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Category Associate Jobs (NOW HIRING)

ULINE

Associate Category Manager

Glenview, IL

Associate Category Manager Corporate Headquarters 12575 Uline Drive, Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158 Are you an emerging leader with an eye for market trends? As an Associate Category Manager at Uline ...

ULINE

Associate Category Manager

Milwaukee, WI

Associate Category Manager Corporate Headquarters 12575 Uline Drive, Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158 Are you an emerging leader with an eye for market trends? As an Associate Category Manager at Uline ...

GOVX

Associate Manager Brand Partnerships

San Diego, CA · On-site

$91K - $119K/yr

From budgeting to driving category assortments and product life cycles and owning the relationships ... Associate Managers of Brand Partnerships are the advocates for their brands and categories on GOVX ...

Jack Links

Associate Category Manager

Minneapolis, MN

$74K - $87K/yr

The Associate Category Manager will support the creation and implementation of category management strategies aimed at developing win-win solutions and strengthening long-term, strategic partnerships ...

GovX

Associate Manager Brand Partnerships

San Diego, CA · On-site

$91K - $119K/yr

From budgeting to driving category assortments and product life cycles and owning the relationships ... Associate Managers of Brand Partnerships are the advocates for their brands and categories on GOVX ...

Resideo

Associate Category Strategist AV

Irving, TX · Hybrid

The Associate Category Strategist supports the Category Managers in the AV category by owning the tactical, day-to-day commercial activities that keep the supplier portfolio running. In addition to ...

Aon Corporation

Associate Category Manager

Chicago, IL

$73K - $85K/yr

Reporting to the Global Spend Management (GSM) Director, the Associate Category Manager/Senior Specialist will be responsible for managing sourcing and negotiation activities for a pipeline of ...

Aon Corporation

Associate Category Manager

Chicago, IL · On-site

$73K - $85K/yr

Reporting to the Global Spend Management (GSM) Director, the Associate Category Manager/Senior Specialist will be responsible for managing sourcing and negotiation activities for a pipeline of ...

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Category Associate information

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$10

$19

$33

How much do category associate jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 5, 2026, the average hourly pay for category associate in the United States is $19.87, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.90 and $20.67 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Category Associate vs Product Coordinator?

AspectCategory AssociateProduct Coordinator
Required CredentialsHigh school diploma or equivalent; some roles may require a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree often preferred; background in marketing, business, or related fields
Work EnvironmentOffice setting, retail, or warehouse environmentsOffice-based, collaborating with marketing, sales, and product teams
Employer & Industry UsageRetail, consumer goods, e-commerceManufacturing, retail, consumer goods
Common Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding entry-level roles in category managementClarifying responsibilities related to product lifecycle and coordination

While both roles support product and category management, a Category Associate primarily focuses on assisting with category analysis, inventory, and sales data. A Product Coordinator handles the coordination of product launches, marketing, and cross-department collaboration. The roles often overlap in retail and consumer goods industries but differ in scope and specific responsibilities.

What are Category Associates?

Category Associates are professionals who support the management and growth of specific product categories within a company, often in the retail, e-commerce, or consumer goods sectors. They assist Category Managers by conducting market research, analyzing sales data, coordinating with vendors, and helping to develop effective pricing and promotional strategies. Their role is essential in ensuring that the assigned product categories meet sales targets and align with overall business objectives.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Category Associate, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Category Associate, you need a solid background in data analysis, merchandising, and business acumen, often supported by a degree in business, marketing, or a related field. Familiarity with retail management systems, Excel, and analytics tools like Nielsen or IRI is typically required. Strong communication, negotiation, and organizational skills help you collaborate with vendors and internal teams. These competencies are crucial for optimizing product categories, driving sales performance, and ensuring effective inventory and supplier management.

How does a Category Associate typically collaborate with other departments to achieve category goals?

Category Associates work closely with multiple teams such as marketing, supply chain, and sales to ensure the success of their assigned product categories. They often coordinate with marketing to develop promotional strategies, partner with supply chain to manage inventory, and support sales by providing data-driven insights on product performance. This cross-functional collaboration helps them understand market trends, address operational challenges, and drive business growth. Effective communication and teamwork are key to succeeding in this role.
What cities are hiring for Category Associate jobs? Cities with the most Category Associate job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Category jobs? The most popular types of Category jobs are:
What states have the most Category Associate jobs? States with the most job openings for Category Associate jobs include:
Category Associate jobs near you
Infographic showing various Category Associate job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 50% Full Time, 47% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $41,327 per year, or $19.9 per hour.
Associate Category Manager

Associate Category Manager

The J.M. Smucker Company

Bentonville, AR • On-site

Full-time

Posted 11 days ago

J.M. Smucker rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 21 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

57th of 389 rated food and drinks producers

Job description

Your Opportunity as the Associate Category Manager
Play a critical role on the Walmart Coffee Category Advisory Team by delivering category insights and helping execute merchandising strategy. Leverage data analysis, visualization, and retail strategy expertise to drive category performance. Guide decision-making through compelling data stories, reporting, and visualizations, and build trusted relationships with Walmart partners to activate key elements of category strategy.
Location: Bentonville, AR (JMS Regional Walmart Office)
Work Arrangements: Hybrid - onsite a minimum of 2 days per week
In this role you will:
  • Deliver strategic, actionable insights from business trends and shopper behavior using Scintilla and syndicated data
  • Support Category Advisory initiatives at retail by translating insights into weekly reporting, dashboards, and modular/planogram recommendations.
  • Apply a broad understanding of the competitive landscape to inform customer and category initiatives
  • Partner closely with retailer, actively participating in customer calls to align on insights and execution
  • Assist in the development and implementation of Customer specific Category Leadership Plans (CLP) and 4P tactical solutions
  • Collaborate and influence across the various Strategic Business Areas (SBAs)

What we are looking for:
Minimum Requirements:
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • 2+ years of relevant Consumer Packaged Goods experience
  • 2+ years of Category Management experience
  • Experience leveraging Circana or other syndicated data sources
  • Working knowledge of Modular Planning / Planogram software (JDA/Blue Yonder)
  • Experience building relationships with customers / retailers
  • Strong analytical skills, problem solving and storytelling experience
  • Ability to travel up to 10%

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role (not required):
  • Experience leveraging Scintilla
  • Shelf IQ experience
  • Experience with Tableau and/or other data visualization tools from a reporting perspective

The Right Place for You
We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.
Stay connected with us on LinkedIn®
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.

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