Director of Protein

Company: Weee!
Location: Schiller Park
Posted on: January 19, 2026

Job Description:

Weee! is the largest and fastest-growing ethnic e-grocer in the United States, operating in one of the largest underserved categories in retail with affordable access to exciting ethnic food. By partnering with local suppliers, redesigning the value chain and leveraging social buying, Weee! is reshaping the grocery business entirely. Weee! is headquartered in Fremont, CA, and is currently available coast to coast with exceptional growth (5x YoY) across geographies, categories and ethnicities. We have raised $800M in funding to date from leading investors including Softbank Vision Funds, DST, Blackstone, Tiger Global, Lightspeed Ventures, Goodwater Capital, XVC and iFly. The opportunity now is to join a rocketship as we prepare for the next stage of growth, and an eventual public listing. This role is onsite 5 days a week based out of one of our 3 locations: Fremont, CA; La Mirada, CA; or Clifton, NJ. About the Role The Director of Protein is responsible for the strategic leadership and Protein assortment of Weee!’s protein categories. This role will be responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive category strategy, optimizing assortment, driving sales and profitability, and ensuring the highest standards of quality and sustainability. The Director will report directly to the executive team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Weee!’s protein business. Responsibilities Understand Weee! customer needs and translate insights into a winning protein assortment and merchandising strategy. Develop and execute a comprehensive category strategy for all protein lines, addressing vendor capacity, quality, pricing(cost), and demand planning requirements. Mentor and develop a high-performing category management team, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. Set ambitious goals for category growth, sales, and margin improvement; own the category’s revenue, P&L, and overall business performance. Build and maintain strong vendor relationships, negotiating optimal pricing and continuously seeking new partnerships to expand and strengthen our protein offerings. Lead commodity cost management initiatives, including market monitoring and financial forecasting to anticipate and respond to market changes. Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, and Food Safety to drive company initiatives and achieve OKRs. Analyze market trends, competitor activities, and customer data to identify gaps and opportunities for innovation and growth of the assortment. Ensure compliance with all food safety, quality, and regulatory standards. Support new product development and seasonal launches, working closely with suppliers and internal teams to deliver innovative offerings. Provide regular market condition updates and financial forecasts to executive leadership, supporting data-driven decision-making. Identify emerging customer trends and “exciting products” to bring relevant innovations to market, driving increased category performance. Partner with Supply Chain and Operations teams to ensure consistent product quality and freshness, while minimizing spoilage and waste. Develop and execute a comprehensive category strategy for all protein lines, addressing vendor capacity, quality, pricing(cost), and demand planning requirements. Mentor and develop a high-performing category management team, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. Set ambitious goals for category growth, sales, and margin improvement; own the category’s revenue, P&L, and overall business performance. Build and maintain strong vendor relationships, negotiating optimal pricing and continuously seeking new partnerships to expand and strengthen our protein offerings. Lead commodity cost management initiatives, including market monitoring and financial forecasting to anticipate and respond to market changes. Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, and Food Safety to drive company initiatives and achieve OKRs. Analyze market trends, competitor activities, and customer data to identify gaps and opportunities for innovation and growth of the assortment. Ensure compliance with all food safety, quality, and regulatory standards. Support new product development and seasonal launches, working closely with suppliers and internal teams to deliver innovative offerings. Provide regular market condition updates and financial forecasts to executive leadership, supporting data-driven decision-making. Qualifications 10 years experiences in merchandising, including at least 5 years managing protein categories (meat, seafood, poultry) in a retail environment In-depth knowledge of USDA and FDA regulations, as well as quality compliance standards for protein products. Proven experience in building and developing high-performing teams. Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills. Experience working in close partnership with other departments including Supply Chain, Operations, Quality Assurance, Finance. Strong commercial negotiation skills and cost modeling experience. Experience with long-term forecasting supply chain health and budgeting. Strong expertise in assortment planning and margin management, with experience navigating seasonality. Experience with Procurement and ERP systems E-commerce experiences preferred Familiarity with merchandising analytics tools and platforms preferred Managing relationships with international vendors preferred Benefits Comprehensive health insurance package, including medical, dental, and vision. PPO/HMO packages 401k, 4% company match Equity and Bonus Vacation, sick and holiday time off Monthly mobile stipend Monthly Weee! Points credits Compensation Range The US base salary range for this full-time position is for all locations ( Fremont, La Mirada, Clifton, NY, Seattle, Chicago, Houston,Tampa) $150,000 - $205,000 This role may be eligible to discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum base salary for new hires for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by multiple factors like job-related skills, experience and work locations. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include any variable compensation elements. Weee! is an equal opportunity employer welcoming all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law. Discrimination or harassment of any kind is not tolerated at Weee!

Keywords: Weee!, Gary , Director of Protein, Retail - All , Schiller Park, Indiana