Category Manager

Posted 22 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Chicago, IL
Hybrid
100K-112K Annually
Senior level
eCommerce • Food • On-Demand • Retail • Software
Home Chef is a meal solution provider through online meal kit delivery service and in store.
The Role
Manage category strategies and supplier relationships, conduct market analyses, negotiate contracts, and drive procurement processes for improved supply chain performance.
Summary Generated by Built In

Founded in 2013, Home Chef is the leading meal solutions company with both a retail and online presence. Available online at homechef.com and in retail at more than 2,100 Kroger grocery stores, Home Chef is committed to inspiring and enabling more people to cook simple, delicious meals, no matter how busy they are.

In 2023, Home Chef introduced a new brand, Tempo! Tempo features a rotating selection of ready-to-heat meals delivered directly to your door. These meals are better-for-you versions of familiar favorites, designed to save you time and reduce stress while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our Tempo menu includes options that are protein-packed, fiber-rich, calorie and carb conscious, keto-friendly, and dietitian-approved.

Similar to our recipes, we recognize that variety is the spice of life, and therefore, our employees also bring their uniqueness and color to our fantastic team. We’re eager to work with humble team players and pragmatic next-level thinkers to innovate on Home Chef’s offerings.

Lead the end-to-end management of assigned categories from strategy to execution in order to meet Home Chef’s financial and operational goals.

Detailed Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain category strategy
  • Own the identification, evaluation, and choice of suppliers for category
  • Coordinate, negotiate, and manage RFPs with both new and current suppliers
  • Own supplier relationships for designated category
  • Conduct supply market analysis and collect supplier intelligence to drive sourcing process
  • Work closely with culinary team to identify new ingredient needs and test new suppliers for quality control
  • Coordinate with Cross Functional Partners to ensure all new suppliers meet Home Chef guidelines and expectations
  • Partner with legal to negotiate contract terms with key supplier partners and ensure terms + conditions of those contracts are managed and met
  • Work with Procurement Operations, Warehouse and site teams to improve supply chain performance
  • Collaborate with local sites and supplier partners to problem solve regular supply disruptions and secure product in time for weekly meal production
  • Attend industry conferences to identify new trends, suppliers and/or ingredients
  • Generate, prioritize and implement new product ideas

This position requires 10% travel. 

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.

  • Completion of a four-year degree program in a related field
  • 5+  years of procurement and sourcing experience (food category-related preferred)
  • Background in food and beverage industry highly preferred
  • Excellent communication, both oral and written
  • Strong data and numerical orientation
  • Proven project management experience
  • Ability to lead cross functional teams and stakeholders
  • Data-driven mindset and comfort with analysis
  • Passion for food and for working in a fast-paced, quickly-growing, entrepreneurial environment

More About Us
Perks and Benefits
  • Candidates can experience Home Chef as a customer - enter promo code PEOPLE30 for $30 off your first order!
  • Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance available
  • Paid holidays, sick time and vacation time
  • 401k program
  • Flexible spending accounts for qualified medical, dependent care, parking, or transit expenses
How We Work Together

We are humble team players.
We are warm and gracious with team members and customers. We seek feedback to improve ourselves - and respectfully listen to and accept input.

We are pragmatic next-level thinkers.
We come up with novel and unique ideas. We explore new strategies to avoid being constrained by conventional thinking.

We take ownership.
We approach ambiguous problems, prepared to dive in, get curious, and learn more. We are results-driven, always challenging ourselves to exceed goals.

Be at Home at Home Chef

We all show up authentically at Home Chef. Our team includes individuals with a variety of identities, backgrounds, and perspectives. You can trust that you’ll be able to bring your whole self to an inclusive and enjoyable workplace.

We welcome people of all races, colors, religions, national origin or ancestry, sex (including sexual identity), age, physical or mental disabilities, pregnancy, veteran or military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, order of protection status, citizenship status, arrest record or expunged/sealed convictions, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law.

Home Chef is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Home Chef will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact our People team at [email protected].

 

Home Chef offers the base salary range as posted below, with the exact offer depending on factors such as geographic location, experience, skills, and internal equity. While compensation is within the provided range, it is not typical for offers to be made at the upper end. In addition to base salary, Home Chef provides a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare coverage, 401k match, and paid time off.

Illinois Pay Range
$100,000$112,000 USD

To view the California Applicant Notice click here

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The Company
HQ: Chicago, IL
2,500 Employees
Year Founded: 2013

What We Do

Home Chef was founded in 2013 with a simple goal: to provide everything our customers need to bring more delicious meals and moments to the table. Home Chef provides approachable and delicious meal solutions, delivering all of the fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and easy to follow recipes to make enjoying a home-cooked meal a simply delicious experience every time.

In 2018 Home Chef finalized a merger with The Kroger Co. to accelerate the availability of meal kits and position the combined company to lead the way in revolutionizing how families shop for, prep and cook their meals. By late 2019, Home Chef had expanded its retail footprint to more than 2,500 Kroger grocery stores across the U.S.

Why Work With Us

At Home Chef, we promote from within and are always looking for new ideas in a collaborative environment. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where the essential ingredients - psychological safety, empathy, awareness and growth mindset - are embraced by people of diverse backgrounds and by all levels of the organization.

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