Prepared Foods Team Member Jobs
Prepared Foods Team Member jobs are open across grocery retail, supermarkets, food co-ops, and big-box stores, at every level from entry-level deli associate to senior counter specialist, with specializations in hot foods preparation, deli slicing, and fresh meal assembly. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 191+ Prepared Foods Team Member jobs
Description
Category Manager, Prepared Foods
Position Overview:
- We are seeking a strategic, data-driven Prepared Foods Category Manager to own and scale one of the company’s highest-growth categories. This role leads end-to-end category strategy across value added chicken portfolios driving revenue growth, margin expansion, innovation, supply optimization and strategic customer growth.
- This leader will proactively operate at the intersection of cross-functional teams including Category Development, Revenue Growth Management, Digital Transformation, Brand & Digital Marketing, Innovation & Project Management, Culinary, Supply Chain & Demand Planning, Finance, Operations and Sales to deliver enterprise-level impact.
- The scope includes owning the PnL (profit and loss attribution) for the business unit, specifically the product mix and customer segmentation aligned to non-commercial channel operators within Foodservice.
- This role will execute category management fundamentals (price, product, promotion, placement) for the product mix & channel under management including but not limited to; Gross to Net, Trade Management, Cost of Goods, Gross Margin, Product Assortment & Optimization and Channel Go-To-Market Strategy.
-
Successful candidates will be;
- A cultural fit, living our values professionally.
- A cross-functional leader, effectively managing indirect reports.
- A challenger of process, driving continuous improvement.
- A category owner (price, promotion, product & placement).
Scope & Financial Accountability
- Own full P&L for a >$300M+ net sales prepared foods portfolio.
- Deliver budgeted annual category growth for volume & net sales.
- Manage gross margin to budget through net, cost and mix optimization.
- Lead pricing & trade strategy in coordination with Revenue Growth Management.
- Drive forecast accuracy and inventory management with Sales & Supply Chain.
Core Responsibilities
- Category Strategy & Growth
- Develop and execute 3-year category roadmap aligned with business unit strategy.
- Identify whitespace opportunities in Non-Commercial Foodservice segments, across our branded & private label assortment; with an emphasis on Education (K-12 Schools & Higher Ed) and overlapping contract managed & group purchasing activity & segment priority relevant to the portfolio of managed products.
- Drive the innovation & renovation pipeline specific to the channel in coordination with cross-functional teams w/ direct and indirect ownership.
- Optimize assortment using velocity, margin, and operator insights & analytics.
- Drive and support joint business planning with strategic customers.
Financial & Margin Leadership
- Own gross revenue, gross-to-net trade management, net sales, cost of goods and gross margin to the business per budget.
- Implement cost engineering initiatives across ingredients, packaging, and production in coordination with cross-functional teams.
- Drive mix shift toward high-margin, differentiated SKUs.
- Conduct elasticity modeling and pricing optimization with RGM to support growth.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Collaborate with Category Development, Revenue Growth Management, Digital Transformation, Brand & Digital Commerce Marketing, Innovation & Project Management, Culinary, Supply Chain & Demand Planning, Finance, Operations, Channel Sales, and strategic customer partners.
- Align cross-functional goals with business unit and category strategy.
- Drive prioritization within the cross functional teams to deliver objectives.
- Manage performance metric implementation and key performance indicators.
- Execute process, cadence and routines specific to the channel.
Operational Optimization
- Improve forecast accuracy and reduce aged & shrink inventory risk.
- Drive process improvements in production scheduling and WOS positions.
- Standardize fundamental processes in support of channel operations.
- Leverage internal and third-party data to track key performance metrics.
Qualifications:
- 7-10+ years of progressive experience in category management, merchandising, marketing or relevant commercial roles.
- 3-5+ years managing perishable food categories in meat or CPG.
- Proven ownership of multi-million-dollar PnL responsibility.
- Demonstrated success negotiating multi-million-dollar contracts.
- Advanced analytical capability (SQL, advanced Excel, BI tools preferred).
- Microsoft Office & Adobe Suite proficiency (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
- Proficiency in third-party reporting toolkits (Circana, Qlik, Dynamics, Telus, etc.).
- Strong executive presence and cross-functional influence.
