Category Merchant

Responsibilities

• Accountable for the financial performance of an assigned category or category area through pre-season strategy and planning.
• Develops category strategy for less complex categories based on financial expectations, category role, category performance, customer and product trends, competitive landscape and WFM differentiators.
• Develops and executes category assortment plan including supplier line reviews, assortment analysis, internal stakeholder collaboration, item planning and forecasting.
• Contributes to category price strategy development and helps ensure development of financially sound and value adding pricing tactics.
• Works with suppliers / vendors to obtain information about new trends and products, potential new items, competitor practices, and other factors that may impact category analysis and planning.
• Works to ensure effective integration of branded / exclusive programs into overall category strategies.
• Partners with support teams to ensure category execution (e.g. new item set up and planogramming).
• Analyzes category performance, trends, and competitive assortment and pricing.
• Engages with suppliers to ensure early insight into trends and products; early and exclusive access to new items; differentiated products, merchandising and promotions and competitive costs.
• Leverages data-driven analyses and insights to support / lead negotiations with current and potential suppliers.
• Supports marketing and promotional events / initiatives.
• Works with business partners to identify, develop, and implement meaningful and measurable testing opportunities.
• Translates and analyzes complex data, ensuring timely and effective communication with all levels of the organization.
• Leverages data-driven analyses and insights to support / lead negotiations with current and potential suppliers.
• Documents learning history for company-wide application.
• Uses analytics to define and drive goals of the team and organization.
• Supports and positively influences / negotiates team financial goals, product mix, business relationships, innovation needs and team culture.
• Communicates and collaborates with key cross-functional stakeholders to co-lead program / project development and ensure effective execution.
• Supports and ensures effective alignment with supply chain / logistics activities.
• In the area of Excluisive Brands, leads project management of new product development lifecycle (Ideation - RFP – BA - Launch).
• May partner with logistics on forecasting and optimizing distribution and supply chain network.
• May collaborate with legal counsel in reviewing and commenting on legal documents / agreements (i.e. PLVA).
• Leverages knowledge, experience, and refined instinct to engage with / influence leadership on category vision development; ensures vision balances both customer and industry perspectives.
• Ensures vision supports higher-level objectives and encompasses a breadth of forward-looking insight.
• Provides coaching and mentoring for new TMs.
• Serves as a resource on WFM capabilities and captain ships.

• Knowledge of retail business, including all aspects of pricing, merchandising, retail operations, and financial analysis and reporting.
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and across geographies where results are based on cooperation with and influence of others.
• Solid change management skills, demonstrates flexibility to perform in a dynamic environment.
• Creative problem-solving skills, maturity to handle ambiguity.
• Ability to multitask across projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work well and fast under pressure.
• Well-versed in the implementation and use of various retail software solutions.
• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office applications.
• CM:
  Builds Category Management skill set and proficiency.
• EB:…