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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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!
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What We Do
Thrive Market was founded in 2014 with a mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy and affordable for everyone. We're an online grocery store that delivers the highest-quality organic and sustainable products at member-exclusive low prices. What's more, every paid annual membership sponsors a free one-year membership for a family in financial need. Every day, we leverage innovative technology and member-first thinking to help our more than 1.5 million members find healthy products, support brands making an impact, and build a better food future in the process. In 2020, we became a Certified B Corporation, making us the largest grocer in the U.S. to earn this coveted qualification.
Why Work With Us
Thrive Market was born out of a mission to deliver better products, better brands, and a healthier lifestyle to families throughout the United States. Our team is energetic, talented, and collaborative working together to reach our goal of providing our members with a best-in-class marketplace.
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Employees work remotely.
Thrive Market is a Remote-First Workforce: We host a number of events in our Playa Vista office where all employees are welcome!
