The Senior Category Manager will oversee Fresh category strategy, P&L management, vendor partnerships, and enhance customer experience while mitigating shrink risks and ensuring compliance with food safety regulations.
ABOUT THRIVE MARKET
Thrive Market was founded in 2014 with a mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy and affordable for everyone. As an online, membership-based market, we deliver the highest quality healthy, and sustainable products at member-only prices, while matching every paid membership with a free one for someone in need. Every day, we leverage innovative technology and member-first thinking to help our over 1,600,000+ members find better products, support better brands, and build a better world in the process. We are also a Certified B Corporation, a Public Benefit Corporation, and a Climate Neutral Certified company.
Join us as we bring healthy and sustainable living to millions of Americans in the years to come.
THE ROLE
At Thrive Market, the Senior Category Manager plays a pivotal role in delivering the best product assortment, value, and experience for our members. This role owns the strategy, P&L, vendor management, and customer experience for assigned categories, requiring a balance of analytical rigor, vendor negotiation, and assortment curation with a deep understanding of our member and business priorities.
This position is dedicated to building and scaling Thrive’s Fresh pilot across Dairy, Deli, Bakery, Ready-to-Eat/Meals, and other select Perishables (excluding Produce, Frozen, and Meat & Seafood). Fresh is a core driver of basket expansion and member loyalty, yet demands a distinct skillset from shelf-stable categories given its short shelf life, variable velocity, cold chain logistics, and higher shrink risk.
Success in this role hinges on understanding and mitigating shrink through creative assortment planning, accurate forecasting, and operational best practices. Experience in fresh, refrigerated grocery within e-commerce is a strong plus.
You’ll be joining a lean, fast-paced team that manages a tightly curated assortment aligned with Thrive Market’s rigorous sourcing and quality standards. This role requires someone who can set and drive clear strategy while also rolling up their sleeves to own the day-to-day details.
You’ll partner cross-functionally with Supply Chain, FSQA, Procurement, Owned Brand, Merch Marketing, and Operations to ensure category success both online and in fulfillment centers. Travel (~15–20%) is expected for office events, vendor meetings, production facility visits, and trade shows.
We’re looking for a category management professional who is eager to shape the future of how members shop for fresh, better-for-you products—and who thrives in a high-growth, mission-driven environment.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Own the strategy, P&L, and end-to-end performance of assigned Fresh categories, balancing growth, profitability, and operational realities.
- Grow and manage the Fresh assortment to achieve revenue, margin, and inventory efficiency goals while upholding Thrive Market’s strict sourcing and quality standards.
- Develop and execute assortment strategy that builds trust and excitement, grows basket size, and drives order frequency—making Fresh an indispensable complement to the Thrive Pantry business.
- Identify white space for new items, pack sizes, sourcing models, and exclusive partnerships—including potential private-label opportunities—to drive differentiation.
- Build and maintain vendor partnerships that meet high standards for food safety, quality, and fulfillment reliability; negotiate best-in-class pricing, margin terms, promotional support, marketing investments, and rebate programs.
- Manage short shelf life, variable velocity, and high shrink risk through robust forecasting, replenishment, and demand-planning processes; partner with Procurement and Supply Chain on vendor fulfillment, expiry risks, and exit strategies.
- Optimize category profitability and contribution per order by managing pricing, pack sizes, packaging fees, and mix strategies to offset higher cold-chain, labor, and shrink costs.
- Review and vet all new brands and items for quality, ingredient, and sourcing compliance in close collaboration with FSQA; ensure USDA, FDA, and state-level regulatory requirements are consistently met across suppliers and products.
- Manage the full onboarding process for new items and suppliers, ensuring timely and accurate launches.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Finance, Marketing, Tech, and Merchandising Marketing to scale Fresh profitably—supporting packaging pilots, fulfillment tests, promotional calendars, and brand campaigns.
- Champion the member experience by ensuring clear communication around pack sizes, storage, and delivery expectations to build confidence and repeat engagement.
- Track and analyze performance metrics—including shrink, contribution margin, and vendor funding—to assess category health, inform decision-making, and identify areas for improvement.
- Be curious, trend-driven, and rigorous in researching category innovation; know the competitive set and member preferences inside and out to ensure Thrive Market offers the most compelling value and selection in Fresh and Refrigerated.
- Lead cross-functional collaboration with internal teams and act as a strong representative of Thrive Market’s brand and values in all vendor and partner interactions.
QUALIFICATIONS
- 5–7+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, or buying, with at least 2–3 years focused on Fresh/Perishables.
