Senior Team Leader, Category Merchant

Whole Foods Market is seeking a Senior Team Leader, Category Merchant. This role will provide 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. This role will be responsible for the financial performance of the Category management / Merchandising function. Also, accountable for all Category Management / Merchandising strategic and operational decisions, including category management, purchasing, and procurement and retail operations. This role will oversee 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. This role is based in Barbican, London, with an expectation of being in the Store Support office five days a week.

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 based 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 planograms.
• 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.
• Engages on-site with Stores to drive programs, sales, and financial success.
• Additional activities or responsibilities as requested by Leadership.

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 of Leadership experience with multiple direct reports.

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