Responsibilities

• Sets targets for sales and gross profit for assigned categories. Works with Category Managers to meet established sales, profit and owned brand penetration goals.
• Leads cross functional team to define customer opportunity, product specification and ensure product submission meet or exceed consumer expectations. Develops assigned categories; stays abreast of category trends and market changes. Maintains knowledge of competition and applies information as necessary to grow sales and profit.
• Knows how to forecast demand for both short term and long term sales; must have a solid understanding of logistics and the effect on store and warehouse fill rates, inventory, and shelf life, and the results these areas have on Company profitability.
• Works with external partners and industry experts to develop a strategic relationship to identify product and packaging innovation and meet corporate requirements on service. Knows the entire new product innovation cycle and how it affects consumer response to product performance.
• Develops assigned categories through new product development, reformulation and packaging ideas.
• Serves as key Owned Brand product expert within category strategy process, regular S&OP meetings, strategic product lifecycle plan and regular cross functional meetings led by Category Manager.
• Steers end-to-end Owned Brand commercialization process ownership and management (direct and influenced). Follows processes that ensure owned brand participation is seamlessly integrated and aligned with relevant internal teams - merchant, sourcing, technical product development, etc.
• Leads owned brand integrated activity plan for assigned categories.
• Leads regular updates with regulatory/legal departments to ensure all products have appropriate claim substantiation.
• Understands core brand tenets and guardrails to deliver best quality product within expected guidelines.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of experience in Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing OR High School diploma/GED and 7 years of experience in Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing.
• Experience with related financial modeling and analysis.
• Experience with project management (for example: planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives).
• Experience developing and delivering presentations to various audience levels within an organization.
• Experience collaborating with internal resources and external stakeholders to develop strategies that meet department goals within budget and established timelines.
• Knowledge of retail store merchandising including placement and promotion.
• Knowledge of logistics and the effect on store and warehouse fill rates, inventory, and shelf life, and the results these areas have on Company profitability.
• At least 2 years of experience contributing to financial decisions in the workplace.
• At least 2 years of direct leadership, indirect leadership and/or cross-functional team leadership.
• Willing to travel up to 15% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).

Preferred

• Knowledge and experience in private brands, CPG, or retail.
• Experience using retail data such as Nielsen or IRI.
• MBA or Master’s Degree