Category Specialist – Private Brand

Full time Category Specialist – Private Brand United States of America, Kentucky, Louisville 18 days ago Job category Retail Experience level Intermediate Relocation available This role is not eligible for relocation Job type Professionals Travel required Up to 25% travel should be expected with this role Job code RQ103296 Job Description As a Category Specialist – Private Brand, you will play a key role in supporting the development, managing and optimizing of our private brand product portfolio within convenience retail. Lead identifying, creating and delivering outstanding products withing the Own Brands assortment. Your work blends strategic planning, product development and retail execution to drive sales, margin and customer loyalty. You’ll collaborate with internal teams and external partners to execute business plans, manage vendor relationships, and deliver on financial and operational goals. Key Responsibilities: Identify consumer trends, market gaps and innovation opportunities to strengthen the Own Brands assortment Serve as the project leader, leading cross-functional teams and guiding product development through each stage-gate process to ensure timely, high quality launches Identify, vet, and engage co-manufacturer partners for private brand development, ensuring alignment with brand vision, quality standards, and innovation goals Support negotiations with co-manufacturer partners, including cost of goods, minimum order quantities (MOQs), and shipment and ordering requirements, to drive value and operational efficiency Collect, review, and proof documentation for new product launches, ensuring brand consistency, regulatory compliance, and adherence to quality standards Coordinate and implement in-house product sampling reviews to support quality and innovation. Collaborate cross-functionally with category managers, marketing/design, procurement, operations, finance, supply chain teams and external vendors to ensure alignment and flawless product launches Coordinate with demand planning and supply chain to maintain accurate forecasts and efficient inventory levels, proactively resolving overages and shortages Partner with merchandising teams to develop promotional plans, provide new item information and prepare reset deliverables Track private brand KPI’s, identify cost-saving opportunities, and deliver actionable insights to drive continuous improvement Lead private brand budgets, including POs, invoices, accruals, and vendor estimates Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or a related field. 5+ years of experience in retail Private Label Sourcing, Product Development, category management and/or CPG brand development Consistent track record of creating and launching innovative, customer focused products Strong analytical and critical thinking skills. Proven track record to negotiate and lead vendor relationships. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Understanding of key category performance indicators (e.g., gross margin, ROI, inventory turns, basket size). Effective communicator and collaborator across departments to drive the end-to-end sourcing and product development process. Ability to synthesize data and translate insights into actionable plans. Why join us At bp, we support our people to learn and grow in a diverse and ambitious environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment in which everyone is respected and treated fairly. There are many aspects of our employees’ lives that are meaningful, so we offer benefits ( https://exploreyourbenefits.com/landing.html) to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits can include flexible working options, a generous paid parental leave policy, and excellent retirement benefits, among others! We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. Legal Disclaimer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity/neurocognitive functioning, veteran status or disability status. Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment/accommodation related to bp’s recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment/accommodation related to the recruitment process, please contact us. If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.