Category Manager, Protein (Tempo)

Own the end-to-end strategy and execution of the Tempo Protein category, balancing customer experience, supply continuity, product innovation, and financial performance. This role serves as the primary business owner for the category, partnering cross-functionally to identify opportunities, solve complex problems, and deliver results in a fast-paced, highly visible environment. This role is best suited for someone who enjoys building processes where they don't yet exist, thrives in a rapidly changing environment, and views ambiguity as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. Detailed Responsibilities Develop and maintain category strategy, in service of company-wide goals  Own the identification, evaluation, and choice of suppliers and SKUs for the category Coordinate, negotiate, and manage RFPs with both new and current suppliers Build strategic supplier partnerships that foster innovation, improve performance, reduce cost, and strengthen long-term supply continuity Conduct supply market analysis and collect supplier intelligence to drive sourcing process Work closely with culinary team to identify new ingredient needs and test new suppliers Coordinate with Cross Functional Partners to ensure all new suppliers meet Home Chef guidelines and expectations Act as point on highly visible new protein A/B and Market tests  Partner with legal to negotiate contract terms with key supplier partners and ensure terms + conditions of those contracts are managed and met Work with Procurement Operations, Warehouse and site teams to improve supply chain performance Collaborate with local sites and supplier partners to problem solve regular supply disruptions and secure product in time for weekly meal production Own category performance, proactively monitoring key metrics including cost, quality, supply continuity, customer feedback, inventory health, and supplier performance.  Attend industry conferences to identify new trends, suppliers and/or ingredients Identify, prioritize, and commercialize new product opportunities that support customer experience, operational efficiency, and financial goals This position requires 10% travel Qualifications The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability and/or other characteristics needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities. 5+ years of procurement and sourcing experience (food category-related preferred) Background in food and beverage industry highly preferred Executive-level succinct communication, both verbal and written; discernment when delivering updates Strong data and numerical orientation; baseline Excel/GSheet knowledge (index/match, pivot tables, gut-checking data) Strong analytical mindset with the ability to transl...