- Proven track record managing P&L and delivering financial targets in low-margin, high-complexity categories.
- Strong understanding of cold chain logistics, shrink mitigation strategies, and fresh food supply chains; experience ensuring compliance with USDA, FDA, and state-level food safety requirements.
- Highly analytical with the ability to build forecasts, model order economics, and translate insights into sustainable growth strategies.
- Skilled negotiator with demonstrated success building and scaling vendor partnerships, securing favorable pricing, funding, and marketing support.
- Proficient in technical and tactical merchandising tools: Excel, Google Sheets, and PowerPoint expertise required.
- Collaborative and proactive team player who thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment; comfortable operating in pilot-to-scale programs with a bias for action.
- Detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously while influencing cross-functional partners.
- Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to present, write concise emails, and adapt style to different teams and vendor audiences.
- Passion for sustainable food systems, high-quality products, and Thrive Market’s mission to make healthy living accessible and affordable.
BELONG TO A BETTER COMPANY
- Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision, life and disability)
- Competitive salary (DOE) + equity
- 401k plan
- 9 Observed Holidays
- Flexible Paid Time Off
- Subsidized ClassPass Membership with access to fitness classes and wellness and beauty experiences
- Ability to work in our beautiful office in Playa Vista
- Free Thrive Market membership with exclusive employee discount
- Coverage for Life Coaching & Therapy Sessions on our holistic mental health and well-being platform
We're a community of more than 1 Million + members who are united by a singular belief: It should be easy to find better products, support better brands, make better choices, and build a better world in the process.
At Thrive Market, we believe in building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic culture. If you are excited about this role along with our mission and values, we encourage you to apply.
Thrive Market is an EEO/Veterans/Disabled/LGBTQ employer.
At Thrive Market, our goal is to be a diverse and inclusive workplace that is representative, at all job levels, of the members we serve and the communities we operate in. We’re proud to be an inclusive company and an Equal Opportunity Employer and we prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as a company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. If you’re thinking about joining our team, we expect that you would agree!
If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Ensure your Thrive Market job offer is legitimate and don't fall victim to fraud. Thrive Market never seeks payment from job applicants. Thrive Market recruiters will only reach out to applicants from an @thrivemarket.com email address. For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.thrivemarket.com.
© Thrive Market 2025 All rights reserved.
JOB INFORMATION:
- Compensation Description - The base salary range for this position is $110,000 - $130,000/Per Year.
- Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on several factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and geographic location.
- Total Compensation includes Base Salary, Stock Options, Health and Wellness Benefits, Flexible PTO, and more!
Top Skills
Excel
Google Sheets
PowerPoint
Similar Jobs at Thrive Market
Consumer Web • eCommerce • Food • Healthtech • Natural Language Processing • Social Impact
The Brand Partnerships Associate will manage relationships with brand partners, develop marketing strategies, analyze campaign performance, and collaborate with internal teams.
Top Skills:
Content MarketingDigital Marketing
Consumer Web • eCommerce • Food • Healthtech • Natural Language Processing • Social Impact
The Senior Data Analyst will drive data-driven insights to shape business strategies, collaborate with teams, and enhance analytics frameworks. Responsibilities include leading analytics projects, designing dashboards, and providing actionable insights for merchandising.
Top Skills:
AmplitudeC++DomoGaHiveJavaLookerMixpanelPythonScalaSnowflakeSparkSQLTableau
Consumer Web • eCommerce • Food • Healthtech • Natural Language Processing • Social Impact
The Senior Category Manager at Thrive Market drives the Meat & Seafood category's strategy, vendor management, and revenue growth, ensuring product quality and strategic partnerships.
Top Skills:
ExcelGoogle SheetsPower Point
What you need to know about the Charlotte Tech Scene
Ranked among the hottest tech cities in 2024 by CompTIA, Charlotte is quickly cementing its place as a major U.S. tech hub. Home to more than 90,000 tech workers, the city’s ecosystem is primed for continued growth, fueled by billions in annual funding from heavyweights like Microsoft and RevTech Labs, which has created thousands of fintech jobs and made the city a go-to for tech pros looking for their next big opportunity.
Key Facts About Charlotte Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 90,859; 6.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Lowe’s, Bank of America, TIAA, Microsoft, Honeywell
- Key Industries: Fintech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, e-commerce
- Funding Landscape: $3.1 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (CED)
- Notable Investors: Microsoft, Google, Falfurrias Management Partners, RevTech Labs Foundation
- Research Centers and Universities: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Northeastern University, North Carolina Research Campus
