Category Manager

ABOUT HERSCHEL SUPPLY 

Welcome to Herschel Supply, where we make quality products for a lifetime of better journeys. Designed with timeless form and intuitive function in Vancouver, Canada, every piece is backed by our signature warranty for wherever you're going next. 

Since 2009, we've never stopped taking risks. We're constantly innovating, growing our community and heading on new journeys. We've gotten lost in new cities, made lifelong friends all over the world, road tripped with no GPS, and explored a ton of creative pursuits along the way. 

Putting yourself out there isn't easy. It means stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new. It might be scary at first, but it also leads to the best parts of life. Inspiring others to take that leap is what we live for. Wherever you're headed, we're here to help you pack your future with possibilities. 

So, come along for the ride, get inspired and Put Yourself Out There.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Category Manager is a key driver of commercial success, transforming seasonal line plans into a high-performing, market-ready assortment. You'll refine the product mix with precision - ensuring every SKU in your category is commercially strong, strategically priced for global markets, and positioned across channels to achieve financial targets.

Reporting to the Merchandising Operations Manager, you'll own the physical expression of your categories from end to end. You'll make final decisions on assortment selection (style, colour, tiering), lead pricing strategy (including off-MAP and promotional pricing), and oversee the full product lifecycle - from creating SKUs in PLM to recommending in-season markdowns or re-buys driven by performance data.

We are a community of creators who believe the best work happens when we're together; that's why we collaborate in-person Monday through Thursday, with Friday being flexible to work from home.

A DAY-IN-THE-LIFE
Line Architecture

• Execute seasonal line plan development, including SKU counts, carryover strategy, cancellations, and newness - always aligned with the founder's product vision and long-term assortment strategy.

• Build and maintain the line list as the foundation for seasonal assortment planning and cross-functional visibility.

• Collaborate closely with Design to finalize new silhouettes, feature sets, and product direction.

• Contribute to documenting best practices and building Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Product Creation & System Setup

• Create and maintain new styles in PLM, including style codes, naming conventions, retail pricing, and product hierarchy.

• Partner with Product Development and Design through prototype rounds to ensure cost targets, margin requirements, and commercial viability are met.

Pricing

• Build the seasonal price list for new and carryover SKUs for final approval and ensure timely, accurate price uploads.

• Recommend markdown strategies and end-of-life actions, and lead system execution.

GTM Merchandising

• Lead post-mortem analysis for your categories - digging into performance, uncovering gaps, highlighting risks, and identifying opportunities for future seasons.

• Support Sales during sell-in with product insights and pricing clarity.

• Partner with Visual Merchandising to shape retail assortments by category.

• Finalize compatible SKU selection for Retail and Ecommerce and share with Planning to inform buy strategies.

• Review buy files with Planning, addressing MOQs, surcharges, cancellations, and commercial considerations.

Pricing Execution & Inventory Management

• Analyze category-level performance - including sell-through, inventory turns, and regional trends - and share insights that influence cross-functional decisions.

• Support ongoing performance reviews with deep sales and inventory analysis.

• Recommend promotional pricing for key commercial events (BFCM, Boxing Week, Luggage Sale), including system setup and validation.

DELIVERABLES & KPIs

• Timely execution of seasonal line plans, assortments, and system setup aligned to global strategy.

• Category revenue and sell-through results that meet or exceed plan.

• High accuracy in PLM setup, pricing uploads, and assortment execution with minimal downstream corrections.

• Strong inventory turns and effective management of aged inventory.

• Clear, actionable post-mortem and in-season insights that strengthen future line plans and commercial decisions.

ABOUT YOU

• 3–5 years of experience in Category Management with a proven ability to grow a product category.

• Fashion, Home Textiles or Hardgoods experience is essential

• Post-secondary education in Business or Fashion Merchandising is an asset.

• Skilled in Assortment Planning and Market Analysis.

• Highly proficient in Excel and Google Sheets for managing line lists.

• Experience with global pricing schemas and multi-currency environments.

• Strong commercial eye - balancing data, intuition, and aesthetic.

• Excellent cross-functional communication and alignment skills.

• Confident working under pressure to solve problems quickly.

• Experience with PLM and ERP systems

• Some familiarity with Power BI.

• Comfortable with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and project management tools (e.g., ).

NICE TO HAVE

• Category expertise in Bags, Apparel, or Headwear would be advantageous 

• Experience across both Wholesale and DTC channels.

YOUR JOURNEY WITH HERSCHEL SUPPLY

The annual salary for this role falls within the range of $80,000 - $90,000. This is a hybrid role, based out of our Vancouver HQ 4 days per week - Monday to Thursday, with the option to WFH on Friday.

In addition to base salary, here are just a few of the additional perks we offer to our valued team members as part of our comprehensive total compensation package:

• Health benefits
• Competitive vacation policy
• Transit subsidy
• Maternity leave top-up for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Employee assistance program
• Professional development subsidy
• Product discount and giveaways
• Free fruit, snacks & beverages
• Social clubs and workshops (run, craft etc.)
• Weekly happy hour
• Various fun events throughout the year
• A dog friendly office

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION AT HERSCHEL SUPPLY

We're committed to creating a workspace that is safe, secure, inclusive and enjoyable for all. Stemming from our core values and initiating dialogue around our programs, we aim to empower everyone to share their individual voices and experiences. It's with this openness that we are able to expand our view of who we are as individuals, and what we can do in our careers at Herschel.

At Herschel Supply, we are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our goal is to build an inclusive culture that connects us to our customers and the communities around us while embracing and encouraging diversity in our employees' age, colour, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

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