Senior Category Manager

Responsible for producing a comprehensive and cohesive category strategy which successfully meets the needs of our customers and achieves category goals while supporting brand integrated business plans. Drive the day to day activities of a selling organization culture with a consumer-centric focus through Category, Merchandising and Pricing (CMP) responsibilities. Responsible for thought leadership and category expertise around trends and category innovation.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manages performance for assigned category including margin and shrink
• Responsible for all category financial & customer metrics
• Responsible for procurement and replenishment (Fresh) and in stock position at the shelf (Center Store) [Service levels, inventory/days on hand, forecasting and seasonal impacts)
• Responsible for talent planning, team development and performance management
• Develops and executes customer-focused category plans and drives a selling culture
• Manages pricing for assigned categories and influences pricing strategy
• Subject matter expert for assigned categories
• Manages assortment and selection for assigned categories (f.e. final approval for all POG decisions)
• Drives product innovation
• Vendor negotiation and relationships
• Develops and builds strong teams

Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to manage day to day activity in support of identified business area and functional area strategies
• Ability to influence organizational alignment across multiple business areas
• Ability to take an educated risk with implementing programs that support consumer demands.
• Ability to negotiate
• Ability to think innovatively
• Demonstrate a personal acceptance of change and the ability to adapt and drive change
• Demonstrated ability to implement and analyze retail business using consumer insights and analyzing trends.
• Active listener with an ability to build trust across varying levels of the organization
• High degree of credibility and the ability to work with and through all levels of management
• Excellent organizational, planning, influence, communication and presentation skills
• Self-motivated and persuasive in presenting and selling ideas and executing their implementation

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education and related work experience.
• 5 - 8 years in Category Management
• Minimum of 8 years combined experience in retail, merchandising, pricing, logistics, supply chain, procurement, or distribution
• Experience leading during organizational change management
• Demonstrated track record of developing others
• Knowledge of merchandising management, retail management, replenishment and item management systems
• Proficiency with Logistics as it plays a critical role with short shelf life products
• Proficiency with commissary operations and processes
• Expert in food preparation practices and overall food safety standards
• Knowledge of local and state governmental impacts to selling fresh products (FDA, USDA, Weights/Measures, etc.)