Manager - Product Assortment

WESCO Distribution; Ajax; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading distribution company based in Ontario is seeking a Manager - Product Assortment to oversee product mix strategies and enhance sales performance. Responsibilities include managing product lifecycles and collaborating with merchandising teams to define digital shopping experiences. Ideal candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree, 5 years of relevant experience, and strong analytical skills. This role requires a proactive thinker able to implement effective product management strategies.

Qualifications

• 5 years in product assortment planning and management.
• Experience managing product assortments through lifecycle.
• Strong understanding of market trends and customer behaviors.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the assortment strategy for product categories.
• Manage the full product lifecycle for aligned product categories.
• Provide strategic insights based on analyses of product strategies.

Skills

Product assortment planning

Sales reporting

Financial analysis

Problem solving

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Sales, IT or related field

Master's Degree (preferred)

Job description

As a Manager - Product Assortment, you will be responsible forformulating and overseeing the product mix and product assortment strategy for their respective product categories. You will be accountable for satisfying customers’ product needs, enhancing sales performance, boosting profit margins, and providing industry-leading product search experience.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes the overall assortment strategy for aligned product categories
• Manages the full product lifecycle for aligned product categories, including new product introduction, growth, maturity, change and exit/transition phases
• Develops product organization strategies, product information requirements, and product search & presentation strategies
• Collaborates with Merchandising teams, working to shape and define our customers\' digital shopping experiences
• Identifies and evaluates emerging product categories and industry trends to expand assortment
• Provides strategic insights based on recurring analyses of the product assortment strategies featured on industry and competitor websites
• Implements strategy and execution to minimize zero search results, maximize product cross/substitutions
• Partners with the marketing team to develop digital promotional campaign strategies
• Communicates and drive business objectives, initiatives, and key results with multiple internal business partners (Category Management, Supplier Management, Master Data Management Team, Pricing Team, Inventory Team, etc.)
• Oversees one or more product assortment professionals
• Forms business relationships with Wesco’s key vendors and suppliers and partner teams

Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree – Marketing, Sales, IT or related field required; Master's Degree preferred
• 5 yearsproduct assortment planning and management
• 5 years managing product assortments through the product lifecycle with direct responsibility for channel execution, sales and ROI performance
• Strong understanding of product assortment strategy, market trends, customer behaviors and merchandising strategies applied in a complex global distribution environment for a single category
• Demonstrated ability in implementing research findings into actionable and profitable programs that help drive market differentiation
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams in Supply Chain, Category Management, Marketing, Pricing, and eCommerce/Omnichannel
• Ability to multi-task and reprioritize in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Experience with sales reporting, profitability reporting, and financial analysis
• Strong problem solving, influencing, and decision-making skills
• Sales mentality and a proactive thinker who can translate corporate product management strategy into digital customer experiences
• Strong analytical skills and excellent communication abilities
• Ability to travel 0% - 25%