management and merchandising
- Develop portfolio-specific strategies across key category management levers: assortment, distribution, pricing, promotions, and inventory management
- Translate category strategies and playbooks into localized, region- and/or store-specific programs that reflect unique market dynamics and consumer preferences
- Build and maintain compelling cannabis product assortments, balancing national priorities with regional/banner-specific opportunities
- Develop and maintain optimal shelf pricing by analyzing margin targets, competitive benchmarks, consumer price sensitivity, and promotional elasticity
- Actively manage inventory health by monitoring sell-through and weeks of supply with a focus on mitigating aging inventory through assortment changes and/or promotional markdowns
- Prepare product and vendor setup and maintenance requests, ensuring accuracy of all master data attributes in close partnership with Merchandising Operations
- Maintain planograms and menu boards, ensuring timely preparation, clarity of instruction for stores, and optimal slotting based on business, customer, and vendor objectives
- Vendor and trade management
- Act as the primary relationship lead for 50+ suppliers, managing all aspects of the partnership lifecycle including onboarding, business reviews, commercial negotiations, billing, collections, and issue resolution
- Partner with key suppliers to continuously refine joint business plans, aligning on growth targets, investment priorities, and commercial opportunities
- Lead the sourcing and set up of new suppliers to address assortment gaps and evolving customer needs, including the negotiation of commercial agreements
- Design and continuously improve supplier engagement processes, governance frameworks, planning cycles, and performance review cadences to create a consistent and scalable partnership model
- Develop reporting, scorecards, and business reviews that measure supplier performance, evaluate commercial program effectiveness, and identify growth opportunities
- Reporting, analytics, and insights
- Prepare regular category performance reporting and actionable insights for internal stakeholders
- Proactively conduct item-level and category-level performance reviews, recommending actions such as pricing adjustments, promotional optimization, distribution changes, or SKU rationalization
- Leverage internal performance data and external market sources to assess competitive positioning, identify emerging trends, and surface innovation opportunities
- Stay current on industry developments, macro trends, regulatory shifts, and competitive activity to inform category and banner-level decision-making
- Cross-functional enablement
- Act as a key point of contact for portfolio-specific category questions and day-to-day operational needs
- Across all the above, partner closely with Merchandising Operations, Retail Planning & Analytics, Supply Chain, Retail Marketing, Store Operations, Finance, and other teams to ensure cross-functional alignment
Key qualifications
- 7+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, or a related role
- Experience working in a fast-paced retail and/or consumer goods environment. Bonus points if you have experience working in cannabis
- Proven experience managing external partnerships, negotiating commercial agreements, and influencing senior stakeholders
- Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to turn large amounts of disparate data into clear, actionable insights. Advanced proficiency in Excel with experience working with large datasets, financial analysis, and performance reporting is required
- Experience working with enterprise-grade BI systems. Bonus points if you have experience working with PowerBI
- Strong financial acumen with a solid understanding of retail KPIs, margin mechanics, promotional economics, and inventory metrics
- High attention to detail, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities across regions and timelines
What Makes SNDL a Great Place to Grow:
- Competitive compensation including performance-based bonuses and annual salary reviews.
- Comprehensive health and dental benefits, including a Healthcare Spending Account.
- Three weeks of paid vacation with annual rollover.
- Flexible, hybrid work arrangements to support work-life balance.
- Recognition and rewards programs that celebrate individual and team achievements.
- Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) with mental health, financial, and family support.
- Employee perks and discounts program, offering savings across fitness, wellness, lifestyle, retail, and everyday services
We are grateful for the interest in this role from all candidates, however, we will be contacting only those that are selected for next steps in the hiring process.
Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
SNDL is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a welcoming, inclusive, diverse and safe workplace where all of our team members have equal opportunity to succeed. We know this begins with recruitment. To honor our commitment, SNDL encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, ages and abilities.
Targeted Base Salary - $95,000 - $109,000
About SNDL
SNDL is one of Canada’s leading and fastest-growing liquor and cannabis companies. As the country’s largest private-sector retailer, our portfolio includes well-known banners such as Wine and Beyond, Liquor Depot, Ace Liquor, Value Buds, Spiritleaf, and Cost Cannabis.
We’re also one of Canada’s largest vertically integrated cannabis producers, recognized for our innovation, low-cost manufacturing, and award-winning brands including Top Leaf, Contraband, Palmetto, Bon Jak, La Plogue, Versus, Grasslands, Vacay, Pearls by Grön, No Future, and Bhang Chocolate.
Driven by purpose, performance, and people, SNDL is shaping the future of retail and cannabis by bringing people together through exceptional products and experiences.
Rate Of Pay
102000CAD
Salary PlanCompany
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