Vice President of Merchandising - Center Store - Festival Foods

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Company Overview

ABOUT FESTIVAL FOODS:

At Festival, people are at the top of our list. You’ll see it in everything from our daily interactions to how we treat our guests – even in our extensive associate benefits and programs.

Job Summary

Job Title: Vice President of Merchandising - Center Store

FLSA Status: Salaried

Reports To: Senior V.P. of Marketing and Merchandising  

The Vice President of Merchandising- Center Store is responsible for establishing and achieving the strategic vision and goals for the merchandising organization. This position will lead the development of assortments, in-store programs, advertising programs including weekly circular and digital promotions, and overall “Go To Market” strategies. This person must possess superb leadership skills and a proven ability to drive merchandising strategies across the enterprise – in collaboration with operations, finance, marketing, IT, and other support teams.

Job Description

This position impacts all aspects of the merchandising process, including:  

• Creation & implementation of category management strategies;
• Partnership, collaboration, and negotiation with Vendor partners;
• Team development;
• P&L oversight and management;
• Executive engagement and communication;
• Relentless focus on our Customer (Guest) through data analytics, emerging trends, vendor collaboration, and frequent in-store engagement;
• Exudes strong alignment to Festival Foods’ Boomerang Basics and values through executive presence, authentic & approachable style, supportive engagement, and “can do/hands on” approach.

The ideal candidate will bring impeccable communication skills along with an ability to drive change and inspire/motivate direct and indirect teams, all while reinforcing our Boomerang Basics and culture.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and develop a team of Senior Directors, Buyers/Category Managers, Buyers Assistants.
• Develop short, medium, and long term strategies and initiatives to drive financial results and improve guest engagement.
• Manage assortment strategies for all store locations and guest trip missions.
• Plan and execute advertising by regional market in collaboration with Marketing team.
• Manage and execute retail pricing strategy in partnership with Price Strategy team.
• Analyze market trends and create action plans using market share data and internal data.
• Drive innovation with product, merchandising fixtures, in-store presentation techniques, and focus on continual improvement.
• Oversee financial management process – including coaching Department Directors to ensure achievement of financial objectives including sales, margin, and overall profitability.
• Responsible for assisting with the annual forecasting and budgeting process. 
• Responsible for managing, overseeing, and reporting vendor funding and collections.
• Develop and launch overall Private Label strategy along with continual assortment improvements.
• Manage supply chain efficiencies through frequent inventory review.
• Partner with Store Operations on in-store physical inventory process semi-annually.
• Drive efficiencies with systems and processes.
• Build loyalty through personalization and first party data utilization– in conjunction with Marketing and IT teams.
• Manage OPEX budget for Merchandising.
• Present to store organization, support organization, ELT, and vendor community as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

KEY PARTNERSHIPS & STAKEHOLDERS

• Supervisory Relationships:
  • Direct reports include Sr. Director of Grocery, Wine & Spirits; Sr. Director of Frozen/Dairy, Natural & Organic; Sr. Director of HBC/GM
  • Indirectly leads team of Buyers and Buyer Assistants
• Organization Relationships:
  • Member of the SLT, which is the Senior Leadership Team operating committee
  • Daily contact with all levels of store leadership to provide guidance as needed

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform these essential job duties satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Proficient in collaborative leadership practices
• Experience successfully leading multiple merchandising departments is required, Center Store Grocery experience strongly preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in an analytical VP level role in the Grocery/Retail business, or 5+ years in Senior Director level role at national retailer or equivalent.
• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, quantitative analysis, resource allocation, leadership techniques, coordination of people and resources.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office; Excel, Word, Outlook
• Monitoring and assessing performance of self, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Communicate information accurately and appropriately.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and strong interpersonal skills including verbal communication, listening, negotiation, problem solving, decision making, and demonstrating confidence and clarity.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

• The associate must possess the ability to sit or stand at a computer up to 75% of the time

WORK SCHEDULE

The VP of Merchandising - Center Store is a salaried position.  The work schedule will include mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed. 

• Ability to travel within the state of WI, as business needs dictate.

Benefits Overview

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT HERE: