Sr. Category Merchant - Paper and Household Goods

BJ's Wholesale Club • BJ's Club Support Center Marlborough, MA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

BJ’s Wholesale Club is seeking a Sr. Category Merchant to manage assigned categories. This role involves establishing category strategies, developing business objectives, achieving financial goals (sales, margin, inventory), building strong vendor relationships through negotiation of pricing and terms, and providing leadership to the merchandise team. The Sr. Category Merchant will be responsible for driving growth, category profitability, and customer experience within their assigned categories. They will develop competitive merchandise annual plans, manage sales and margin plans/forecasts in partnership with cross-functional teams, and communicate merchandising strategies for execution. The role also includes value management, price indexing, margin target achievement, developing pricing and promotional strategies with vendors, pricing, and marketing teams, and continually evaluating merchandising performance to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risks. Additionally, the Sr. Category Merchant will provide leadership, training, feedback, and professional development opportunities to the merchandise team, and maintain a reputation of credibility and responsiveness in the marketplace. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business or operations related field, MBA optional
• 7+ years related merchandising / category management experience
• Strong Negotiation skills
• Proven record of decision-making ability
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Proven analytical and organizational skills

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with AI tools, including ChatGPT

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the performance of assigned categories including driving growth, category profitability and customer experience.
• Responsible for product assortment and the development of competitive merchandise annual plans that achieve financial objectives.
• Negotiates pricing and terms with new, existing and prospective vendors.
• Builds strong relationships with the vendor community and exercises flexibility in approach to negotiations.
• Manages the development of the sales and margin plans and forecasts in close partnership with cross functional team for assigned categories.
• Communicates merchandising strategies to cross functional teams to ensure proper and timely execution and support of strategy.
• Connects strategies to business operations and maintains an understanding of business operational goals and challenges, working to ensure progress.
• Responsible for value management for assigned categories including price indexing and achievement of margin targets.
• Collaborates with the Vendors, Pricing team and Marketing team to develop pricing, promotional and campaign strategies for assigned categories.
• Continually evaluates merchandising performance and promptly reacts to changes in the business to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risks.
• Provides leadership and training to the merchandise team.
• Provides the team with frequent and actionable feedback and professional development opportunities.
• Establishes and maintains a reputation of credibility and responsiveness in the marketplace.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Weekly Pay
• Free BJ’s Memberships
• Generous Paid Time Off (vacation, personal, sick days, holidays, bereavement, and jury duty leave)
• Flexible and Affordable Health Benefits (three medical plans, optional dental, vision, Health Savings Account (HSA), and flexible spending account options)
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with company match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 15% discount

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior