Category Manager

Company Introduction:
T&T Supermarket Inc. was founded in 1993 with two stores in BC. Since then, it has expanded rapidly and is now Canada’s largest Asian supermarket chain with 31 stores across the country: 13 in BC, 7 in Alberta, 10 in Ontario, and 1 in Quebec. The Company’s continuous expansion is going to bring more new stores in the next couple of years.

The Role:
Reporting to the regional Merchandising Director (or his assigned delegate), the regional Category Manager is responsible for achieving the budget targets in terms of sales, gross profits and other key performance indicators on given category(ies). The position is also responsible to develop and strengthen the category(ies) business and to support overall business operations and growth in the Western Region (BC and AB) or Eastern Region (ON), whichever is applicable. The position needs to work closely with various stores, internal departments, and external suppliers in completing multiple initiatives on a timely manner.

Major Responsibilities:
**Achievement of top and bottom-line financials**
- Responsible for achieving the budgeted targets and other key performance indicators including but are not limited to Gross Profit, Sales, Monthly Budget, Unfilled Rate, Slow Moving Products, New Items Development, Import Shipment Quality Control, Turnover Rate, Promotion Plan and Sales Achievement, Inventory Level and Wastage
- Accountable for the category overall performances at all stores within the region
- Analyze financial results, conduct variance analyses by period and take appropriate actions to ensure goals are being met

**Sourcing and Purchasing**
- Source and procure products from locally and other overseas countries, via local distributors &/or suppliers; meet the needs of Asian and mainstream Canadian families
- Continue to expand the number of product and develop new business opportunities by building relationships with new local and overseas suppliers
- Cultivate and further develop relationships with existing suppliers through relationship building and repeated negotiations

**Vendor Partnership and Product Promotions**
- Responsible for product marketing and promotion by partnering closely with vendors to establish creative programs to exploit potential business opportunities, this includes but is not limited to soliciting exclusive brands or products for T&T, develop programs to promote sales, conduct sampling and in-store promotional campaigns
- Plan, run and execute promotional campaigns at selected stores located in BC and all stores in AB

**Teamwork Management**
- Provide ongoing coaching, education and professional development, including workshops, seminars, classes, meetings, etc. to ensure staff are staying current with market trends and customer needs
- Proactively manage employees’ performance, take timely and appropriate progressive actions in recognizing or disciplining employees’ behaviors
- Cultivate good relationships with stores and other departments to support business operations and development

**Perform any other duties as requested by the superior(s)**

Knowledge, Skills and Ability Requirements:

- Possess 7+ years of experience in procurement in food category(ies) such as Gracery, Dairy and Frozen, Seafood, Meat, etc, with prior experience in dealing with local and overseas suppliers
- Strong knowledge in related products; familiarize with product specification, pricing, and other mandatory standards, legislation and regulation requirements
- Have a track record in delivering and managing results, demonstrate strong ability to ability to work on many tasks simultaneously, prioritize and complete requests in an efficient manner
- Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization and with external stakeholders; with strong written and verbal communication skills in English; knowledge in Chinese (Cantonese and/or Mandarin) is an asset
- Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to solve problems independently
- Resourceful, keep abreast of market trends and information effectively
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to generate/analyze data for business needs
- Proven negotiation skills with sound business judgment and decision-making, knowledgeable in import, procurement and Canadian trade practices
- Possess a university degree, with major in Business Administration or Commerce is preferred
- Intermediate level in MS Words and PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook
- Ability to travel locally and overseas as required

**Employee Benefits**
- Quarterly discretionary bonus
- Life / AD&D insurance
- Extended health/dental/vision care
- Retirement benefit
- Paid annual / sick /marriage / bereavement leave
- Subsidized staff meal
- In-store staff purchase discount

**Work Hours**

5-day work week (Monday to Friday), 9:00am - 5:30pm

**Safety Statement**

Safety continues to be T&T Supermarket’s top priority. We’ve established health and safety policies and measures to ensure our