Senior Category Manager

<p></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Senior Category Manager – Home Furnishings Retail | $110,000–$125,000 + Bonus</strong> <em>Posted on behalf of a client of Zero Hiring</em></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>About the Opportunity</strong></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Our client is one of the largest retailers in the United States.&nbsp;They are seeking a commercially-minded <strong>Senior Category Manager</strong> to act as a business owner for assigned product categories, driving revenue growth, margin expansion, and inventory productivity.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">This is a highly collaborative individual contributor role that partners closely across Merchandising, Inventory Planning, and Store teams — succeeding through influence, data-driven recommendations, and structured strategic thinking.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Compensation &amp; Benefits</strong></p> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Base Salary: $110,000–$125,000 depending on qualifications and experience</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Company bonus programme: up to 20% of annual salary based on personal and company performance</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">401(k) with company match</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Paid time off, holiday pay, and a paid birthday day off</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Medical, dental, and vision insurance from $25/week</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Referral bonuses of up to $1,000 per successful hire</li> </ul> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>The Role</strong></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">You will own category P&amp;L across sales, margin, and inventory productivity, with success measured by improvements in sales and margin per SKU and per square foot, inventory turns, reduction of aged inventory, and the development of focused assortments aligned to customer demand. Core responsibilities include:</p> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Defining and optimising assortment strategy across core, test, and seasonal products</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Leading SKU rationalisation and full lifecycle decisions from launch through to exit</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Establishing pricing architecture (good/better/best) and driving pricing actions based on elasticity, performance, and competition</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Partnering with leadership to deliver margin targets with an IMU focus</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Identifying assortment gaps and product opportunities through ongoing performance analysis</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Providing strategic direction on inventory investment (depth vs. breadth) in partnership with Planning</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Building reporting frameworks and translating category insights into actionable recommendations</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Ensuring alignment across category strategy, inventory flow, and store execution</li> </ul> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>What We're Looking For</strong></p> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">5–8+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, buying, or retail strategy</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Proven track record owning or influencing category-level financial performance across sales, margin, and inventory</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Experience in SKU-intensive, multi-unit retail environments — furniture, big-box, home goods, or similar preferred</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Demonstrated success partnering cross-functionally with Planning, Allocation, and Supply Chain teams</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Experience with vendor and supplier relationships including product lifecycle and assortment decisions</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Exposure to long lead-time inventory environments and demand planning processes preferred</li> <li class="whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Finance, or related field; MBA or advanced degree a plus</li> </ul> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Schedule</strong></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Full-time, minimum 40 hours per week. Hybrid schedule with Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday in-office required. Minimal travel expected.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Interested?</strong></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">If you're a strategic retail merchandising professional with a passion for category ownership and data-driven decision-making, we'd love to hear from you. Please apply through <strong>Zero Hiring</strong> — all applications are handled in strict confidence.</p> <p></p>