Category Manager - Produce

Description

We are looking for a Category Manager who is passionate about food and enjoys working in a fast paced, team environment!

Would you treat the produce category like it was your own business?

Are you known for building strong relationships with vendors?

Why not join us?

Position: Category Manager - Produce

Job Overview:

Responsible for category strategy development and execution, product selection, vendor negotiations, pricing strategy, advertising, in-store features and event planning. Responsible for achieving the budgeted sales and margins for the category.  Analyzes data such as demographics and consumer research information.  Analyzes categories and makes decisions based on consumers’ needs, with an eye on becoming “Food Experts”.

Accountabilities:

• Develop tactical plans and programs including category positioning, mix and pricing
• Provide input for advertising and in-store promotions, space management, pricing strategy, service and inventory levels
• Communicate and transfer business knowledge to store department managers and team members
• Assist in developing annual category and department budgets
• Manage promotional income from marketing boards

Manage supplier partner relationships:

• Negotiation with supplier partners
• Review, analyze and monitor supplier/contract performance
• Troubleshoot and resolve matters with suppliers regarding return of products, over-shipments, changes, etc.
• Source new supplier partners

Cross Functional Accountabilities and Authority

• Communicate with Marketing, Merchandising and Operations Teams
• Communicate with Information Technology (I.T.) Team
• Perform special projects

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies:

• University Degree in Business or relevant post-secondary accreditation
• Minimum 3 years purchasing and inventory management experience
• Specific purchasing experience in food retail or wholesale
• Ability to develop and implement tactical plans
• Excellent understanding of supplier and customer relationship management
• Understanding of marketing fundamentals as they apply to the business
• Excellent financial skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Creative and analytical approach to problem solving, including the ability to take abstract concepts and develop them into tactical programs
• Result-oriented self-starter with ability to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders across business units
• Strong customer-service orientation
• Excellent negotiation skills
• System thinking and continual process improvement skills
• Excellent analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent oral and written business communication skills

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office environment with participation in meetings.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and changing priorities with regular deadlines.
• Regular travel to stores and warehouse locations required.
• Regular travel to Ontario Food Terminal (OFT) required.
• Occasional travel outside of Canada is required for trade shows and supplier partner initiatives.

Longo’s is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities throughout the recruitment process and, upon request, will work with qualified job applicants to provide suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs due to disability.

Note: A qualified job applicant with a disability is one who possesses the required skills, education, experience and training and who can, with reasonable accommodation, perform the essential functions of the position applied for.

If you require accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Coordinator at:

Email: [email protected]