Posted 7 days ago
Category Manager - FFS
@ Flanagan Foodservice Inc
Kitchener, Ontario
Overview
Flanagan Foodservice Inc is hiring a Category Manager to drive profitable sales growth, market share and performance across assigned foodservice product categories. The role covers category strategy, vendor negotiations, assortment and pricing, and cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Procurement and Marketing, with occasional travel up to 10%.
Responsibilities:
- Develop and execute category strategies for sales and margin targets
- Negotiate vendor costs, rebates and commercial agreements
- Manage product assortment, pricing and inventory performance
- Support sales, marketing and eCommerce initiatives
Requirements summary:
- Minimum 5 years of relevant foodservice or category experience
- Strong financial acumen in pricing, margin and inventory
- Excellent analytical and negotiation skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and reporting tools
- Valid driver's licence and access to a personal vehicle
Tools & skills
Source and dates
Employer career site / ATS feed · adp
- Employer posting date
- 2026-10-30
- First seen by our source
- 2026-10-30
- Source record updated
- 2026-11-06
These dates describe the source record, not a live verification that the employer is still hiring. Check the original posting.
Job details
| Seniority | Mid level |
| Department | Business operations |
| Experience | 5+ years |
| Travel | air: minimal · ground: moderate |
| Work setting | Office, Client sites |
| Position | Mostly sitting |
| Physical demands | physical low · computer high |
| Driver’s licence | required, own vehicle |
Summary and details written by AI from the posting; the employer’s posting is the authority.
Flanagan Foodservice Inc
Saved company profile
Historical company information from a saved The Jobs API profile (LinkedIn/Crunchbase fields). It is not live-verified; figures may have changed. Missing values remain unknown.
The Difference You Deserve
Full company description
Proudly Canadian and Family Owned Food Distributor Flanagan's is the largest Canadian owned, independent foodservice distributor in the country. From our early days as a food wholesaler, we've grown to provide full service to more than 7000 restaurants and foodservice operations across the province of Ontario. To each and every customer, we offer uniquely personalized service, along with the attention to detail, reliability and range of quality products you need to grow your business.
- LinkedIn followers
- 12,608
- People associated on LinkedIn
- 389
- Reported office locations
- 145 Otonabee Drive, Kitchener, ON N2C1L7, CA
- 100 Sasaga Drive, Kitchener, Ontario N2C 2G7, CA
- 69 Magill St., Walden Business Park, Lively, Ontario P3Y 1K6, CA
- 295 South Blair Street, Whitby, Ontario L1N 9V9, CA
- Business categories
- Food and Beverage
- Wholesale
- Other recorded names
- Flanagan Foodservice Inc
- Flanagan Foodservice Inc.
- Specialties
- Food Distribution
- Profile identifies a recruitment agency
- No
- Reported total investment
- 0
Currency and observation date were not supplied; this is not a current valuation or a funding round.
Proudly Canadian and Family Owned Food Distributor Flanagan's is the largest Canadian owned, independent foodservice distributor in the country. From our early days as a food wholesaler, we've grown to provide full service to more than 7000 restaurants and foodservice operations across the province of Ontario. To each and every customer, we offer uniquely personalized service, along with the attention to detail…
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food and Beverage Services |
| Company size | 501-1,000 employees |
| Headquarters | Kitchener, ON |
| Organization type | Privately Held |
| Year founded | 1977 |
| Specialties | Food Distribution |
| Open jobs on Jobsy | 46 |
| View page |
Category Manager
Department: Category Management
Reports to: Senior Manager, Category Management
Position Summary
As a strategic and results-driven Category Manager, you will drive profitable sales growth, market share and overall performance across assigned product categories.
You will develop and execute category strategies focused on competitive pricing, optimized product assortments, strong vendor partnerships and innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of foodservice customers.
Working closely with Sales, Procurement, Supply Chain, Pricing and Marketing, you will identify opportunities to grow revenue, maximize profitability, improve inventory performance and strengthen Flanagan's competitive position.
Key Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Performance
- Develop and execute category strategies to achieve sales, gross profit, margin and vendor revenue targets.
- Analyze category performance, customer trends and market conditions to identify growth opportunities.
- Manage product assortment, innovation, private label opportunities, new listings and SKU rationalization.
- Monitor key performance indicators, including sales growth, profitability, inventory turns, fill rates and SKU productivity.
- Maintain strong knowledge of foodservice customer needs, market trends and competitive activity.
Vendor Management & Negotiations
- Build and maintain strategic vendor partnerships that support profitable category growth.
- Negotiate competitive costs, rebates, promotional allowances, vendor revenue programs and commercial agreements.
- Develop annual vendor business plans aligned with category objectives.
- Evaluate vendor performance, including pricing, service levels, product quality and profitability.
- Ensure vendor agreements, funding commitments and revenue programs are accurately maintained and executed.
Product Assortment, Pricing & Inventory
- Manage product listings, specifications, pricing strategies and overall assortment performance.
- Collaborate with Procurement, Pricing and Supply Chain to optimize inventory, forecasting, product availability and margins.
- Proactively address slow-moving, aged, excess and discontinued inventory to minimize financial exposure.
- Support seasonal planning, promotional requirements and product launches.
- Ensure appropriate product quality, shelf-life, storage and food safety considerations are incorporated into category decisions.
Sales Enablement & Business Development
- Partner with Sales to identify new business opportunities and expand category penetration within existing accounts.
- Provide product knowledge, market insights, training and selling strategies to support sales growth.
- Participate in customer meetings, joint sales calls and business development activities as required.
- Drive adoption of strategic vendor programs, private label products and new product innovations.
Marketing, Promotions & eCommerce
- Collaborate with Marketing and eCommerce to execute category marketing plans, promotional campaigns and product launches.
- Support food shows, sales meetings, customer events and other go-to-market initiatives.
- Secure vendor funding and participation in promotional and digital programs.
- Ensure accurate product content, images and specifications across digital platforms.
- Monitor promotional and eCommerce performance to identify opportunities for incremental sales and improved profitability.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Compliance
- Serve as the subject matter expert and primary business owner for assigned categories.
- Collaborate across departments to improve processes, operational efficiency and business performance.
- Provide category performance updates, market insights and recommendations to leadership.
- Ensure compliance with applicable food safety, HACCP, product recall and workplace safety requirements.
- Support company-wide initiatives and other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in foodservice distribution, category management, purchasing, vendor management, sales or marketing.
- Strong understanding of foodservice products, distribution, customer needs and market dynamics.
- Proven ability to develop category strategies, negotiate vendor agreements and deliver profitable growth.
- Strong financial acumen, including pricing, gross margin, vendor revenue and inventory management.
- Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication and relationship-building skills.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and influence cross-functional teams.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and experience with business intelligence and reporting tools.
- Valid driver's license and access to a personal vehicle for business travel, as required.
Unique Requirements
- Strategic, results-oriented mindset with strong accountability and attention to detail.
- Ability to balance long-term planning with daily operational priorities.
- Strong initiative, adaptability and ability to work collaboratively across departments.
- Willingness to travel occasionally (up to 10%), including overnight stays as required.
Be Part of the Legacy!
All employees of our company must demonstrate adherence to all Health & Safety and Food Safety practices as well as all Company’s policies and procedures.
We are not currently using Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of our recruitment screening process.
The company is an equal opportunity employer, and has an accommodation process in place to provide accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If you require a specific accommodation because of a disability or a medical need, please let us know by submitting your request to
so that arrangements can be made for the appropriate accommodations.
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