Merchandise Analytics Specialist

Essendant•Lincolnshire, IL

13d•$60,000 - $70,000

About The Position

Essendant is a purpose-driven company that reaches beyond business goals to define its success within commerce today. We support our associates, customers and communities – our core values and guiding principles shape what we aspire to do. Integrity, Collaboration, Customer-Centric, Embrace and Drive Change are our core values that serve as the foundation of our pathway to success. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Giving Back, Associate Safety, and Accountability are our guiding principles that motivate us to focus on creating a safe and rewarding experience. Essendant is a leader in supporting the supply chain industry and has been in business for 100 years to deliver the best practices for our customers and associates. Join us at Essendant, the better way to commerce. This role is for a Merchandising Category Insights Analyst.

Requirements

Solid analytical and problem-solving skills required
Strong Financial skills required, including ability to gather, analyze and organize complex data, and draw conclusions
Proficient verbal and written communication skills required (effectiveness with PowerPoint a plus)
Ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments and meet tight deadlines required
Ability to work cross-functionally and build & maintain effective relationships particularly with Merchant teams required
Strong attention to detail required
Moderate understanding of business intelligence tools and languages required, preferably SQL, Power BI, OLAP, and Power Pivot.
Expert abilities in Microsoft Office Suite software including MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Nice To Haves

Understanding of Merchandising business processes and their influence on organizational performance and profitability is preferred
Strong project management skills preferred
Marketing or Merchandising analysis experience preferred.
Experience presenting to groups and senior management preferred.

Responsibilities

Analyze SKU-level and supplier-level performance within a set of merchandise categories. This includes, but is not limited to category trends, key supplier dynamics, EBITDA economics at the SKU level, historical evolution of cost and margins
Provide market and industry insights on top performing items purchased in the market and by customers
Perform competitive benchmarking (assortment, SKU distribution) in specific product categories
Identify cost and margin opportunities across SKUs and suppliers (e.g., cost gaps, profit gaps, productivity gaps) and guide Merchants in prioritizing for impact
Execute "what if" scenarios on proposed assortment changes or share shifts before completing assortment decisions, partnering with Inventory, Pricing, Sales & Marketing
Craft analytical materials for supplier negotiations, category reviews and assortment discussions
Measuring the effectiveness of Marketing campaigns
Identifying Marketing targets from historical purchase behaviors
Support Life Cycle Management: Develop criteria for adding new items; Provide oversight for execution of process
Reporting on new item performance and monthly / quarterly discontinuation review process (ongoing “tail trimming”). Provide project management to ensure execution of process
Work on special projects, ad hoc analysis, and initiatives related to assortment performance and COGS management
Understands and demonstrates Essendant's Core Values
Performs other duties as assigned