Category Manager Jobs in New Jersey
Category Manager jobs in New Jersey are consistently in demand, with strong hiring concentrated in consumer packaged goods, retail, pharmaceuticals, and logistics across one of the densest commercial corridors in the country. Most openings are centered in Newark, Princeton, and Edison, where companies like Johnson & Johnson, Wakefern Food Corporation, and Bed Bath & Beyond's successor operations have long anchored the procurement landscape. The most sought-after specialties are indirect spend, grocery and perishables, and healthcare supply chain. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 14+ Category Manager jobs
The Category Manager plays an important role in supporting the growth of the brand through data-driven insights, category analytics, and compelling storytelling. This individual will analyze consumer, shopper, retailer, and syndicated data to identify opportunities, develop actionable recommendations, and support customer and business initiatives.
The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, highly analytical, and capable of transforming complex data into clear and compelling stories. Success in this role requires strong analytical rigor, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate insights that help drive decision-making across sales, marketing, and leadership teams.
While experience in grocery category management is preferred, we welcome candidates from a variety of analytical and commercial backgrounds who have a passion for using data to solve business challenges.
Key Responsibilities
Analytics & Insights
- Analyze retailer, consumer, shopper, and syndicated data to identify trends, opportunities, and performance drivers.
- Evaluate assortment, pricing, promotion, distribution, and merchandising performance to generate actionable insights.
- Monitor competitive activity, category trends, and shopper behavior to support business planning and decision-making.
- Identify opportunities and potential risks through ongoing analysis of category and brand performance.
Storytelling & Recommendations
- Translate complex data into concise, compelling, and actionable business stories.
- Support development of presentations, reports, and insights that support customer meetings, internal business reviews, and strategic planning efforts.
- Collaborate with manager to synthesize multiple data sources into clear recommendations for sales, marketing, and leadership teams.
- Tailor communications to effectively engage a variety of audiences, from analytical teams to executive stakeholders.
Category & Brand Support
- Support category and customer initiatives through fact-based analysis and strategic recommendations.
- Assist in the development of category reviews, customer presentations, and selling stories.
- Contribute insights that help inform assortment, merchandising, promotion, and innovation opportunities.
- Provide analytical support for key business priorities and growth initiatives.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and other internal teams to support business objectives.
- Serve as a resource for category, shopper, and marketplace insights across the organization.
- Collaborate on projects that strengthen category understanding and drive informed business decisions.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, Statistics, Analytics, or a related field.
- 3-5+ years of experience in category management, shopper insights, consumer insights, sales analytics, retail analytics, market research, revenue growth management, or related commercial functions.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and identify meaningful business opportunities.
- Strong presentation, storytelling, and communication skills.
- Experience using syndicated data and analytics platforms such as Circana (Unify+), NielsenIQ, retailer POS data, or similar tools.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
Preferred
- Experience supporting grocery, food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods categories.
- Experience developing customer-facing presentations and selling stories.
- MBA or advanced degree.
The Category Manager plays an important role in supporting the growth of the brand through data-driven insights, category analytics, and compelling storytelling. This individual will analyze consumer, shopper, retailer, and syndicated data to identify opportunities, develop actionable recommendations, and support customer and business initiatives.
The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, highly analytical, and capable of transforming complex data into clear and compelling stories. Success in this role requires strong analytical rigor, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate insights that help drive decision-making across sales, marketing, and leadership teams.
While experience in grocery category management is preferred, we welcome candidates from a variety of analytical and commercial backgrounds who have a passion for using data to solve business challenges.
Key Responsibilities
Analytics & Insights
- Analyze retailer, consumer, shopper, and syndicated data to identify trends, opportunities, and performance drivers.
- Evaluate assortment, pricing, promotion, distribution, and merchandising performance to generate actionable insights.
- Monitor competitive activity, category trends, and shopper behavior to support business planning and decision-making.
- Identify opportunities and potential risks through ongoing analysis of category and brand performance.
Storytelling & Recommendations
- Translate complex data into concise, compelling, and actionable business stories.
- Support development of presentations, reports, and insights that support customer meetings, internal business reviews, and strategic planning efforts.
- Collaborate with manager to synthesize multiple data sources into clear recommendations for sales, marketing, and leadership teams.
