Senior Category Merchant - Packaging

Office Depot•Atlanta, GA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a hybrid role, 3 days onsite and 2 days working from home, based out of Atlanta, GA or Chicago, IL. The Sr. Category Merchant - Packaging sets broader strategy and drives enterprise-level initiatives including innovation, transformation, and long-term vendor partnerships. This role provides strategic direction for the packaging category within all channels of distribution. This role is responsible for managing and developing direct-report merchandising staff such that they become students of the industry and, in so doing, achieve their departments’ strategic objectives and financial goals. The major function of this role is to achieve sales, gross margin, and market share goals by leveraging ODP Business Solutions' competitive advantage—its ability to reach customers through a variety of channels including store, catalog, web, phone, and direct sales. The Sr. Category Merchant supports the creation of Merchandise Financial Plans and is responsible for understanding marketplace variances across all channels. Additionally, the incumbent participates in the development of the area’s Space Plans and Adjacencies Design.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
Area of Study: Merchandising, Business Administration
Minimum Years of Experience: 8
Type of Experience: Experience in merchandising, category management, or retail strategy within packaging categories
Strategic and commercial acumen
Strong leadership and team development
Advanced analytical and financial skills
Vendor negotiation expertise
Cross-functional leadership
Execution discipline

Responsibilities

Develop and execute category strategies including assortment, pricing, promotions, and vendor strategy to drive sales, margin, and market share.
Lead and develop Category Assistant(s), providing direction, coaching, and performance management to ensure execution excellence.
Own long-term vendor relationships including negotiations, funding, performance management, and long-term strategic partnerships.
Drive pricing and promotional strategy including competitive positioning and margin optimization.
Own assortment planning and SKU lifecycle management including optimization and rationalization.
Lead forecasting and inventory strategy including demand planning and inventory productivity.
Drive cross-functional execution across Marketing, Ecommerce, Supply Chain, and Sales.