Gestionnaire Adjoint(E) De Catégorie, Commerce En Français Associate Category Manager, French B[...]

Indigo Books & Music; Toronto; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A major retail bookstore in Toronto is seeking an Associate Category Manager for the French business. This role involves creating and implementing strategies for French language products and driving growth in the category. Candidates must be bilingual in French and English, with experience in category management and a strong customer-centric approach. Join a dynamic team committed to enriching the customer experience and fostering diversity within the organization.

Qualifications

• Experience in specialty stores, bookstores, or publishing.
• Demonstrated leadership experience.
• Ability to communicate compelling vision.

Responsibilities

• Support the French business Director and Manager.
• Oversee individual programs and ensure financial goals.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Customer-centric approach

Bilingual in French and English

Proven ability to build productive business relationships

Creative problem-solving

Results driven

Education

University degree in business or related field

3-5 years of experience in buying/category management

Job description

Overview

Company Description

Dedicated to telling stories and creating experiences, Indigo is always looking for bright, energetic and customer-focused people who can help bring our exciting mission to life in one of our more than 170 Indigo, Indigospirit, Chapters and Coles stores across Canada. We offer a variety of exciting opportunities at our retail stores, distribution centres, and home office for people who share our passions and want to be part of a dynamic and enriching culture.

• We love books and all things beautiful
• We are Canada’s Cultural Department Store
• Books are our heart and our soul and Great Books are JUST the Beginning…

We play by the following rules:

• We exist to add joy to our customers’ lives each and every time they interact with us and our products
• Our job is to create joyful moments for our customers
• We treat each other the way we’d treat a valued friend
• We inspire each other to do our best work
• We seek to ignite creativity and innovation every day
• We give back to the communities in which we operate

Mission

The Associate Category Manager, French Business is accountable for creating and implementing the vision, strategy and direction for specific categories within the total French portfolio as well as supporting and executing the overall French portfolio product and category strategy. They will strive to ensure that Indigo is a respected conduit for reading inspiration and French language book purchases in Canada. The Associate Category Manager will execute on Reading strategy and is responsible for driving growth and profitability within their programs and select categories. They are also responsible for the development and growth of the French language local products assortment.

Key Performance Metrics

• Print Revenue, Net Margin, Sales units (vertical)
• Productivity of the inventory investments (Returns, NMROI and Turns)
• Customer Metrics (TBD)
• Performance on category strategies
• Category strategies market share
• ROI on Capital Investment projects, where appropriate
• Effective management of Merchandising Calendar and Inventory Position
• Positive Consumer response and Brand Appropriate product selection

Key Accountabilities

Functional

• Support the French business Director and Manager with the execution of the overall French strategy and proof of concept
• Oversee individual programs and select category, as well as ensure financial goals are met while improving the end-to-end customer experience
• Support with the day-to-day business needs of the total portfolio
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to execute Indigo’s vision and strategy
• Proactively identify and anticipate customer expectations and needs, and surface customer trends to the Print team and the French business cross functional partners
• Identify key sales opportunities that will be relevant to our customers and deliver on the Category Strategy using every available resource (customer insights, culture, media, vendor catalogues, industry trends, etc.)
• Actively source GM products that:
  • Enrich the experience of our francophone customers
  • Inspire customers to purchase
  • Improve our competitiveness in the francophone market
  • Augments the customer experience
  • Advances the organization strategy to represent more diverse and under-represented voices
• Partner with the planning team to maximize inventory efficiencies and increase profitability
• Partner with the Inventory Team to develop store allocations and optimization plans that support the Category Strategy
• Optimize the digital space and drive e-commerce sales through endless aisle assortment across categories
• Use digital customer and market share data to build retail and online assortment to drive sales, reduce bounce rate, and increase online conversion
• Seek out and maintain positive vendor relationships focusing on finding new and brand appropriate merchandise
• Negotiate with vendors to maximize sales and profits, and gain best possible terms of engagement
• Partner with the Print Experience Team to develop visual merchandising standards that evolve customer experience
• Act as an advocate for the customer by placing them at the forefront of all decision-making and design processes
• Embrace and seek out technology that creates high tech and high touch solutions for Indigo’s customers
• Challenge the status quo by consistently identifying areas for improvement, diagnosing issues and working to resolve them

People

• Grow understanding of customer interests across the organization and deepen the business’ understanding of book customers
• Foster trust and understanding within the organization
• Give authentic feedback on performance and potential
• Collaborate with others to drive flexible and iterative solutions, quickly and easily
• Share technical knowledge with others and actively seek to learn from those more knowledgeable than yourself
• Help others see the impact of their efforts and proactively engage other functions to get input
• Encourage others to share freely their point of view and be open to feedback

Cultural

• Model Indigo’s beliefs and convey a positive image in everything you do
• Celebrate diversity of thought and have an open mindset
• Take an active role in fostering a culture of continual learning, taking risks without the fear of making mistakes
• Embrace, champion, and influence change throughout Print and the organization

Scope

Reports to: Director, French business

Manager once Removed (MOR): SVP, Print

Key Relationships

Internal:

• Print Curation & Experience Managers
• Planning & Inventory Management
• Kids & Toy
• Adult GM
• Digital
• Field Teams
• Marketing & Content
• Retail Operations

External:

• Vendors
• Authors

Qualifications

Experience, Education and Certifications

• University degree in business or related field
• 3-5 years of experience in buying and category management in specialty stores, bookstores or publishing
• Proven and demonstrated leadership experience

Skills, Abilities and Attributes

• Bilingual in French and English. Ability to communicate in French (verbal and written). English required for external vendors, team members in other provinces (except Quebec) and clients
• Customer-centric approach
• Ability to communicate a compelling and inspiring vision and core purpose
• Proven ability to build productive business relationships with internal and external partners
• Passion for the category
• Ability to learn and adapt in a dynamic environment
• Comfort with risk and uncertainty
• Creative problem-solving and innovation
• Ability to understand problems and recommend solutions
• Results driven
• Ability to establish professional and productive relationships based on trust and integrity
• Desire to learn and grow within the organization, recognizing development is individual responsibility

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Additional Information

At Indigo, we are committed to our communities, our customers, and each other; together we can make a positive impact. We know that fostering diversity and inclusion brings out your full potential and creates a joyful and welcoming environment for everyone. We are driven to be an equitable employer, which highly values your diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that you, in all your uniqueness, belong at Indigo. We welcome all applicants and encourage applications from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, LGBTQ2+ and people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request to individuals who self-identify as having a disability or special need. Please contact Human Resources at [e-mail] if you require an accommodation at any time during the recruitment process.

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