Category Manager

Dive In To a New Career With Leslie's
Leslie's Pool Supplies is the "World's Largest Retailer of Swimming Pool Supplies." With over 1,000+ retail stores in 39 states plus PRO, Service, E-Commerce, Production, and Distribution divisions, there are many career opportunities at Leslie's. With over 60 years of providing best-in-class products and solutions to our customers, there is nothing that we value more than the development and growth of our team. We strive to create a positive and fun atmosphere where our Team Members feel valued and are enthusiastic about the contributions they make to the success of Leslie's

Note:
This position is based at our corporate office in Phoenix, AZ, and follows a hybrid work schedule. Remote work is not available for this role. Candidates must reside within commuting distance, as relocation assistance is not provided. Additionally, applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future employer-sponsored visa support.
This position is not open to agency submissions.
Job Overview:
The Category Manager is responsible for driving financial performance, strategic category growth, and operational excellence within a defined product segment across all sales channels—including brick-and-mortar retail, proprietary eCommerce, and third-party marketplaces. This role plays a pivotal part in developing and executing category strategies that optimize assortment, pricing, profitability, inventory productivity, and vendor partnerships. Reporting directly to a Category Director, the Category Manager acts as the day-to-day business owner for select categories and vendor relationships, with accountability for gross margin performance, product lifecycle management, and channel differentiation strategies.

This role requires a deep understanding of consumer behavior, retail economics, and cross-functional collaboration to bring compelling assortments to market and execute efficiently. The Category Manager will serve as a bridge between analytics, operations, and strategic planning - managing both short-term execution and long-term growth levers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the category's long-term growth strategy, including channel-specific product, pricing, and promotional plans.
• Analyze and manage category profitability down to dead net profit, incorporating costs such as returns, freight, rebates, and shrink.
• Make data-driven decisions on assortment planning, pricing tiers, and promotional cadence by channel, leveraging deep knowledge of customer behavior and channel dynamics.
• Lead new product launches, from concept and vendor negotiation through commercialization and post-launch performance tracking.
• Serve as the primary contact for a defined set of vendors; negotiate cost,