Associate Product Manager

McLane is one of the largest and most stable supply chain services leaders in the United States. We’ve been at the forefront of delivering retail and restaurant solutions for convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores, and chain restaurants for over 125 years. Our vision is to be an agile, innovative, and unified supply chain partner that delivers a superior customer experience, improves the lives of our teammates and community, and produces best-in-class returns.

This position is based in Temple, TX, which will require the candidate to report and work from the office on a regular basis. Therefore, interested candidates should be within a 50-minute commute to Temple, TX.

The Associate Product Manager is responsible for executing and supporting McLane's Fresh Food programs for convenience store customers. Responsible for day-to-day management of assigned Fresh categories — including assortment execution, innovation calendar coordination, supplier communication, item lifecycle management, and cross-functional support across culinary, operations, supply chain, marketing, and sales. Manages the process of bringing new items to market, coordinating core menu and Limited Time Only (LTO) rollouts, and ensuring McLane Fresh programs are executed with quality and consistency. Responsible for translating strategy to execution.

• Support the development and execution of fresh food programs for convenience store customers.
• Partner with manufacturers and vendors to build a diverse and competitive assortment of fresh food offerings
  for assigned programs.
• Manage the day-to-day execution of the innovation calendar, including core menu updates and LTO rollouts, in coordination with supplier partners for assigned programs.
• Manage all phases of new product commercialization, including business case development, product testing, supplier alignment, operational readiness, pricing strategy, launch execution, and ongoing portfolio optimization.
• Collaborate with customer operations to ensure smooth execution, on-time launches, and a strong end-customer experience.
• Lead the end-to-end product development lifecycle for assigned Fresh Food programs, from concept generation and consumer insight development through commercialization, launch execution, and post-launch performance evaluation.
• Support financial management of assigned McLane Fresh food categories — including budget tracking, cost monitoring, and pricing recommendations.
• Participate in vendor contract discussions and maintain strong day-to-day working relationships with key supplier partners.
• Partner with the Fresh procurement team to manage in-stock performance across assigned program brands— monitoring inventory health, forecasting demand, and coordinating on supply issues to ensure product availability at the DC and store level.
• Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, and market demands to inform innovation opportunities and continuous improvement.
• Support customer-specific program customization requests, evaluating feasibility with culinary, supply chain, and procurement, and coordinating execution with leadership.
• Mentor analysts and associate product managers as needed.
• Monitor and inform on category compliance with regulatory requirements, food safety, and quality standards.
• Represent McLane professionally in interactions with manufacturers, customers, and industry stakeholders. 
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree or related experience in business-related field.
• Two or more years of related experience.
• Data analysis background preferred.
• Three years of food service or retail industry experience is preferred.
• Strong category management fundamentals, including assortment planning, pricing, promotion, and lifecycle management.
• Solid financial acumen — able to manage category budgets and support margin and cost-improvement decisions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Power BI (or equivalent BI/reporting tools).
• Strong project management skills with a proven ability to manage multiple innovations, commercialization, and operational workstreams simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present recommendations to cross-functional teams, leadership, and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across culinary, supply chain, operations, marketing, sales, and supplier partners.
• Research food trends, consumer behavior, and c-store/foodservice competition.
• Ability to mentor teammates and contribute to a high-performance culture.

• Office Environment.
• Ability to travel as needed to meet manufacturers, customer visits, and attend industry events.

This position requires the ability to read, write, and understand English at a level sufficient to perform job-related tasks effectively and safely. This includes understanding work instructions, safety protocols, and communications essential to the role. The requirement is directly related to the nature of the job and ensures compliance with workplace safety and operational standards.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work only. They are not an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties, and skills. Other duties may be added, or this description amended at any time.
 

Candidates may be subject to a background check and drug screen, in accordance with applicable laws.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.