Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Merchandising the Director of Specialty and Hardlines is a member of the Merchandising leadership team. This role has accountability for the applicable Merchandising Categories for Pet Supermarket and works in coordination with other department leaders to drive product innovation and develop Company strategy through a deep expertise in quality, positioning, pricing, selection and product development. This role is responsible for building a high caliber team and metrics-driven merchandising practice as a position of strategic advantage.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities • Develop annual merchandising plans • Develop category management practices that meet volume goals and margin requirements, while continuing to provide a unique and differentiated position in the marketplace • Develop a Category Management team with well-defined category management practices, processes and tools, including category reviews managing quality, mix, margin and pricing and assortment optimization • Oversee assortment strategy for all products including an annual merchandise roadmap for all products • Oversee project timelines, deliverables and approval processes while monitoring product releases, pricing and development calendar milestones • Identify product needs based on analytics, customer feedback and usage, competitive analysis, and best practices • Maintain updated knowledge of key competitor product, distribution and pricing strategies in order to source the freshest, most unique designs in each category and maximize sales opportunity • Analyze real-time sales performance to identify areas of risk and opportunity and develop plans to address. • Develop the merchandising team by finding and cultivating talent, providing process direction, coaching and supporting skill development and professional growth • Partner with Marketing to drive customer acquisition and retention • Ensure all functional areas within company, including operations and customer service, stay educated about the consumer and products • Partner with Store Operations to tailor plans to successfully execute category business plans • Cultivate and strengthen brand, supplier and customer relationships to optimize results • Travel to customer and brand locations, trade shows, and other events as required
Experience, Education, Certifications (List minimum required to enter the role.) • 5+ years in Director or Sr. Director merchandising role with at least 3 years in Pet • 3+ years with Live Pet Specialty experience • Bachelor's degree in business management or related field, an MBA is an asset • Strong background in proven category management processes • Deep experience in category line reviews
Team oriented and demonstrated excellence in cross functional, direct and indirect leadership and management • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, proactive and creative, able to seek out innovative solutions to business problems • Knowledgeable and successful in multi-channel sales via both wholesale and direct-to-customer • Creative and resourceful, with a strong customer orientation and highly motivated to positively impact the customer and Company • Strong business acumen, combined with the ability to translate business strategy into practical application • Excellent written and verbal communication skills • Proficiency in Microsoft Office • Tableau experience a plus
Competencies • Action Oriented - Enjoys working hard; is action oriented and full of energy for the things seen as challenging; not fearful of acting with a minimum of planning; seizes more opportunities than others. • Dealing With Ambiguity - Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn't upset when things are up in the air; doesn't have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty. • Business Acumen - Knows how businesses work; knowledgeable in current and possible future policies, practices, trends, and information affecting his/her business and organization; knows the competition; is aware of how strategies and tactics work in the marketplace. • Decision Quality - Makes good decisions (without considering how much time it takes) based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment; most of his/her solutions and suggestions turn out to be correct and accurate when judged over time; sought out by others for advice and solutions. • Interpersonal Savvy - Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably. • Organizational Agility - Knowledgeable about how organizations work; knows how to get things done both through formal channels and the informal network; understands the origin and reasoning behind key policies, practices, and procedures; understands the cultures of organizations.