Vice President of Merchandising - Center Store

Festival Foods

407d

About The Position

The Vice President of Merchandising - Center Store at Festival Foods is responsible for establishing and achieving the strategic vision and goals for the merchandising organization. This role involves leading the development of product assortments, in-store programs, and advertising initiatives, while collaborating with various departments to drive merchandising strategies across the enterprise. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills and a focus on customer engagement through data analytics and market trends.

Requirements

• Proficient in collaborative leadership practices.
• Experience successfully leading multiple merchandising departments, with Center Store Grocery experience strongly preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in an analytical VP level role in the Grocery/Retail business, or 5+ years in a Senior Director level role at a national retailer or equivalent.
• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, quantitative analysis, resource allocation, and leadership techniques.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Ability to monitor and assess performance for improvements or corrective actions.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and strong interpersonal skills including negotiation and problem-solving.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in grocery retail merchandising strategies.
• Familiarity with data analytics tools and techniques.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Senior Directors, Buyers/Category Managers, and Buyers Assistants.
• Develop short, medium, and long-term strategies to drive financial results and improve guest engagement.
• Manage assortment strategies for all store locations and guest trip missions.
• Plan and execute advertising by regional market in collaboration with the Marketing team.
• Manage and execute retail pricing strategy in partnership with the Price Strategy team.
• Analyze market trends and create action plans using market share data and internal data.
• Drive innovation with product, merchandising fixtures, and in-store presentation techniques.
• Oversee financial management processes, coaching Department Directors to achieve financial objectives.
• Assist with the annual forecasting and budgeting process.
• Manage vendor funding and collections.
• Develop and launch overall Private Label strategy and continual assortment improvements.
• Manage supply chain efficiencies through frequent inventory review.
• Partner with Store Operations on in-store physical inventory processes semi-annually.
• Drive efficiencies with systems and processes.
• Build loyalty through personalization and first-party data utilization in conjunction with Marketing and IT teams.
• Manage OPEX budget for Merchandising.
• Present to store organization, support organization, ELT, and vendor community as needed.

Benefits

• 15% associate discount on grocery purchases for employees and their immediate household.
• 3 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Fitness reimbursement program for savings on fitness membership fees.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for confidential care related to various personal issues.
• 401(k) and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) for retirement savings.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Industry: Food and Beverage Retailers
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees