Work Location Toronto Corporate Office About the Role The Senior Category Manager plays a critical role in managing assortment, distribution, pricing, promotions, and inventory management strategies for an assigned portfolio within SNDL's Cannabis Retail network. This is a highly visible, analytical role, ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of data and retail operations. Reporting to the Senior Director, Retail Merchandising & Commercial Strategy, you’ll be accountable for driving sales, margin, and other objectives whilst ensuring strategies are tailored to local market dynamics and consumer preferences.
Candidates who can work a hybrid schedule out of SNDL's Toronto (49 Spadina Ave) or Edmonton Offices ( 17220 Stony Plain Rd) are strongly preferred. Exceptional candidates working remotely from Ontario, Alberta, or British Columbia may also be considered Responsibilities Category management and merchandising Develop portfolio-specific strategies across key category management levers: assortment, distribution, pricing, promotions, and inventory management Translate category strategies and playbooks into localized, region- and/or store-specific programs that reflect unique market dynamics and consumer preferences Build and maintain compelling cannabis product assortments, balancing national priorities with regional/banner-specific opportunities Develop and maintain optimal shelf pricing by analyzing margin targets, competitive benchmarks, consumer price sensitivity, and promotional elasticity Actively manage inventory health by monitoring sell-through and weeks of supply with a focus on mitigating aging inventory through assortment changes and/or promotional markdowns Prepare product and vendor setup and maintenance requests, ensuring accuracy of all master data attributes in close partnership with Merchandising Operations Maintain planograms and menu boards, ensuring timely preparation, clarity of instruction for stores, and optimal slotting based on business, customer, and vendor objectives Vendor and trade management Act as the primary relationship lead for 50+ suppliers, managing all aspects of the partnership lifecycle including onboarding, business reviews, commercial negotiations, billing, collections, and issue resolution Partner with key suppliers to continuously refine joint business plans, aligning on growth targets, investment priorities, and commercial opportunities Lead the sourcing and set up of new suppliers to address assortment gaps and evolving customer needs, including the negotiation of commercial agreements Design and continuously improve supplier engagement processes, governance frameworks, planning cycles, and performance review cadences to create a consistent and scalable partnership model Develop reporting, scorecards, and business reviews that measure supplier performance, evaluate commercial program effectiveness, and identify growth opportunities Reporting, analytics, and insights Prepare regular category performance reporting and actionable insights for internal stakeholders Proactively conduct item-level and category-level performance reviews, recommending actions such as pricing adjustments, promotional optimization, distribution changes, or SKU rationalization Leverage internal performance data and external market sources to assess competitive positioning, identify emerging trends, and surface innovation opportunities Stay current on industry developments, macro trends, regulatory shifts, and competitive activity to inform category and banner-level decision-making Cross-functional enablement Act as a key point of contact for portfolio-specific category questions and day-to-day operational needs Across all the above, partner closely with Merchandising Operations, Retail Planning & Analytics, Supply Chain, Retail Marketing, Store Operations, Finance, and other teams to ensure cross-functional alignment Key qualifications 7+ years of experience in category man