- Tailor communications to effectively engage a variety of audiences, from analytical teams to executive stakeholders.
Category & Brand Support
- Support category and customer initiatives through fact-based analysis and strategic recommendations.
- Assist in the development of category reviews, customer presentations, and selling stories.
- Contribute insights that help inform assortment, merchandising, promotion, and innovation opportunities.
- Provide analytical support for key business priorities and growth initiatives.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and other internal teams to support business objectives.
- Serve as a resource for category, shopper, and marketplace insights across the organization.
- Collaborate on projects that strengthen category understanding and drive informed business decisions.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, Statistics, Analytics, or a related field.
- 3-5+ years of experience in category management, shopper insights, consumer insights, sales analytics, retail analytics, market research, revenue growth management, or related commercial functions.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and identify meaningful business opportunities.
- Strong presentation, storytelling, and communication skills.
- Experience using syndicated data and analytics platforms such as Circana (Unify+), NielsenIQ, retailer POS data, or similar tools.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
Preferred
- Experience supporting grocery, food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods categories.
- Experience developing customer-facing presentations and selling stories.
- MBA or advanced degree.
See All 14 Category Manager Jobs in New Jersey
Find roles in New Jersey that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Category Manager JobsCategory Manager Jobs by City in New Jersey
Where New Jersey roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Category Manager Job Market in New Jersey
A snapshot from current New Jersey openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
What New Jersey Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in category manager jobs across New Jersey.
- Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain management, or a related field required
- Three or more years of experience in category management, procurement, or buying
- Demonstrated experience building category strategies using syndicated data such as Nielsen or IRI
- Proficiency in spend analysis tools, ERP systems, and Microsoft Excel or Power BI
- Strong supplier negotiation skills and experience managing vendor contracts and relationships
- Familiarity with cross-functional collaboration across merchandising, marketing, and supply chain teams
Category Manager Jobs in New Jersey: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a category manager in New Jersey?
Most category managers in New Jersey enter through a bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or marketing, followed by roles in buying, procurement, or vendor management. There is no state-issued license required for the role. New Jersey's concentration of CPG, retail, and pharmaceutical employers means candidates who build experience with category analytics, planogram tools, or healthcare procurement have a clear advantage when moving into a category manager title.
How much do category managers make in New Jersey?
Category managers in New Jersey earn a median of about $174,520 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $117,660 for the lowest 10% to over $285,280 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire category managers in New Jersey?
Companies currently hiring category managers in New Jersey include Quest Diagnostics, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Veeco, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. New Jersey's mix of national retail headquarters, major CPG manufacturers, and large hospital systems means openings appear across a broad range of industries throughout the year.
Which New Jersey cities have the most category manager jobs?
Secaucus, Bloomfield, and Parsippany-Troy Hills are the New Jersey cities with the most category manager openings. Newark draws hiring from logistics and distribution companies near the port, Edison sits at the center of a dense corridor of CPG and specialty retail offices, and Princeton benefits from proximity to pharmaceutical and life sciences companies that manage complex indirect and clinical supply categories.
Are there remote category manager jobs in New Jersey?
Yes, and more than many comparable roles, since category management is primarily an analytical and strategic function that does not require daily on-site presence. About 100% of category manager openings tied to New Jersey are remote or hybrid as of September 2026. The parts of the role most commonly handled remotely include data analysis, supplier communication, and category planning, while line reviews and cross-functional planning meetings tend to require in-person attendance.
How can I get hired as a category manager in New Jersey with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a junior buyer, procurement analyst, or merchandise coordinator role, which New Jersey retailers, grocery chains like Wakefern, and pharmaceutical distributors hire regularly as stepping stones. Building hands-on experience with syndicated data tools such as Nielsen and IRI, or earning a Certified Professional in Supply Management credential, strengthens a candidate's profile meaningfully. Many mid-size CPG companies in the Edison and Parsippany corridor consider applicants transitioning from sales analytics or retail replenishment backgrounds.
Where can I find and apply to category manager jobs in New Jersey?
You can find and apply to category manager jobs in New Jersey on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings tied to the state. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 14 Category Manager Jobs in New Jersey
Find roles in New Jersey that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Category Manager Jobs