Job Description

Rhee Bros., Inc. is one of the largest importers of Asian food in the United States. Our mission is to provide our customers with best-in-class distribution services through innovative products, sourcing, and logistics solutions in Pan-Asian Food. Located in Hanover, MD, Rhee Bros currently serves independent Asian retailers, wholesale grocery and chain retailers, food service distributors, chain restaurants, and manufacturers. At Rhee Bros, our employees are the heart and soul of what we do. For two generations, we’ve become more diverse with talented professionals from all walks of life and backgrounds, and we aim to continue that tradition for years to come. The physical heart of Rhee Brothers is our main distribution center in Hanover, MD. Our warehouse and transportation teams handle over 25,000 cases of dry, refrigerated, and frozen products every day. Food quality is paramount to our customers, and we pride ourselves on the safety and cleanliness of our warehouse in Irwindale, CA and Hanover, MD. Rhee Bros is a third-party food safety audited facility.

Job Title: Category Manager

Reports to: Team Manager - Product Category

Work Location: Hanover, MD

Compensation: $55,000 - $70,000

The Category Manager provides strategic market leadership in merchandising and vendor management. Key responsibilities include driving sales and profitability, developing market insights, managing product assortments, fostering strong vendor relationships, and leading communication efforts within their assigned product category.

Sales & Profit Management

• Drive sales and profitability by closely monitoring and optimizing the performance of each product group.
• Ensure price competitiveness and prioritize cost-saving initiatives for core items.
• Gather insights into customer needs and preferences through collaboration with sales and purchasing teams.

Product Management (Merchandising)

• Proactively review SKU performance and collaborate with the team manager to ensure a strong and competitive product assortment.
• Evaluate existing products to identify opportunities for product line-up optimization, including packaging improvements, specification adjustments, and other enhancements.
• Partner with the sales team to develop and launch forward-looking new items that reinforce the company’s leadership in Asian food distribution.
• Define and expand a comprehensive Pan-Asian food product portfolio, exploring opportunities beyond current product lines.
• Consider environmental factors and sustainability when evaluating competing merchandise and making purchasing decisions.
• Participate in sales meetings to introduce and promote new merchandise effectively to internal teams and stakeholders.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key vendors to ensure reliable supply and strategic collaboration.
• Identify and onboard new vendors to enhance product performance and reduce dependency on existing suppliers, mitigating risk for RB and its customers through a multi-vendor strategy.
• Communicate and negotiate effectively with vendors to secure the most competitive pricing.
• Continuously monitor competitor products and pricing to uphold strong market leadership.
• Collaborate closely with vendors to maintain high product quality standards; promptly address quality issues with all relevant stakeholders and implement corrective actions.
• In the event of quality concerns, actively partner with the Compliance Manager to ensure swift and effective resolution.

Market Insights & Marketing Communication & Others

• Continuously monitor industry, category, and product trends to support data-driven decisions and sustain market leadership.
• Evaluate environmental and competitive factors when making purchasing decisions to ensure strategic alignment.
• Develop and execute marketing communication plans in collaboration with the sales team, including new product launch campaigns, pricing promotions, and other category-related marketing initiatives.

Rhee Bros., Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and affords equal opportunity to all applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other class protected by federal, state, and local laws.

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