About the Role: This specific role will have primary responsibilities of managing our portfolio for an identified group of categories, managing the product lifecycle management and P&L performance of these items, including leading the sourcing, product development and commercialization of these items. This dynamic individual is responsible for developing a category roadmap based on prioritized business opportunities, partnering with key stakeholders, and then executing that roadmap through flawless commercialization execution. This role is a unique opportunity to join a new team chartered with developing the foundation and future of sourcing. Reports to the Brands Product Director and is a new role.
Responsibilities Include
- Develop and then implement short, medium, and long-term category management plans and category sourcing strategies across the business for specific Brands categories.
- Conduct industry analyses and competitive assessments, modeling opportunities to prioritize white space sales and/or margin opportunities that would drive incremental value to the company.
- Lead and manage the RFP process for identified Brands categories, partnering with key business owners from start to finish, identifying capable supplier partners, performing market research and benchmarking, and managing the supplier communication process.
- Lead contract and business term negotiations with suppliers by utilizing a robust strategic sourcing process, focused on should-costs, leveraging advanced scenario modeling, design to value thinking and vertical interference concepts.
- Develop business recommendations and present them to business leaders for decision-making, including the Purchasing Leadership Team and our Independent Operators network.
- Execute legal contracts with awarded suppliers, partnering with the legal team on all legal indemnifications and business terms and conditions.
- Monitor supplier performance, assessing supplier service levels, understanding capacity planning, reviewing innovation pipelines, and pressing for continuous cost improvements.
- Perform ad hoc category or business analysis and support for stakeholders across the company, becoming a key thought partner with the business.
- Create and commercialize new products, collaborating with suppliers to ensure products are meeting targeted quality expectations and delivering excellent value to our shoppers and stores.
- Build financial decks to summarize Brands category performance, cost analysis, and other key financial metrics, including collaborating with finance, purchasing and strategy teams.
- Utilize clear and insightful data visualizations to build reports and dashboards that facilitate data-driven decision-making across the Brands and Purchasing departments
- Provide input to the Brands design agency towards a packaging design solution for each responsible category, considering category activity and private label competitive positioning.
- Review and approve label claim documentation, quality certifications, specifications, plant audit reports, certificates of insurance and other legal or regulatory documents to manage risk for the company.
- Generate sales and marketing content for planned digital marketing events, including Ads, seasonal events, promotional activities, industry activation and ad hoc Independent Operator needs.
- Effectively manage the Brands portfolio within assigned departments to ensure comp sales growth and enhanced margin performance while continuing to offer value to our shoppers.
About The Pay
- Base Salary Range: $110,000 - $130,000 Annually
- Annual Bonus Program
- Equity
- 401(k) Profit Sharing
- Medical, Dental, Vision & More!
- Final compensation will be determined based upon experience and skills and may vary based on location.
About You
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Food Science, Economics or Supply Chain. MBA preferred.
- 10+ years of analytical experience — takes data driven approach to problems with an ability to quickly model financial impacts and identify opportunities. Advanced Excel skills required.
- 7+ years of private label, sourcing and/or product commercialization experience across multiple consumable product categories. Expertise in all aspects of the commercialization process of private label, including legal, quality, regulatory and print production, with experience in grocery retail highly preferred.
- Action-oriented, self-starter with courage to lead change, and implement operational improvements.
- Must be familiar with clean-sheeting, should-cost modeling, tolling and developing financial models to reverse engineer the total costs of ownership for consumer-packaged goods.
- Knowledgeable of category industry activities and risks, including regulatory restrictions and needs, certification standards, brand positioning, claim values and shopper behavior drivers.
- Collaborative worker, quick to build trusted relationships with internal and external business partners.
- Possess the ability to multi-task, prioritize, work independently and keep a high level of focus.
- Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, especially in front of peers and executive audiences. Strong PowerPoint skills required.
- Experience working within a mainframe ERP system a plus as well as multiple data sources.
