Category Manager

Principal Category Manager Product Strategy & Category Leadership

Location:

Markham, Ontario

Employment Type:

Full-Time

Salary:

$120,000–$140,000, plus performance incentive

People Finders Personnel is recruiting a

Principal Category Manager

on behalf of our client, an established Canadian retailer specializing in health, wellness and medical products.

This is a highly visible leadership opportunity for an accomplished category management professional who is ready to influence product strategy at the enterprise level. Reporting to the President, the Principal Category Manager will establish the long-term vision for the organization’s product and assortment portfolio while directly managing a complex group of health and wellness categories.

What You Will Do Lead Product and Category Strategy

Develop and execute an enterprise-wide product and assortment strategy aligned with the organization’s growth objectives.

Establish a long-term product roadmap across categories, retail locations and eCommerce.

Identify emerging consumer and healthcare trends, assortment gaps and new opportunities for growth.

Translate market, sales and customer insights into practical category strategies and commercial recommendations.

Provide senior leadership with clear, data-supported guidance on product, pricing and assortment decisions.

Manage Complex Health and Wellness Categories

Oversee the strategy and performance of specialized medical and wellness product categories.

Manage assortment planning, product lifecycle decisions, pricing, promotions and inventory performance.

Evaluate product offerings through a customer- and patient-centred lens, balancing commercial results with accessibility, quality and changing healthcare needs.

Ensure appropriate product selection and inventory depth to support consultative selling, professional fitting programs and other in-store services.

Monitor category performance, including sales, gross margin, stock turns, inventory levels and promotional results.

Product categories may include:

Mobility products and home-safety solutions

Sleep therapy and CPAP equipment

Braces, supports and compression products

Incontinence, ostomy and wound-care supplies

Personal health and daily living products

Build Strategic Supplier Partnerships

Lead sourcing initiatives from strategy development through supplier evaluation, negotiation and award.

Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, service levels and vendor agreements.

Develop productive, long-term relationships with medical manufacturers, healthcare brands and other strategic suppliers.

Establish supplier scorecards, service-level expectations and regular business reviews.

Identify and mitigate risks related to supply continuity, single-source products, product quality and regulatory compliance.

Support Regulatory and Funding Requirements

Work with internal and external partners to ensure products meet applicable Health Canada requirements and industry standards.

Consider government funding and assistive-device programs when making assortment, pricing and supplier decisions.

Partner with Marketing to ensure educational materials accurately communicate product benefits without making unauthorized clinical claims.

Strengthen the Omni-Channel Customer Experience

Align assortment, pricing and promotional strategies across retail stores and eCommerce.

Develop replenishment and recurring-purchase opportunities for products with ongoing customer demand.

Partner with Store Operations to create clear, accessible product presentations and educational materials for customers, patients, seniors and caregivers.

Collaborate with Supply Chain to strengthen forecasting and minimize stockouts across essential product categories.

Collaborate and Lead

Act as the central connection between Category Management, Supply Chain, Marketing, Store Operations and senior leadership.

Influence stakeholders and build alignment around category and product priorities.

Present category performance, recommendations and strategic initiatives to executive leadership.

Coach and support category associates and coordinators.

Promote continuous improvement in category-management practices, reporting and decision-making.

What You Bring

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Supply Chain or a related discipline.

At least 6–10 years of progressive experience in category management, merchandising or strategic sourcing.

Experience within retail, healthcare, medical products or another regulated consumer-products environment.

Demonstrated success developing and executing product or category strategy at a senior level.

Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience analyzing sales, gross margin, inventory and stock-turn performance.

Proven supplier negotiation, strategic sourcing and vendor relationship-management experience.

Ability to translate complex data and market information into clear commercial decisions.

Strong communication, presentation and stakeholder-management skills.

Experience influencing senior leaders and working effectively across multiple business functions.

A strategic mindset combined with the willingness and ability to remain closely involved in execution.

Additional Assets

Experience with medical devices, healthcare products or health and wellness retail.

Knowledge of Health Canada regulatory requirements.

Familiarity with government-funded assistive-device programs, including Ontario’s Assistive Devices Program.

Experience developing omni-channel assortment, pricing or promotional strategies.

Experience with eCommerce and data-driven retail decision-making.

MBA or a relevant professional designation, such as CPSM, CIPS or CSCP.

Previous experience coaching or developing category-management team members.

The Ideal Candidate You are a strategic and commercially minded category leader who understands that a strong product strategy begins with the needs of the customer—not simply the priorities of the supplier.

You are equally comfortable analyzing category performance, negotiating with a key vendor, developing a long-term assortment strategy and presenting recommendations to an executive team. You bring sound judgment, executive presence and a collaborative leadership style, along with genuine empathy for the customers, patients and caregivers who rely on these products.

Most importantly, you are energized by the opportunity to shape a growing organization’s product strategy and create a stronger, more connected retail experience.

Compensation and Benefits Our client offers:

Salary of $120,000–$140,000

Participation in a Short-Term Incentive Plan

RRSP matching program

Comprehensive benefits package

Professional development opportunities

A highly visible role with the opportunity to expand leadership responsibilities as the organization grows

#J-18808-Ljbffr