- Channel specific experience preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.
- Can perform the functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation
- As a salaried position with the company, you may be required to travel at some point to other facilities, to attend Company events, or as a representative of the Company in other situations. Unless otherwise specified in this posting, the amount of travel may vary and the most qualified candidate must be willing and able to travel as business needs dictate.
The applicant who fills this position will be eligible for the following compensation and benefits:
- Benefits: Vision, Medical, and Dental coverage begin after 60 days of employment;
- Paid Time Off: sick leave, vacation, and 6 company observed holidays;
- 401(k): company match begins after the first year of service and follows the company vesting schedule;
- Base salary range of $127,000 - $171,000;
- Incentive Pay: This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s annual bonus plan, the amount of bonus varies and is subject to the standard terms and conditions of the incentive program; and
- Career Development: Our company is dedicated to supporting professional growth by offering continuous learning opportunities and a focus on career growth through various learning and development programs.
The posted salary range represents the Company’s good faith estimate of the compensation that the Company reasonably expects to pay for this role at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, qualifications, tenure, internal equity, market data, and may vary accordingly.
This position does not have an application deadline. We will continue to recruit until the position has been filled.
The Company is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our team members and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct drug, alcohol, and background checks for all new team members post-offer and prior to the start of employment. The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of the third day of work.
About us: Pilgrim’s is a leading global food company with more than 62,000 team members worldwide. The company processes, prepares, packages, and delivers fresh, frozen, and value-added food products for customers in more than 100 countries. Pilgrim’s operates protein processing plants and prepared foods facilities in 14 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K, the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe. Pilgrim’s is headquartered in beautiful Greeley, Colorado, at the JBS USA corporate office where our 1,200 employees enjoy more than 300 days of sunshine a year.
Our mission: To be the best in all that we do, completely focused on our business, ensuring the best products and services to our customers, a relationship of trust with our suppliers, profitability for our shareholders and the opportunity of a better future for all of our team members.
Our core values are: Availability, Determination, Discipline, Humility, Ownership, Simplicity, Sincerity
EOE, including disability/vets
Unsolicited Assistance: JBS and its companies do not accept unsolicited assistance from any recruitment vendors for any of our open jobs. All resumes or candidate profiles submitted by recruitment vendors or headhunters to any employee at JBS and its companies or via the applicant tracking system, in any form without a valid written request and search agreement previously approved by HR, will be solely owned by JBS and its companies. No fees will be paid should the candidate be hired by JBS and its companies because of an unsolicited referral.
Description
Category Manager, Prepared Foods
Position Overview:
- We are seeking a strategic, data-driven Prepared Foods Category Manager to own and scale one of the company’s highest-growth categories. This role leads end-to-end category strategy across value added chicken portfolios driving revenue growth, margin expansion, innovation, supply optimization and strategic customer growth.
- This leader will proactively operate at the intersection of cross-functional teams including Category Development, Revenue Growth Management, Digital Transformation, Brand & Digital Marketing, Innovation & Project Management, Culinary, Supply Chain & Demand Planning, Finance, Operations and Sales to deliver enterprise-level impact.
- The scope includes owning the PnL (profit and loss attribution) for the business unit, specifically the product mix and customer segmentation aligned to non-commercial channel operators within Foodservice.
- This role will execute category management fundamentals (price, product, promotion, placement) for the product mix & channel under management including but not limited to; Gross to Net, Trade Management, Cost of Goods, Gross Margin, Product Assortment & Optimization and Channel Go-To-Market Strategy.
-
Successful candidates will be;
- A cultural fit, living our values professionally.
- A cross-functional leader, effectively managing indirect reports.
- A challenger of process, driving continuous improvement.
- A category owner (price, promotion, product & placement).
Scope & Financial Accountability
- Own full P&L for a >$300M+ net sales prepared foods portfolio.
- Deliver budgeted annual category growth for volume & net sales.
- Manage gross margin to budget through net, cost and mix optimization.
- Lead pricing & trade strategy in coordination with Revenue Growth Management.
- Drive forecast accuracy and inventory management with Sales & Supply Chain.
Core Responsibilities
- Category Strategy & Growth
- Develop and execute 3-year category roadmap aligned with business unit strategy.
