Category Manager - REMOTE

Job Description:

Remote Position

Category Managers are product experts for School Reading Events (Book Fairs and Book Clubs) responsible for strategizing, developing, curating, and directing the implementation of product assortments, marketing, and merchandising plans to achieve financial goals and support our mission to get kids reading.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES 
 
1.    Responsible for high-volume category management responsibilities for School Reading Events and/or special projects.
2.    Develop category plans and curate assortments for Book Fairs, Book Clubs, the Book Fairs Scholastic Dollars Media Specialist and Book Club Teacher Points catalogs, as well as online stores. Plan product assortments, pricing, marketing, and merchandise presentation to achieve sales and profit goals.   
3.    Read, review, evaluate, select or develop, and acquire the most relevant and productive items for Book Fairs and Clubs each season. 
4.    Partner with internal departments and/or external vendors to develop the most exciting and productive items for each of the customer segments.
5.    Analyze product movement information – sales and inventory sell through – and market research to gain an understanding of our customers, improve product selections, and surface new category and School Reading Events opportunities. 
6.    Ensure that School Reading Events opportunities are created and prioritized within the publishing, children’s product and media/marketing communities by leveraging strong vendor and children’s business partnerships. 
7.    Negotiate product costs, vendor marketing support, and school market rights for Book Fairs, Book Clubs and items shared with the Education Solutions division. 
8.    Partner with Inventory Planners to ensure inventory optimization strategies are developed in accordance with sales trends, inventory position, and financial goals. Provide item demand input to project, quantify, and purchase inventory required to support sales and sell through.  
9.    Lead product marketing by providing product promotion direction and detailed information to the marketing team to design marketing vehicles including Book Fairs and Book Club flyers, videos, and in school and online merchandise presentations.
10.    Create product presentation plans and provide specific merchandising direction to the Book Fairs’ field operations and sales teams to optimize implementation.
11.    Participate in communicating to and training the sales teams on category plans and product opportunities to gain support and generate enthusiasm for product assortments. 
12.    Define and develop processes, procedures, and tools and provide training as needed.
13.    Represent the School Reading Events product department at Scholastic cross division meetings, trade shows and publishing conferences. 
14.    Continuously review and evaluate category management tools, systems, and processes and make recommendations to improve usefulness, efficiencies, clarity, and financial results. 

Qualifications

1.    Minimum of 3 years’ experience in category management.
2.    Demonstrated achievement in identifying, analyzing, and capitalizing on category trends for product procurement and development to drive sales and profit.
3.    Ability to lead, manage projects, and problem solve independently.
4.    Self-motivated to thrive and multi-task in a fast-paced, dynamic environment (remote or office)
5.    Detail oriented with strong communication, organization skills, ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines.
6.    High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace applications.

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EEO Statement:

Scholastic is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is clear: there shall be no discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, pregnancy, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam veteran. Those factors shall not influence the determination of qualifications for a job or other opportunity within the company. Further, all personnel actions (such as compensation, tuition aid, benefits, transfers, promotions, and dismissals, company-sponsored training, social and recreational programs) shall be administered without discrimination.

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