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Brief Role Description:
- Responsible for driving profitable sales growth of the produce category within a region
- Collaborates cross functionally (Sales, Supply Chain, Revenue Management) and across entities (Market, Corporate, Specialty)
- Category expert that provides training, product information, regulatory guidance, and market cost guidance to internal and external customers in support of the produce category.
PRIMARY AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Category Strategy
- Align with SMS Produce teams to execute strategies
- Identify category development opportunities, coordinate with sales teams (leaders, specialists, sales consultants) to propose new business
- Ensuring expected compliance and proper support of SMS Produce and Freshpoint.
- Analyze data and market insights to understand consumer needs and wants
- Research competitors and suggest appropriate pricing
- Manage site specific market cost decisions on a weekly basis
- Collaborating with Regional Revenue Management Director and Regional VP of Merch, utilize available contract programs and resources to provide customer specific pricing for key Regional customers
- Provide field feedback on strategies including advising on marketing materials to improve sales
Provide planning team with forecasts for product demand trends
- Coordinating new customer on boarding activities
- Addressing the needs and concerns of key CMU/LCC contacts within the Region
Assortment Management
- Providing product assortment and SKU rationalization recommendations that are aligned with your Region demand
- Ensure product availability
- Design exit strategies for unsuccessful products
Category Training
- Providing SC support through business reviews, customer insight encounters with targeted training and education.
- Schedule and manage category sales training of Sales Consultants
- Provide timely and effective communication with Sales force including but not limited to market conditions, product quality and availability, new items and applications.
Product Quality/Quality control
- Develop and monitor SOPs ensuring that pick locations are checked daily
- Collaborating with Operations and Food Safety teams
- Work cross-functionally with QA and Operations to generate PDN’s – ensure accuracy, timely completion, and submission. Ensure resulting claims are tracked and settled appropriately
Mitigate Expense/Shrink
- Works with inventory control to manage expiration dating through SWMS reports.
- Works closely with Quality Assurance lead(s) and in conjunction with Operations and Transportation Management
- Establish and maintain accountability that all inbound product is inspected thoroughly
- Collaborate with QA and Product Support Advisors to ensure quality and integrity of all inbound and outbound Category 11 products
- Manage market adherence to GAP/GMP Compliance
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Education/Experience:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience in lieu of degree sufficient to successfully perform essential job functions required. Master’s degree a plus.
- 3+ years management/professional experience required (5+ years preferred). Significant produce industry experience, sales, merchandising and/or operations experience within a retail, wholesale or distribution environment preferred.
- Strong written & verbal communications skills required
- Strong excel skills preferred
- Ability to manage & implement innovative strategies to maximize sales & gross profit potential while driving customer loyalty & MA engagement
Skills:
- Ability to build high performing teams and enable best practice sharing and support culture
- Ability to motivate high-performing teams & enable a culture of best practices
- Ability to manage conflict and reach quick resolution with facts and dialogue
- Ability to work cross functionally and build relationships across the organization/enterprise
- Ability to communicate effectively with individuals of different backgrounds
- Collaborative change leader who uses multiple influencing styles to drive change
- Analytical thinker who can draw sound business conclusions based on a strong fact base
- Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
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