- Identify whitespace opportunities in Non-Commercial Foodservice segments, across our branded & private label assortment; with an emphasis on Education (K-12 Schools & Higher Ed) and overlapping contract managed & group purchasing activity & segment priority relevant to the portfolio of managed products.
- Drive the innovation & renovation pipeline specific to the channel in coordination with cross-functional teams w/ direct and indirect ownership.
- Optimize assortment using velocity, margin, and operator insights & analytics.
- Drive and support joint business planning with strategic customers.
Financial & Margin Leadership
- Own gross revenue, gross-to-net trade management, net sales, cost of goods and gross margin to the business per budget.
- Implement cost engineering initiatives across ingredients, packaging, and production in coordination with cross-functional teams.
- Drive mix shift toward high-margin, differentiated SKUs.
- Conduct elasticity modeling and pricing optimization with RGM to support growth.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Collaborate with Category Development, Revenue Growth Management, Digital Transformation, Brand & Digital Commerce Marketing, Innovation & Project Management, Culinary, Supply Chain & Demand Planning, Finance, Operations, Channel Sales, and strategic customer partners.
- Align cross-functional goals with business unit and category strategy.
- Drive prioritization within the cross functional teams to deliver objectives.
- Manage performance metric implementation and key performance indicators.
- Execute process, cadence and routines specific to the channel.
Operational Optimization
- Improve forecast accuracy and reduce aged & shrink inventory risk.
- Drive process improvements in production scheduling and WOS positions.
- Standardize fundamental processes in support of channel operations.
- Leverage internal and third-party data to track key performance metrics.
Qualifications:
- 7-10+ years of progressive experience in category management, merchandising, marketing or relevant commercial roles.
- 3-5+ years managing perishable food categories in meat or CPG.
- Proven ownership of multi-million-dollar PnL responsibility.
- Demonstrated success negotiating multi-million-dollar contracts.
- Advanced analytical capability (SQL, advanced Excel, BI tools preferred).
- Microsoft Office & Adobe Suite proficiency (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
- Proficiency in third-party reporting toolkits (Circana, Qlik, Dynamics, Telus, etc.).
- Strong executive presence and cross-functional influence.
- Channel specific experience preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.
- Can perform the functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation
- As a salaried position with the company, you may be required to travel at some point to other facilities, to attend Company events, or as a representative of the Company in other situations. Unless otherwise specified in this posting, the amount of travel may vary and the most qualified candidate must be willing and able to travel as business needs dictate.
The applicant who fills this position will be eligible for the following compensation and benefits:
- Benefits: Vision, Medical, and Dental coverage begin after 60 days of employment;
- Paid Time Off: sick leave, vacation, and 6 company observed holidays;
- 401(k): company match begins after the first year of service and follows the company vesting schedule;
- Base salary range of $127,000 - $171,000;
- Incentive Pay: This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s annual bonus plan, the amount of bonus varies and is subject to the standard terms and conditions of the incentive program; and
- Career Development: Our company is dedicated to supporting professional growth by offering continuous learning opportunities and a focus on career growth through various learning and development programs.
The posted salary range represents the Company’s good faith estimate of the compensation that the Company reasonably expects to pay for this role at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, qualifications, tenure, internal equity, market data, and may vary accordingly.
This position does not have an application deadline. We will continue to recruit until the position has been filled.
The Company is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our team members and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct drug, alcohol, and background checks for all new team members post-offer and prior to the start of employment. The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of the third day of work.
About us: Pilgrim’s is a leading global food company with more than 62,000 team members worldwide. The company processes, prepares, packages, and delivers fresh, frozen, and value-added food products for customers in more than 100 countries. Pilgrim’s operates protein processing plants and prepared foods facilities in 14 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K, the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe. Pilgrim’s is headquartered in beautiful Greeley, Colorado, at the JBS USA corporate office where our 1,200 employees enjoy more than 300 days of sunshine a year.
Our mission: To be the best in all that we do, completely focused on our business, ensuring the best products and services to our customers, a relationship of trust with our suppliers, profitability for our shareholders and the opportunity of a better future for all of our team members.
