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Category Lead Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Whatnot

Category Lead

New York, NY · On-site

$167K - $215K/yr

Turn that into an action plan against the category's biggest opportunities and headwinds, and bring the right cross-functional partners along to execute it. * Lead the execution. Manage a team of ...

CommScope, Inc.

Category Lead

Shakopee, MN · On-site

$118K - $153K/yr

CommScope is recruiting a Category Lead to join our growing team! Candidates will be based in Shakopee, MN, Catawba, North Carolina, or Apex, North Carolina This role will lead aspects of development ...

International Motors, LLC

Category Lead - MRO

Lisle, IL · On-site

$68K - $102K/yr

The Category Lead - MRO will execute the strategic sourcing plan, leveraging purchasing volumes to drive cost efficiencies and optimize supplier performance. This role involves developing and ...

Albertsons

National Category Lead

Boise, ID · On-site

As a National Director of Category Development-you will collaborate with Market merchants & functional partners and lead category planning activities for your assigned categories. The position will ...

Albertsons

National Category Lead

Boise, ID · On-site

As a National Director of Category Development-you will collaborate with Market merchants & functional partners and lead category planning activities for your assigned categories. The position will ...

Albertsons

National Category Lead

Boise, ID · On-site

As a National Director of Category Development-you will collaborate with Market merchants & functional partners and lead category planning activities for your assigned categories. The position will ...

Primerica

Sourcing Category Lead

Duluth, GA · Hybrid

$120K - $135K/yr

... lead RFx strategies, negotiate complex agreements, redline contracts, and proactively manage high-velocity renewals. Acts as a commercial and contractual subject matter expert for assigned category ...

Primerica, Inc.

Sourcing Category Lead

Duluth, GA · On-site

$120K - $135K/yr

... lead RFx strategies, negotiate complex agreements, redline contracts, and proactively manage high-velocity renewals. Acts as a commercial and contractual subject matter expert for assigned category ...

L3HHCM20

Lead Category Manager

Greenville, TX · On-site

$100K - $186K/yr

Lead, Category Manager Job Code: 41141 Job Location: Palm Bay, FL OR Rochester, NY OR Wilmington, MA OR Chantilly, VA OR Colorado Springs, CO OR Fort Wayne, IN OR Camden, NJ OR Greenville, TX Job ...

L3Harris Technologies

Lead Category Manager

Rochester, NY · On-site

$100K - $186K/yr

Lead, Category Manager Job Code: 41141 Job Location: Palm Bay, FL OR Rochester, NY OR Wilmington, MA OR Chantilly, VA OR Colorado Springs, CO OR Fort Wayne, IN OR Camden, NJ OR Greenville, TX Job ...

L3Harris Technologies

Lead Category Manager

Wilmington, MA · On-site

$100K - $186K/yr

Lead, Category Manager Job Code: 41141 Job Location: Palm Bay, FL OR Rochester, NY OR Wilmington, MA OR Chantilly, VA OR Colorado Springs, CO OR Fort Wayne, IN OR Camden, NJ OR Greenville, TX Job ...

Colas

Category Lead - Coupa Implementation

Brea, CA · On-site

$98K - $120K/yr

Category Lead - Coupa Implementation Company: COLAS USA Job Location: BREA, CALIFORNIA, USA Type of Contract: Regular Posting Start Date: 6/4/26 Colas Inc. is the corporate office of Colas USA, a ...

Colas

Category Lead - Coupa Implementation

Brea, CA

$98K - $120K/yr

The Category Lead will also support the development of sourcing standard operating practices. Main Responsibilities • Develop deep category expertise through data analysis and market intelligence ...

L3HHCM20

Lead Category Manager

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$100K - $186K/yr

Lead, Category Manager Job Code: 41141 Job Location: Palm Bay, FL OR Rochester, NY OR Wilmington, MA OR Chantilly, VA OR Colorado Springs, CO OR Fort Wayne, IN OR Camden, NJ OR Greenville, TX Job ...

L3Harris Technologies

Lead Category Manager

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$100K - $186K/yr

Lead, Category Manager Job Code: 41141 Job Location: Palm Bay, FL OR Rochester, NY OR Wilmington, MA OR Chantilly, VA OR Colorado Springs, CO OR Fort Wayne, IN OR Camden, NJ OR Greenville, TX Job ...

L3Harris Technologies

Lead Category Manager

Camden, NJ · On-site

$100K - $186K/yr

Lead, Category Manager Job Code: 41141 Job Location: Palm Bay, FL OR Rochester, NY OR Wilmington, MA OR Chantilly, VA OR Colorado Springs, CO OR Fort Wayne, IN OR Camden, NJ OR Greenville, TX Job ...

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Category Lead information

See salary details

$10

$25

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How much do category lead jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average hourly pay for category lead in the United States is $25.73, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $15.38 and $24.04 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a category lead typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive category performance?

As a Category Lead, you will regularly work with cross-functional teams such as marketing, supply chain, sales, and finance to develop and execute category strategies. Collaboration often involves leading meetings to discuss product launches, promotional plans, inventory management, and performance analytics. You’ll act as the main point of contact for your category, ensuring alignment across departments and that everyone is working toward shared goals. Strong communication and project management skills are essential for coordinating these efforts and adapting plans based on market trends or internal feedback.

What is the difference between Category Lead vs Category Manager?

