Category Manager (Mandarin and English) at Pacific Smoke International Inc – Markham, Ontario

Category Manager

at Pacific Smoke International Inc.

Hybrid (4 day on-site)

Do you believe that a company’s success depends on its people? If so, PSI is the place for you! PSI is nothing without the people who build, design, and support it. We’re looking for a Category Manager to join our scaling organization.

At Pacific Smoke International, our mission is to help people quit smoking by providing safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes. As the leading distributor of electronic vaporizers and award-winning vaping products in Canada, we've made significant progress since our founding in 2013. However, we have much more to accomplish for our customers, and we're looking for a culturally aligned Category Manager to join our dynamic team located in Markham.

What’s important to us:

We are seeking to attract individuals who share and demonstrate our core values: Judgement, Curiosity, Agility, Results, Accountability, Teamwork.

Position Overview

Pacific Smoke International is Canada’s leading distributor of electronic vaporizers and manufacturer of award-winning vaping products. Our goal is to empower people nationwide to quit smoking by choosing a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes. We are a young, thriving company, located in Markham and we are seeking a culturally aligned and skilled Category Manager to join our team.

The Category Manager will oversee the performance of all external brands or new brands, including but not limited to hardware, e-liquids, and other brands and products that are identified to fit into the company’s business strategy. This includes leadership in the planning and execution of go-to-market strategies and each brand’s financial performance. The Brand Manager would work with all external product brands to organize and direct activities to achieve business development objectives.

This person would enjoy empowerment to impact change and would be inspired to contribute toward the greater vision of eliminating combustible cigarettes from the world. Strong business acumen, curiosity, people skills, savvy communications, and an analytical, solution-oriented mindset would lead to success in this role. Our managers are not afraid to get their hands dirty and will dive into solving problems and seizing opportunities with the team.

If you are an innovative thinker who is fulfilled by driving brand/product performance, overcoming challenges, and seizing opportunities to launch and build high-performance external brands/products with a sense of financial sustainability in a constantly evolving environment, this is the ideal role for you!

Responsibilities

Work closely with the Senior Manager, Brand Marketing, and other department managers to develop and execute external brand/portfolio strategies and plans to achieve the company’s & department’s objectives.Oversee the external brand/portfolio development process from research, ideation, planning, development, marketing, and sales strategies for entire external brands.Deal with external brand owners and manufacturers to continuously optimize product selection, portfolio strategy, and relationship management.Work with relevant cross-functional teams (i.e., marketing intelligence, product development, digital marketing) to build external brands and products that are set up for success and built to sustainably perform.Continuously assess the competitive landscape and consumer insights to identify trends, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.Assess brand/product performance and effectiveness; strategically add new products, evolve promotional strategies, and minimize slow-moving SKUs.Strategize and oversee go-to-market launch strategies and conduct post-mortem analyses to measure effectiveness and refine tactics.Manage and be accountable for brand financial performance and the brand marketing budget.Generate and analyze reports from various data sources such as regional/national sales, digital marketing analytics, and more to improve brand/product strategies and performance.Assist line manager to define, measure, and report on major KPIs relating to business performance to senior management.Collaborate with Marketing on merchandising and guide the creation of point-of-sale materials to increase brand awareness and exposure.Create engaging presentations and present new products and promotions to cross-functional departments and key stakeholders.Be the main contact point and informed decision-maker for brand-related topics through collaborations with sales, product development, supply chain, demand planning, project management, order desk, and so on.Manage the brand planning calendar; coordinate cross-functional activities and plan processes, manage timelines, and ensure timely completion of all deliverables.Other related duties as assigned from time to time.

Qualifications

Mandarin speaking is required Vape (cannabis or tobacco) industry product, supplier & sales knowledge is preferredProven advanced negotiation and contract management skillsAbility to identify, quantify and effectively mitigate procurement risksAbility to develop actionable strategies and oversee their executionAbility to adapt to changing requirements and provide the necessary supportStrong cost-benefit and business analysis abilities2-3 years of working experience in product/category management or related experience Strong communication, presentation, and cross-functional collaboration skillsStrong cost-benefit and business analysis abilities and proven project management skillsPresence: Able to stand up with confidence and command regarding the brand/product projects status, rationale, and state of beingSelf-Starter: You are comfortable taking action without significant direction but also confident enough to be able to engage leadership at key points to gain alignment and assistance where needed

What you can expect from Pacific Smoke International:

At our company, we strive to provide our team members with the best possible support. Here is an overview of the current benefits and perks we offer:

-A total compensation package that includes group benefits program starting from day 1 of joining and year-end performance bonus

-Ongoing learning and development opportunities to help build the career you want and hit the goals you set, while ensuring you’re reaching your fullest potential

-Three weeks of Vacation

-Awards for top performers and employee tenure

-A unique opportunity to build, grow and leave your impact on a US$25-billion industry

-To work with a group of people who are humble, supportive, and care about our customers

-Product at distributor pricing to all employees

-Company events

If you are a results-driven, self-motivated individual who thrives in a collaborative and fast-paced environment, we invite you to join our team at PSI. You will have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people nationwide while working in an inclusive and supportive environment.

Thank you to all the applicants who have shown interest in this position. We appreciate the time and effort you have taken to apply.

While we carefully review every application we receive, we regret to inform you that only the candidates who are being considered for further evaluation will be contacted.

Pacific Smoke international is an equal opportunity employer and encourages all qualified candidates to apply. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), we are committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities to support their participation in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process.