Manager Merchandising

Walgreens•Deerfield, IL

6d•$100,000 - $175,000

About The Position

The Manager Merchandising leads and develops a Space Management team supporting multiple departments. The role supports the end-to-end Reset/Revision Category Management Process (CMP) and the Merchandising Assortment Optimizer tool in collaboration with merchants and cross-functional partners. It communicates timelines and deliverables, promotes accountability and process improvement, and supports change management. The manager provides feedback on product assortments and ensures decisions are data-led and customer-centric, while executing merchandising strategies aligned with company goals and focused on customer value. The role oversees planogram validations, store subscription corrections and changes, ticket resolution, and project store planogram creation. The manager oversees daily activities and a team responsible for implementing multiple merchandising processes and protocols in compliance with established policies, procedures, and standards. The role may address complex problems, recommend strategy or roadmap changes, develop processes and tools, and oversee project execution. It collaborates across functions to mitigate loss and optimize profitability, shares information to improve workflows and relationships, evaluates practices and tools, reviews metrics to identify opportunities, analyzes market trends, and may lead strategic divisional projects. The role provides direction, coaching, and counseling to analysts; allocates resources; and develops and mentors staff through onboarding, communication, training, development, and performance management. It works to maintain team morale, ensure appropriate staffing and competencies, and foster a diverse and inclusive workplace. The position may require up to 10% travel for business purposes, within and outside the state.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years of experience in one or more of retail, procurement/purchasing, merchandising, vendor relations, or retail marketing; or a high school diploma/GED and at least 5 years of experience in two or more of those areas.
Experience establishing and maintaining relationships with people at all organizational levels, including the executive level.
Experience prioritizing and organizing work, tracking details, and meeting deadlines across multiple projects with varying completion dates.
Experience analyzing and reporting data to identify issues, trends, or exceptions and drive improvement and solutions.
Experience identifying operational issues and recommending and implementing strategies to resolve problems.
At least 1 year of direct leadership, indirect leadership, and/or cross-functional team leadership experience.
Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time for business purposes, within and outside the state.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Blue Yonder Space Planning software and BDM/Walgreens space management systems.
Strong time-management skills, including the ability to prioritize, organize, track details, and meet deadlines across multiple projects.
Strong organizational, leadership, and analytical skills, with the ability to influence without authority and align resources on expectations and deliverables.
Comfort adopting new technology and thoughtfully using AI to create efficiencies, streamline processes, and improve output quality.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a Space Management team supporting multiple departments.
Support the end-to-end Reset/Revision Category Management Process and Merchandising Assortment Optimizer tool in collaboration with merchants and cross-functional partners.
Communicate timelines and deliverables and promote accountability, process improvement, and change management.
Provide feedback on product assortments and ensure decisions are data-led and customer-centric.
Execute merchandising strategies aligned with company goals and customer value.
Oversee planogram validations, store subscription corrections and changes, ticket resolution, and project store planogram creation.
Manage daily activities and processes within Retail Products Merchandising and ensure protocols comply with established policies, procedures, and standards.
Address complex problems and schedules as needed, and recommend changes to strategies or roadmaps for the area of responsibility.
Develop and implement protocols, processes, and tools, and oversee project teams and execution.
Collaborate cross-functionally to develop strategies that mitigate loss or optimize profitability, and share information to improve workflows and interdepartmental relationships.
Evaluate best practices, methodologies, and tools; review reports and metrics; identify improvement opportunities; and analyze competitive-market patterns and trends.
Create and execute divisional projects based on strategic need, using project management skills to delegate work, analyze projects, and deliver results.
Guide, coach, and counsel analysts; allocate resources; mentor and develop staff; manage performance; support morale and motivation; ensure appropriate staffing and competencies; and foster an inclusive workplace.