Our core values are: Availability, Determination, Discipline, Humility, Ownership, Simplicity, Sincerity
EOE, including disability/vets
Unsolicited Assistance: JBS and its companies do not accept unsolicited assistance from any recruitment vendors for any of our open jobs. All resumes or candidate profiles submitted by recruitment vendors or headhunters to any employee at JBS and its companies or via the applicant tracking system, in any form without a valid written request and search agreement previously approved by HR, will be solely owned by JBS and its companies. No fees will be paid should the candidate be hired by JBS and its companies because of an unsolicited referral.
Prepared Foods Team Member Jobs by Experience Level
See All 191+ Prepared Foods Team Member Jobs
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Find JobsPrepared Foods Team Member Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Whole Foods Market160
- Giant Eagle12
- Tyson Foods Incorporated7
- Pilgrim's4
- Amazon2
Top Industries Hiring
- Retail
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in prepared foods team member jobs.
- Food handler certification or ServSafe certification preferred or required
- Ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 50 pounds
- Experience operating slicers, steamers, fryers, or other commercial food equipment
- Knowledge of HACCP guidelines and proper temperature logging procedures
- Strong customer service skills with experience working a service counter
- High school diploma or GED typically required for full-time positions
Tips for Your Prepared Foods Team Member Job Search
Tailor your resume to food safety
List any ServSafe, food handler, or allergen awareness certifications near the top of your resume. Hiring managers in prepared foods departments screen for compliance readiness before they read anything else, so front-loading credentials saves your application from being skipped.
Highlight temperature control experience
Mention specific tasks like rotating hot-hold trays, maintaining cold case temps, or logging HACCP records. These details tell a prepared foods hiring manager you already understand daily compliance requirements and won't need basic food safety training from scratch.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists prepared foods team member openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Search by department type, not just title
Job postings for this role appear under 'deli associate,' 'hot bar attendant,' 'fresh foods clerk,' and 'prepared meals specialist.' Searching only one title misses openings that describe the same day-to-day work, so try several variations when scanning listings.
Prepare answers about peak volume management
Interviewers for prepared foods roles consistently ask how you handle a rush, like a weekend hot bar crowd or a holiday catering spike. Prepare a specific example that covers your prep steps, how you prioritized tasks, and what the outcome was.
Negotiate schedule before you accept
Prepared foods departments often operate on rotating shifts covering early morning prep and late closing. Clarify your expected shift pattern during the offer conversation, not after, since availability mismatches are a leading reason new hires leave within the first month.
Prepared Foods Team Member Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most prepared foods team members?
The companies hiring the most prepared foods team members right now include Whole Foods Market, Giant Eagle, and Tyson Foods Incorporated, with the largest share of openings in California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Volume tends to increase around major holidays when prepared foods departments expand staffing to meet catering and hot bar demand.
How many prepared foods team member jobs are remote?
About 14% of prepared foods team member openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting that most of the role requires hands-on work at a service counter or food prep station. The small share of remote-eligible positions typically involves food production scheduling, online order fulfillment coordination, or corporate training roles within larger grocery chains.
How do you become a prepared foods team member?
Start by earning a food handler card or ServSafe certification, which most employers require before your first shift. Then apply to entry-level openings at grocery stores, supermarkets, or food co-ops. During onboarding you'll train on equipment operation, temperature logging, food rotation, and customer service at the counter before working independently.
Can you get a prepared foods team member job with little or no experience?
Yes, many grocery retailers hire candidates with no prior prepared foods experience as long as you hold a valid food handler certification and can demonstrate reliability. Emphasize any customer-facing work, kitchen prep at home or school, or volunteer cooking experience. Availability for early morning prep shifts and weekends makes entry-level candidates significantly more competitive in this role.
What does the prepared foods team member interview process look like?
Most interviews for this role are one or two rounds, starting with a brief phone or in-store screening that covers availability and certifications. An in-person interview follows, where a department manager asks situational questions about food safety, handling a busy service counter, and working with a team. Some retailers include a short walk-through of the department before making an offer.
Where can I find and apply to prepared foods team member jobs?
You can find and apply to prepared foods team member jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your certifications, availability, and preferred location, then apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 191+ Prepared Foods Team Member Jobs
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