Category Manager - Fruits & Vegetables (F&V)

In a nutshell

Products are the heart of Picnic, and Fruits & Vegetables are the ultimate test of our promise to customers. In this role, you won’t just manage a category—you will own a dynamic, living ecosystem where freshness, seasonality, and razor-sharp pricing intersect. At Picnic, we differentiate ourselves through data. We don't rely on gut feelings; we build our strategies on state-of-the-art data infrastructure. As Category Manager for Fruits & Vegetables, your superpower will be marrying elite analytical insights with deep market knowledge and a robust supplier network. Together with your cross-functional team, you’ll take end-to-end accountability for building an irresistible assortment, optimizing complex supply chains, minimizing waste, and driving massive commercial growth.

Tricks of the trade

• Data-Driven Category Ownership: Dive into Picnic’s data warehouses to track performance, predict trends, and uncover commercial opportunities that optimize assortment, pricing, and promotion strategies.
• Commercial & Negotiation Mastery: Lead end-to-end negotiations with growers, importers, and wholesalers. Secure competitive commercial terms and long-term volume commitments while building sustainable, trusting partnerships.
• Fresh Logistics & Agility: Own the unique challenges of the F&V supply chain. Proactively mitigate risks like sudden weather impacts, harvest fluctuations, and import restrictions to guarantee maximum product availability and shelf-life.
• Wastage & Quality Control: Collaborate closely with Quality Assurance and Supply Chain teams to optimize transit times, rethink packaging for sustainability and freshness, and keep food waste to an absolute minimum.
• Innovation & Sourcing: Spot upcoming food trends, drive local sourcing initiatives, and introduce eco-friendly innovations that excite our customers and elevate Picnic’s sustainability profile.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the strategic bridge between analysts, supply chain planners, and operations teams to execute flawless daily execution and long-term category goals.

Your superpowers

• Master’s degree (MSc) in Business, Economics, Food Innovation, Supply Chain, or a highly analytical field
• 2-7 years of commercial experience, ideally as a Category Manager or Buyer within the fresh produce (Fruit & Vegetables) sector.
• A data-first mindset. You are comfortable navigating large datasets to extract actionable insights and possess advanced Excel skills (SQL familiarity is a massive plus).
• Proven ability to hold your own in tough commercial negotiations while maintaining healthy, collaborative supplier relationships.
• High energy and a cool head. You thrive in a fast-paced environment where operational hiccups (like a delayed shipment or sudden frost) require swift, creative problem-solving.
• A genuine enthusiasm for agricultural dynamics, sustainability, and high-quality food.
• Fluency in English is required; professional proficiency in Dutch is a strong advantage given the local supplier landscape.

Picnic perks

🥗Fresh Lunch, coffee, and snacks

Our offices are equipped with fully-fledged coffee bars and a kitchen and chefs. They prepare delicious fresh and warm lunches every day so you can keep your energy up.

🚴🏼‍♂️Health insurance discount & bike plan

We have a partnership with CZ (a health insurance provider). Picnic employees get a discount on CZ insurance packages between 5% and 15%. Furthermore, through our partnership with Lease a Bike, you can rent-to-own a new (e)bike at a discounted rate

✍🏼 Learning & development

You’ll get ample opportunity to work on yourself at Picnic. We offer personal development through Lepaya courses, Academy trainings, and more.