Specialist Field Merchandising

Ahold Delhaize•Norfolk, VA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

At Food Lion, Associates are the most important assets to our organization. We want associates to have meaningful careers full of variety and challenges. Each associate contributes to the overall success of Food Lion, and in return, we strive to provide all associates with a fulfilling work experience and reward performance and commitment. We are committed to the professional development of our associates through on-the-job learning opportunities and training. Position Summary Serves as a Divisional Subject Matter Expert for Center Store (CS), supporting ~220 Stores. Grows sales and delivers financial commitments by teaching and implementing CMP strategies and initiatives through our winning leadership behaviors. Working cross-functionally to reinforce the connection between brand, strategy, and execution and support refinement opportunities. Supports the Divisional leadership team, along with the Regional SMEs, by delivering technical expertise through effective communication of merchandising programs, procedures, and product information. Fosters partnerships with local vendors throughout the division to support the needs of our customers/stores to help us drive top sales. Leader in role modeling elevating our customer and our core values.

Requirements

Strong knowledge of company, business, and industry practices, culture, and strategy.
Relationship management experience with vendors, brokers, and third-party consultants
Experience with the following computer programs: DSS, Microsoft, PowerBi
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education and related work experience.
5-8 years combined experience in retail, merchandising, category, pricing, logistics, supply chain, procurement, and distribution including: Store Manager and/or multi-unit support experience
Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build and sustain supportive relationships with others.
Effective influencing skills across multiple levels of the organization.
Ability to provide direct, effective, and professional feedback to those not within a direct reporting structure, and across multiple levels of the organization.
Demonstrated effective merchandising skills that enhance the customers' shopping experience.
Ability to manage day-to-day activity for identified responsibilities and think innovatively.
Ability to influence without authority.
Demonstrate an ability to implement and analyze retail business using consumer insights and analyzing trends.
Active listener with an ability to build trust across varying levels of the organization.
Ability to work with all levels of management.
Excellent organizational, planning, influence, communication, and presentation skills
Self-motivated and persuasive in presenting and selling ideas and executing their implementation.
Effective promoter of change and growth to support a culture of continuous improvement

Responsibilities

Responsible for the implementation, communication, and follow-up of CMP and marketing strategies, including vendor relationship and performance, through retail operation that will deliver the overall corporate strategy.
Supports the assigned department within CMP as it relates to strategies, initiatives, standard practices, and training programs between Operations, Category, Pricing, Vendor Partners, and Merchandising (both inbound and outbound).
Accountable for rolling out merchandising initiatives to include planning, communication, and training, and follow up on communicating financial performance and refinement opportunities.
Critical technical trainer and contributor to the SME Program, to create training materials and lead quarterly development meetings with the Regional SMEs within the assigned Division.
Creates space for open dialogue between business owners and Subject Matter Experts, fostering development and knowledge across all levels, preparing our next generation.
Supports CMP by facilitating and delivering effective communication between Operations and CMP (both inbound and outbound), making recommendations for SPTA updates, identifying locally relevant opportunities, including local assortment and vendors partnership/execution.
Conducts store visits (with DVP, Directors of Operations, Regional Support Specialists, and Strategic Initiatives Managers, and others) to educate and discuss new programs, merchandising execution, competitive impacts, and to provide feedback to Category leadership in support of achieving and/or exceeding KPI’s by accelerating action with data.
Communicates to the Merchandising Director relevant information, to include but not limited to department updates, market info/insights, and competitive activity.
Serve as a member of key teams, projects, and committees, as needed.
Responsible for self-development, performance management and career mapping.
Lead Divisional store openings, store offsets, and remodels.