Director, Strategic Initiatives

Loblaw Companies Limited•Brampton, ON

2d•CA$120,000 - CA$154,000

About The Position

As Canada’s food and pharmacy leader, Loblaw Companies Limited plays an important role in bringing about positive environmental and social change – both nationally and in the communities they serve. With a passion for sustainability and creative thinking, the Director of Strategic Initiatives will drive the overall planning and implementation of large-scale conversions across their portfolio of brands. This role is a 18-month contract position. The Director is responsible for supporting the vision, building plans to get there, and coaching a team of Product experts to execute big ideas. The team will deliver a roster of high-impact initiatives across the Loblaw Brands product portfolio, including regulatory redesigns, sustainability-focused work, and overall helping to future-proof over 10,000 products for Canadians.

Requirements

University degree in Business, Marketing or Merchandising preferred.
3 – 5 years of product management, merchandising or equivalent experience.
Strong project management experience with the ability to coordinate cross-functional teams, manage timelines and priorities, and drive initiatives from planning through execution while aligning with business objectives.
Advanced level of initiative and judgment is required to organize and prioritize tasks, workload, and multiple projects.
Exceptional decision-making skills required to achieve organizational objectives with an understanding and consideration to the impact on other work groups.
Highly adaptable to set and prioritize work with varying exceptions.
Diplomacy, constructive thinking, and innovative approach to drive solutions.
Advanced understanding of marketing, merchandising practices and procedures.
Strong analytical and interpersonal skills.
Advanced computer skills to produce effective reports, documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Ability to manage stakeholders across multiple levels of the organization and various departments through clear, effective communication in written, verbal, group, and presentation settings.

Nice To Haves

A unique view for managing ambiguity, and an ability for bringing teams together to deliver big ideas.
Experience in managing product development processes, and understanding of the broader stakeholder groups required to implement portfolio-wide projects.
An ability to think outside the box, and a sense for thinking critically about new challenges.
An ability to tell a story through data, and an eye for reporting.
Leadership capabilities to help your team grow in their roles and develop plans for future career growth.

Responsibilities

Support your team of Product Managers in owning the development and implementation of multi-year project plans, with key milestones for data collection, opportunity identification, and tracking supplier timelines across a global vendor base.
Build and foster relationships across a wide network of internal stakeholders, including Product Leadership, Regulatory Affairs, Creative Agency, and Marketing.
Support senior leadership in the long-term visioning for Next Big Ideas.
Lead monthly reviews with individual product teams to update on progress within existing portfolios, advise and support teams on material considerations for new product development, and escalate delays as required.
Support tracking of estimated financial impact and work with Sourcing and Procurement supports to develop business cases for approval.
Lead weekly and monthly status update meetings with various levels of leadership within the Loblaw Brands team.
Develop and maintain good working relationships with all stakeholders to ensure proper execution of product launches and optimum service levels.
Ability to manage and mentor Product Managers and respond effectively to employee relations issues.