Senior Team Leader, Category Merchant

Provides leadership and oversight to the Category Management / Merchandising function, including strategy development, innovation, definition and execution of marketplace differentiators, key supplier partnerships and team development. Responsible for the financial performance of the Category management / Merchandising function. Accountable for all Category Management / Merchandising strategic and operational decisions, including category management, purchasing, and procurement and retail operations. Oversees team efforts to develop category goals & strategies and product assortments through the lens of our core customer, ensuring a strong mix of national brand product relevance, best-in-class local product relevance, and best-in-class private label product relevance - distinguishing Whole Foods Market from our competition. Responsible for business financial performance.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for the financial performance of assigned high volume, complex, and/or financially significant categories.
• Works with Category Management / Merchandising leadership to help drive change and support WFM evolution to Category Management
• Works with leadership to help develop category strategy based on financial expectations, category role, category performance, customer and product trends, competitive landscape and WFM differentiators.
• Develops and executes category promotional planning including planning and executing key promotional events and reacting in-season bases on sales performance and the competitive landscape.
• Works with leadership to recommend (Exclusive Brands) and/or set (Category Management) category price strategy and develop pricing tactics to achieve financial and customer objectives;
• Conducts ongoing analysis of category performance, trends, and competitive assortment and pricing.
• Develops strategic relationships with key suppliers to ensure early insight into new trends and products; early and exclusive access to new items; differentiated product; merchandising and promotions and competitive costs.
• Partners with applicable stakeholders to translate assortment plans into merchandising plans and planohgrams.
• Partners across teams to integrate branded / exclusive programs into overall category strategies as well as with Marketing on marketing and promotional events.
• Works to ensure effective integration of branded / exclusive programs into overall category strategies.
• Engages with applicable stakeholders to ensure effective space planning in support of program plans and strategies.
• Works with business partners to identify gaps in analytical processes and reporting; problem-solves with various other teams to fill gaps.
• Leads and ensures an integrated approach with business partners in vendor negotiations and cost increase justifications.
• Serves as thought-leader in pricing and category analysis.
• Leverages strategic supplier / vendor relationships to ensure early insight into new trends and products; early and exclusive access to new items; differentiated product; merchandising and promotions and competitive costs.
• Viewed as subject matter expert and thought leader within category merchant organization.
• Provides leadership to Team Members and Merchandising leaders
• Retains accountability for the financial performance of designated categories through pre-season strategy and planning.
• Drives change in the merchandising organization as WFM moves to Category Management.
• Coaches and develops Team Members to ensure performance improvement, career development, and long-term success.

Skills

• Able to provide ongoing leadership and oversight, ensuring goals, deadlines and budgets are met.
• Ensures alignment between team objectives / initiatives and the organization's overall vision, values, mission, and business strategy.
• Ensures team services adapt and change as the business evolves.
• Able to develop strong relationships and engage in strategic conversation with senior-level stakeholders, internally and externally.
• Identifies gaps in understanding, formulates resolution strategies and delivers clear and compelling communication.
• Able to translate overarching strategic objectives into clear, actionable actions.
• Identifies risks and threats in current and emerging process change, supply chain relationships, customer trends, and markets.
• Understands how these threats may impact business operations, financial returns and the company's competitive position.
• Able to collaborate cross-functionally and with category and business leaders to develop mitigation processes and enhance business sustainability long-term.
• Recommends strategic / operational adjustments based on internal and external factors.
• Leads detailed task / project planning, including cost, schedule, and resource requirements.
• Ensures planning incorporates data and information from customer, partner, and company perspectives.
• Collaborates with task / project stakeholders to identify, evaluate, and resolve emerging and anticipated issues.
• Leverages data-driven insights to recommend and implement task / project continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates clear understanding of WFM's core business, supply chain and customer / market / supplier interfaces.
• Assesses how products, processes, and operating models impact the company's business.
• Understands how changes in customer expectations, the competition, new business, new markets, and evolving strategies impact the company's competitive position and long-term prospects.

Education & Experience

• BA/BS degree and 6-8 years' relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 2-4 years leadership experience.

The wage range for this position is £70,600.00-£120,020.00 Annual, commensurate with experience. Whole Foods Market offers "Whole Benefits". Whole Benefits may include health insurance, retirement plan benefits, eligibility for a store discount, paid time off and access to other benefit programs. Eligibility for Whole Benefits is determined under the terms of the applicable Whole Benefits plan at a person's date of hire. For additional information, visit our Whole Foods Market Careers site:

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