Category Management Analyst 1

Category Analyst I Pikesville, MD (Hybrid after onboarding) Compensation: $65K–$80K Position Summary Our recruiting agency is supporting a confidential distribution client seeking an early‑career Category Analyst who is curious, detail‑oriented, and excited to grow in a fast‑moving product and merchandising environment. This role is ideal for someone with strong analytical fundamentals and excellent communication skills who wants to learn a specialized industry and support smarter assortment, pricing, and product data decisions. Soft skills, potential, and coachability matter more than deep industry experience. Training provided. Responsibilities • Support product data accuracy across categories and customer segments • Identify SKU gaps, competitive assortment differences, and pricing opportunities • Analyze sales trends, customer behavior, and market signals • Collaborate with marketing, purchasing, supply chain, and operations • Assist with product launches, updates, and lifecycle management • Build simple dashboards and reports to support decision‑making • Engage with internal teams to understand product needs and unmet demand • Learn the industry and grow into a category expert over time Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience • 1+ years in analytics, merchandising, product data, or business analysis • Strong communication and relationship‑building skills • High attention to detail and comfort working with large SKU sets • Proficiency in Excel; familiarity with BI tools is a plus • Curiosity, eagerness to learn, and a growth mindset Preferred Qualifications • Experience with product data, pricing, or competitive research • Exposure to SQL, Power BI, or automation tools (not required) • Experience in distribution, wholesale, or medical/dental products (not required)