Job Description

Category Manager – Packaging

Reports To: Vice President Sales & Marketing

Position Summary

The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that maximize profitability, ensure supply continuity, optimize costs, and support business growth. This role combines the responsibilities of Product Management and Strategic Procurement, serving as the primary owner of assigned product categories from supplier selection through commercialization and lifecycle management.

The Category Manager works cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Customer Service, Finance, and Suppliers to ensure the company maintains a competitive product portfolio while delivering best-in-class supply performance and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

Category & Portfolio Management

• Develop and execute strategic plans for assigned product categories.
• Manage the complete product lifecycle from introduction to discontinuation.
• Identify market trends, competitive products, and emerging technologies.
• Build annual category growth plans and profitability objectives.
• Recommend new products, product enhancements, and rationalization opportunities.
• Monitor product performance and initiate corrective actions when necessary.
• Maintain category roadmaps aligned with company strategy.

Product Management

• Serve as the internal product expert.
• Manage product specifications and technical documentation.
• Coordinate product launches with Sales and Marketing.
• Support pricing strategies and margin optimization.
• Analyze profitability by product family.
• Recommend pricing adjustments based on market conditions and raw material movements.
• Coordinate product discontinuations and transitions.

Product Development

• Identify new product opportunities.
• Coordinate supplier samples and product trials.
• Support qualification and commercialization.
• Manage product specifications and approvals.
• Ensure successful product launches.

Strategic Procurement

• Develop sourcing strategies for raw materials, finished goods, and outsourced products.
• Identify, qualify, negotiate, and manage domestic and international suppliers.
• Lead supplier selection based on quality, cost, delivery, innovation, and sustainability.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, payment terms, rebates, and long-term agreements.
• Continuously identify cost reduction opportunities.
• Maintain supplier scorecards and conduct regular supplier performance reviews.
• Ensure continuity of supply while minimizing inventory and working capital.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Build strategic supplier partnerships.
• Conduct quarterly business reviews.
• Monitor supplier KPIs including OTIF, quality, cost competitiveness, responsiveness, and innovation support.
• Resolve supplier performance issues.
• Lead supplier development initiatives.

Market Intelligence

• Monitor resin markets, raw material pricing, competitive landscape, industry innovations, sustainability developments, and customer requirements.
• Evaluate new suppliers and technologies.
• Attend industry conferences and supplier meetings.
• Provide market intelligence reports to leadership.

Pricing & Financial Management

• Manage category profitability.
• Analyze gross margin performance.
• Support annual budgeting and forecasting.
• Monitor cost changes and prepare pricing recommendations.
• Support Sales during major customer negotiations.

Inventory & Supply Planning Support

• Support inventory optimization initiatives.
• Identify supply risks and develop contingency plans.
• Coordinate sourcing during supply disruptions.
• Support S&OP activities.

Compliance & Quality

• Ensure supplier compliance with company standards.
• Support SQF, ISO, sustainability, and customer certifications.
• Ensure products meet regulatory requirements.
• Participate in supplier audits.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Category VCM
• Cost savings achieved
• Supplier OTIF performance
• Supplier quality performance
• Product profitability
• Supplier lead-time improvements
• Customer satisfaction
• Forecast accuracy

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Packaging, Operations Management, or Industrial Engineering.

Experience

• 5-10 years of experience in Strategic Procurement, Product Management, Category Management, or Flexible Packaging/Plastics Manufacturing.
• Experience negotiating multimillion-dollar supplier agreements.
• Experience managing product portfolios.
• Strong understanding of polyethylene resins, films, flexible packaging, or industrial packaging products preferred.

Technical Skills

• ERP systems (Microsoft Dynamics AX/D365 preferred)
• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• Power BI preferred
• Cost/data analysis
• Financial modeling

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Commercial acumen
• Strong negotiation skills
• Analytical decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Ability to influence without direct authority
• Results-oriented mindset

Success Profile

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable negotiating a resin contract, analyzing category profitability, supporting a sales opportunity with the right product strategy, and leading the launch of a new packaging solution. They possess strong commercial judgment, supply chain expertise, and a deep understanding of product management, enabling them to balance customer needs with operational efficiency and business profitability.

Scope of Authority

• Ownership of assigned product categories and supplier base.
• Strategic sourcing decisions and supplier negotiations.
• Product portfolio management and lifecycle decisions.
• Pricing recommendations and cost improvement initiatives.
• New supplier qualification and supplier performance management.
• Cross-functional coordination for new product introductions and sourcing strategies.