Job Family Group:
Retail Group
Job Description:
As Head of Category Management (TA), you will lead the category strategy, assortment and supplier agenda for TravelCenters of America’s non-fuel retail offer. This role is focused on the needs of the professional driver and highway traveler, ensuring category decisions support TA’s customer proposition, gross profit, pricing approach and speed-to-market requirements.
You will bring dedicated commercial leadership to TA category management while leveraging the scale and shared capabilities of the broader Chief Merchant organization. Your role is to ensure TA’s categories are customer-relevant, commercially disciplined and executable through the merchandising operations, pricing and supply chain capabilities that support the business.
You will work with the Chief Merchant, Head of Category Management (USCM), Joint Head of Pricing, Promotions & Analytics, Head of Merchandising Operations, Joint Head of Deli R&D, VP of Food (TA), Supply Chain and Store Operations. This role reports to the Chief Merchant.
What you will deliver
- Own category strategy, assortment planning and vendor negotiation for TA’s non-fuel retail categories.
- Lead category managers and specialists dedicated to TA, including center of store, beverage, tobacco/general merchandise/electronics and related categories.
- Deliver category-level performance across sales, margin, inventory productivity and customer relevance.
- Represent TA’s customer proposition in supplier and enterprise merchandising decisions.
- Partner with Pricing, Promotions & Analytics to shape pricing and promotional recommendations for TA categories.
- Partner with Merchandising Operations to ensure assortment, pricebook, planogram and space execution are operationally ready.
- Escalate decisions that exclusively impact TA’s customer proposition, gross profit, pricing, category strategy or speed-to-market in line with the agreed governance model.
What you will need to be successful (experience and qualifications)
- Significant category management, buying or merchandising leadership experience, ideally in travel center, convenience, grocery, fuel retail or multi-site retail.
- Experience owning category P&L outcomes, vendor negotiations and assortment strategy.
- Strong understanding of customer segmentation, category performance, pricing, promotions and supplier management.
- Experience leading category teams and building capability through direct and cross-functional leadership.
- Strong analytical, commercial and negotiation skills.
- Bachelor’s degree in business, retail management, supply chain or related field preferred.
Travel Requirement:
Up to 50% travel should be expected with this role
Relocation Assistance:
This role is eligible for relocation within country
Remote Type:
This position is a hybrid of office/remote working
Skills:
Retail Category Management, Supplier Selection
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