AspectCategory LeadCategory Manager
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree, industry-specific certifications often preferredBachelor's degree, certifications like CPM or CSM beneficial
Work EnvironmentStrategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, leadership rolesOperational focus, vendor management, market analysis
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in retail, manufacturing, and consumer goods companiesCommon in retail, e-commerce, and supply chain sectors
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding leadership roles in category managementOperational responsibilities and day-to-day management

In summary, a Category Lead typically focuses on strategic oversight and leadership within a category, often guiding teams and setting long-term goals. A Category Manager handles the operational aspects, including vendor relations and market analysis. Both roles are essential in retail and consumer industries but differ mainly in scope and strategic versus operational focus.

What is a category lead?

A Category Lead is a professional responsible for overseeing the performance and strategy of a specific product category within a company. This role involves analyzing market trends, managing supplier relationships, and developing initiatives to maximize sales and profitability for their category. Category Leads often collaborate with marketing, sales, and procurement teams to ensure their category's growth aligns with overall business goals. They play a key role in assortment planning, pricing, promotions, and inventory management.

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

To thrive as a Category Lead, you need expertise in category management, strategic sourcing, market analysis, and a relevant degree such as in business or supply chain management. Familiarity with procurement systems like SAP Ariba, data analytics tools, and industry-specific certifications (e.g., CIPS or CPSM) are typically required. Strong negotiation, leadership, and stakeholder management skills help you drive results and foster collaboration across teams. These skills and qualifications are crucial for optimizing category performance, achieving cost savings, and aligning procurement strategies with business goals.
What job categories do people searching Category Lead jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Category Lead jobs are:
Category Lead jobs near you
Infographic showing various Category Lead job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $53,524 per year, or $25.7 per hour.

Category Lead

Whatnot

New York, NY • On-site

$167K - $215K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 2 days ago

Job description

Join the Future of Commerce with Whatnot!
Whatnot is the largest live shopping platform in North America and Europe to buy, sell, and discover the things you love. Whether it's trading cards, fashion, electronics, or live plants, our sellers are building real businesses across hundreds of categories. We're building live commerce at a scale that's never been done in the West, and there's no playbook to copy. The people here are shaping how an entirely new industry develops.
As a remote co-located team, we're inspired by our values and anchored in hubs across the US, UK, Ireland, Poland, Germany, and Australia. We move fast, stay close to our users, and focus on the work that drives the most impact.
We're one of the fastest growing marketplaces and were recently named the #1 Best Startup Employer in America by Forbes. Check out the latest Whatnot updates on our news and engineering blogs and join us as we enable anyone to turn their passion into a business and bring people together through commerce.
About the Categories & Expansion Team
The Categories & Expansion team owns Whatnot's portfolio of categories and the growth of the sellers and buyers in each community. We're building live commerce at a scale that's never been done in the West, and there's no playbook to copy. The people on this team decide how an entirely new industry develops, category by category.
Role
You own the strategy, growth, and P&L for one of Whatnot's largest or highest growth categories. You set the strategic vision, decide where to invest, and pull the levers across Account Management, Sales, Marketing, Partnerships, and Product to hit it. This is one of the most pivotal seats on the CatEx team: you bring together everything across the org that lets a community thrive on the platform.
  • Define the strategy. Map the market, dig into the data, and talk to sellers and buyers to build a clear point of view on how to scale your category sustainably. Turn that into an action plan against the category's biggest opportunities and headwinds, and bring the right cross-functional partners along to execute it.
  • Lead the execution. Manage a team of direct and dotted-line reports across Account Management, Sales, Marketing, and Partnerships to onboard and grow sellers, activate influencers, and run community events. Source and close the highest-priority partnerships in the category. Own the metrics that define success (GMV, buyer/seller retention, etc.) and use them to prioritize key focus areas across your team.
  • Drive outsized growth. Identify the category unlocks and work cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Operations to ship the solutions that step-change growth. Propose and run tests with leadership to learn fast, and take on the biggest opportunities/risks as an IC.
  • Be the voice of your category. Build relationships with your top sellers and buyers, understand their perspectives, and ensure the product meets their needs. Carry our culture by coaching your team to deeply understand the business and product so they can pitch sellers and grow the community. Partner with other Category Leads to keep leveling up how the whole CatEx team executes.

You
  • People who do well at Whatnot tend to be comfortable figuring things out as they go, biased toward action, and genuinely curious about what they're building. They care more about outcomes than credit and stay close to the product and the people using it.
    • A passion for our mission: you live and breathe the needs of our communities and work relentlessly to improve their experience on Whatnot
    • 7+ years of experience working in a fast-paced, client-facing role in high-output environments, such as: Strategy Consulting, Private Equity, or partnerships at a fast-paced tech company
    • A player/coach who gets in the weeds: scrappy, comfortable in a highly ambiguous environment, and no job is too small
    • A proven leader who has managed and developed a team
    • Deeply analytical and comfortable manipulating data to find and act on business insight
    • Strong communicator who can frame and explain insight for a variety of audiences
    • Fluency with AI tools to sharpen problem-solving, analysis, and execution across a wide range of business challenges

    Nice to Have
    • Experience working on a marketplace or a two-sided platform
    • Experience or passion for buying and selling in online marketplace communities
    • Proficiency with SQL & dashboards

EOE
Whatnot is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, parental status, disability status, or any other status protected by local law. We believe that our work is better and our company culture is improved when we encourage, support, and respect the different skills and experiences represented within our workforce.

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