Product Strategy Specialist - Seed & Crop Protection

UFA Co-operative Ltd.•Calgary, AB

About The Position

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Product Strategy, the Product Strategy Specialist is responsible for the management of the assigned products (Seed & Crop Protection) including profitability, sales, advertising, category planning, vendor negotiations, inventory and product selection; for developing and managing their overall product strategy and direction. The Product Strategy Specialist under the guidance of the product strategy team, will develop & implement their UFA product assortments, pricing strategies and promotional plans to meet member-customer needs and deliver the financial goals and objectives for the organization. The Product Strategy Specialist will apply best practices in category management to achieve the sales, margin & gross margin % budgets by developing key strategic vendor relationships, pricing strategies, product and inventory, promotion campaigns, and assortment plans. This is a 12-month temporary position, with a potential to be up to 18 months.

Requirements

Degree in Business, Economics, Agriculture or related field and /or equivalent work experience.
More than 5 years relevant experience with minimum 3-5 years relevant in product category management
Seed and/or Crop Protection product knowledge is required.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications
Microsoft Dynamics experience an asset
Proven track record to build strong relationships and work with cross-functional teams
Strong presentation & communication skills (both written and verbal).
Exposure to competitor and business intelligence with a demonstrated ability to synthesize and report on business relevance.
Ability to create successful strategies that meet / exceed member & customer needs and achieve product goals and financial objectives
Provide accurate and timely reporting to the business stakeholders to facilitate business opportunity discussions and strategy development
Able to multi-task with shifting and competing business priorities, in conditions of minimal supervision.

Nice To Haves

Microsoft Dynamics experience

Responsibilities

Develop, in collaboration with the Product Strategy Managers, strategies for Product assortments, Pricing, Promotions and inventory levels for specific product segments to drive revenue & margin growth, deliver on UFA’s business objectives and financial budgets.
Collaborate with internal partners and stakeholders to ensure product strategies and plans are rolled-out to the business in an effective and efficient manner.
Develop, in collaboration with the Product Strategy Managers, promotional strategies and tactics, based upon customer segmentation and category management principles that will achieve business and financial objectives.
Develop, in collaboration with the Product Strategy Managers, the product assortment strategy and manage the product segment’s overall inventory productivity; through the product life cycle stages, aged-inventory levels and implement required actions as needed.
Develop, lead, and communicate, in collaboration with the Product Strategy Managers, the pricing strategies for their product that will achieve expected business and financial objectives.
Execute rebate reporting requirements for seed and crop protection product categories as required.
Research marketplace trends involving product, customers, suppliers, and competitors to identify new products, sourcing and business ideas to ensure our product assortments and customer experience are best in class. Gather market intelligence through formal and informal means to aid in the development of the overall business strategies and product portfolio performance.
Manage and optimize vendor relationships, in collaboration with the Product Strategy Managers, with respect to their product segments and assortments. Partner with vendors regularly to focus on: business growth, strengthen partnerships, improve cost of goods / payment terms / rebates / marketing co-op, and drive synergies across the business with a global approach.