Job Details
Rhee Bros, Inc., is a premier importer and distributor of Pan-Asian foods within the United States. Our commitment is clear: delivering unparalleled distribution services by leveraging innovation across product offerings, sourcing capabilities, and logistical solutions. Headquartered in Hanover, MD, Rhee Bros caters to a diverse clientele including independent Asian retailers, wholesale grocers, chain retailers, food service distributors, chain restaurants, and manufacturers.
At Rhee Bros, our strength lies in our people. Over two generations, we have cultivated a team of talented professionals from diverse backgrounds, enriching our organization with varied perspectives. We are dedicated to fostering this tradition well into the future.
Central to our operations is our state-of-the-art distribution center in Hanover, MD. Spanning 230,000 square feet, our facility is the hub where our warehouse and transportation teams manage a daily volume exceeding 20,000 cases of dry, refrigerated, and frozen products. Emphasizing food safety above all else, we take pride in maintaining high standards of cleanliness and safety, as a third-party food safety audited facility.
Job Title: Category Manager
Department: Sales & Marketing
Reports to: Senior Manager - Category Management
The Category Manager is responsible for providing market leadership in merchandising and vendor management. Key responsibilities include sales and profit management, market insight development, merchandising (product lifecycle management), vendor relationship management, and market communication for individual product categories.
Essential Functions
Sales & Profit Management
- Contribute to sales & profit targets by focusing on the performance of each product group.
- Maintain price competitiveness and focus on cost savings for core items.
- Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.
Product Management (Merchandising)
- Proactively review SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) performance and communicate with the team manager to maintain high-performing SKUs.
- Continuously review existing products to find opportunities for product line-up adjustments, packaging changes, spec adjustments, etc.
- Develop and launch future-aiming new items in collaboration with the sales team to maintain leadership in Asian food distribution.
- Define and develop Pan-Asian food product portfolio, not limited to existing product lines.
- Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.
- Conduct sales meetings to introduce new merchandise.
Supplier Relationship Management (SRM):
- Develop and maintain a strong relationship with key vendors.
- Develop new vendors to increase product performance and minimize the risk of existing vendors for RB and customers. (Ensure supply through multi-vendor operation)
- Communicate and negotiate with vendors to get the best price.
- Monitor competitors products and prices to maintain strong market leadership. (Regular price negotiation per vendor based on team plan)
- Work closely with vendors to maintain high standards of product quality. Address any quality issues with related parties and take corrective actions. If any quality issues occur, actively co-work with the Compliance Manager.
Market Insights, Marketing Communication, & Others:
- Keep updating industry, category, and product trends to deliver market leadership.
- Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.
- Develop a market communication plan and execute it by co-working with the sales team. (New product introduction campaign, price promotion, and any other marketing promotions on the category).
At Rhee Bros, we are committed to promoting and supporting multiculturalism in the workplace, in compliance with all relevant laws. As a distributor of Pan-Asian foods, we take pride in serving a diverse community of employees and customers. We believe in creating an inclusive work environment where everyone feels respected and valued, regardless of their background. As a Company, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, sexual expression, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other characteristics protected by law.