JOB SUMMARY:

This position has responsibility for the merchandising, marketing and financial objectives and decisions established for the assigned product categories through building and maximizing an optimized strategy and plan for price, promotion, placement, assortment, quality, production, work content, sourcing strategies and the tactics to achieve them. Works in partnership with Department Leader, Field Team, Procurement and Operations to communicate, train and implement successful sales strategies that meet the company’s Center Store objectives.  

ADVANCEMENT TO CATEGORY DIRECTOR POSITION:

A job title of Category Director will be considered for individuals who possess or have successfully demonstrated the following attributes or assignments:

Demonstrated experience and proficiency managing high volume categories, capable of managing complex categories, categories with a large SKU and/or Vendor/Distributor Count, and/or can absorb added responsibilities of best practice training or leading other assigned direct reports.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Maintain and grow our image as the premier Hispanic provider of authentic goods and flavors. Create products and programs that will deliver quality, service and customer satisfaction; Maintain our competitive edge through continuous improvement of products, processes, , suppliers, training and development. Deliver a portfolio of products that deliver on our goal of differentiation through Hispanic authenticity and cultural and customer relevance while also staying true to current customer trends and eating habits. Analyzes and ensures planned category performance across a variety of indicators – sales, gross profit, shrink, contribution and profitability and develops annual category plans based on a thorough understanding of the category, consumer, and the marketplace. Develops and executes strategic plans to support category sales and margin goals. Manages assortment for best use of space and ability to meet consumer needs both annually and seasonally. Develops and executes promotional and brand building plans for each category to drive sales and support margin goals.  Monitors raw materials and other product costs to ensure best quality ingredients, vendor pricing and ability to manage retail prices effectively. Applies understanding of cost drivers along with negotiating skills to effectively negotiate the best costs with suppliers.  Perform frequent and regular store visits to monitor and adjust store strategies – Minimum of 6 hours per week. Partner with Operations to review and constantly strive for improved processes that emphasize 5S cleanliness and sanitation, workplace organization, labor efficiency, associate safety, delivery of exceptional customer service, consistency of product quality, provision and utilization of appropriate equipment, and attractiveness of presentation. Directs the replenishment function (via assigned Replenishment support) to ensure product availability, consistency of supply, maintaining collaborative relationships with suppliers, service level objectives and applies cost-of-goods insights to drive increased efficiency. Reviews and recommends new products and launches, rotational seasonal offerings, quality and the number of items carried. Responsible for size of product inventory and rate of turnover. Works with Marketing and Operations to ensure successful communications and launch. Monitors and reports supplier performance with regards to price, quality, assortment and service. Frequency of review is driven by category review schedule and category role basis. Collects all funds available to achieve or exceed gross margin targets and to support Shopper Marketing initiatives as appropriate. Follows guidelines defined by the Category Role Strategic Guidelines relative to pricing, assortment, plan-o-grams. Assesses the competitive landscape to understand their strengths and weaknesses and identify opportunities and threats; including all trade channels. Identifies and develops new sourcing and procurement of products with the goal of enhancing assortments and driving sales. Partners with our Fresh team to develop solutions that will drive customer engagement, sales and fits within our standards for service, production, quality and availability. Considers and integrates Private Label merchandising into the appropriate categories according to strategic direction defined by leadership.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS:

Education/Experience/Skills

College degree preferred or minimum of 5 years equivalent experience in relevant field of work. 5-10 years of retail experience preferred. 2-5 year’s experience with category management practices Strong preference is given to applicants who have completed the WAFC Retail Management Certificate Program (RMCP). Experience managing Dairy/Deli/Frozen Categories Highly Recommended

Knowledge Skills and Abilities Required: 

Skilled in the following areas using internal, market and/or Nielsen/IRI data: Product assortment Strategic retail planning Promotional planning Placement on shelf Sales analysis and planning Demonstrated excellence in Strategic Planning as it relates to Merchandising and setting a plan for a category Proficient with Microsoft Excel and other business applications Working knowledge of Private Label strategies Excellent financial and data analysis capabilities Excellent supply chain knowledge Self-distributing and warehouse experience Able to discuss and negotiate: Terms Lower cost of goods Menu pricing Fund management Excellent communication and team building skills Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) strongly preferred

 

Physical Demands and Conditions

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Some requirements may be modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; stand; and use the hands to handle, finger, or feel objects, tools or controls; The employee must frequently walk, talk or hear, and reach with the hands and arms; occasionally, the employee must crouch or kneel; The employee must occasionally exert or lift up to _10_ pounds carrying boxes of records and forms and frequently exert or lift moderate amounts of weight; Successful performance requires specific vision abilities that include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. The job requires the ability to travel. The work environment is that typical of an office and retail store. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER NOTICE: The job duties, elements, responsibilities, skills, functions, experience, educational factors, and the requirements and conditions listed in this job description are representative only and not exhaustive of the tasks that an employee may be required to perform. The Employer reserves the right to revise this job description at any time and to require employees to perform other tasks as circumstances or conditions of its business or the work environment change.