Home Chef

Category Manager (Tempo)

Home Chef$90K — $105K *
Food & Beverages
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of procurement and sourcing experience (food category-related preferred)
  • Background in food and beverage industry highly preferred
  • Executive-level communication skills, both verbal and written
  • Strong data and numerical orientation; familiarity with Excel and GSheets
  • Analytical mindset with ability to convert complex data into business actions
  • Experience managing multiple initiatives across teams with competing priorities
  • Ability to lead and hold cross-functional teams accountable
  • Completion of a four-year degree in a related field

Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain category strategy aligned with company goals
  • Identify, evaluate, and select suppliers and SKUs for the protein category
  • Negotiate and manage RFPs with suppliers
  • Build strategic supplier partnerships to foster innovation and reduce costs
  • Conduct supply market analysis and gather supplier intelligence
  • Collaborate with the culinary team to identify ingredient needs and test suppliers
  • Ensure new suppliers meet internal guidelines and standards
  • Coordinate and act as point for new product tests and market initiatives
  • Partner with legal to negotiate and manage supplier contract terms
  • Work with various teams to enhance supply chain performance
  • Resolve supply disruptions with local sites and suppliers
  • Monitor category performance against key metrics and drive improvements
  • Attend industry conferences to scout new trends and suppliers
  • Identify and prioritize new product opportunities to enhance customer experience.

Benefits

  • Experience Home Chef as a customer with a discount promo code
  • Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
  • Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
  • 401k plan available
  • Flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses.
Full Job Description
Own the end-to-end strategy and execution of the Tempo Protein category, balancing customer experience, supply continuity, product innovation, and financial performance. This role serves as the primary business owner for the category, partnering cross-functionally to identify opportunities, solve complex problems, and deliver results in a fast-paced, highly visible environment.

This role is best suited for someone who enjoys building processes where they don't yet exist, thrives in a rapidly changing environment, and views ambiguity as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

Detailed Responsibilities
  • Develop and maintain category strategy, in service of company-wide goals
  • Own the identification, evaluation, and choice of suppliers and SKUs for the category
  • Coordinate, negotiate, and manage RFPs with both new and current suppliers
  • Build strategic supplier partnerships that foster innovation, improve performance, reduce cost, and strengthen long-term supply continuity
  • Conduct supply market analysis and collect supplier intelligence to drive sourcing process
  • Work closely with culinary team to identify new ingredient needs and test new suppliers
  • Coordinate with Cross Functional Partners to ensure all new suppliers meet Home Chef guidelines and expectations
  • Act as point on highly visible new protein A/B and Market tests
  • Partner with legal to negotiate contract terms with key supplier partners and ensure terms + conditions of those contracts are managed and met
  • Work with Procurement Operations, Warehouse and site teams to improve supply chain performance
  • Collaborate with local sites and supplier partners to problem solve regular supply disruptions and secure product in time for weekly meal production
  • Own category performance, proactively monitoring key metrics including cost, quality, supply continuity, customer feedback, inventory health, and supplier performance.
  • Attend industry conferences to identify new trends, suppliers and/or ingredients
  • Identify, prioritize, and commercialize new product opportunities that support customer experience, operational efficiency, and financial goals

This position requires 10% travel

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.
  • The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability and/or other characteristics needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.
  • 5+ years of procurement and sourcing experience (food category-related preferred)
  • Background in food and beverage industry highly preferred
  • Executive-level succinct communication, both verbal and written; discernment when delivering updates
  • Strong data and numerical orientation; baseline Excel/GSheet knowledge (index/match, pivot tables, gut-checking data)
  • Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate complex data into actionable business recommendations
  • Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple cross-functional initiatives with competing timelines
  • Ability to lead cross functional teams and stakeholders, and respectfully hold them accountable
  • Passion for food and for working in a fast-paced, quickly-growing, entrepreneurial environment a plus
  • Completion of a four-year degree program in a related field
More About Us

Perks and benefits
  • Candidates can experience Home Chef as a customer - enter promo code PEOPLE30 for $30 off your first order!
  • Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance available
  • Paid holidays, sick time and vacation time
  • 401k program
  • Flexible spending accounts for qualified medical, dependent care, parking, or transit expenses

About Home Chef

Home Chef is a meal kit delivery service that provides customers with pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes. The company was founded in 2013 by Pat Vihtelic and has since grown to become one of the largest meal kit delivery services in the United States. Home Chef offers a wide variety of meal options, including vegetarian, low-carb, and gluten-free options. The company is committed to using high-quality ingredients and sustainable practices, and is dedicated to helping its customers eat well and live better. Home Chef is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and has a strong presence in the food delivery industry.
Learn more about Home Chef
Size
1,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2013

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