Assistant Category Manager

Food Lion; Milford Terrace (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Food Lion in Salisbury, NC is seeking a Category Merchandising professional to lead vendor negotiations, shelf presentation, and assortment decisions for assigned Categories, collaborating with cross-functional teams to support Banner strategies.

You will manage cost negotiations, promotional planning, and vendor programs, while aligning with Supply Chain, Marketing, and Our Brands to maximize portfolio performance and margin.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years combined experience in retail, merchandising, category, pricing, logistics, supply chain, procurement, and distribution
• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education and related work experience
• Experience with listed software programs: SEGA, DSS, LlamaSoft, WMS, PFT, Inforem, Tableau, Revionics, MSP
• Knowledge of Fresh or Center Store categories (Produce, Meat/Seafood, HMS/Deli/Bakery for Fresh)
• Ability to manage day-to-day activity and influence across multiple business areas
• Ability to negotiate and drive change to meet consumer demands

Responsibilities

• Assist the Category Manager with day-to-day direction for strategies and initiatives
• Provide leadership coverage for the Category team when CM is unavailable
• Lead category analysis to support Banner strategies and margin targets
• Negotiate programs with vendors to reduce costs while maintaining optimal item mix
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and MGP to ensure alignment with business plans
• Ensure appropriate assortment changes as categories move through reviews
• Oversee planograms, display activity, and on-shelf assortment presentation
• Support in achieving budgeted KPIs like sales, market share, and net contribution

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

SEGA

DSS

LlamaSoft

WMS

PFT

Inforem

Tableau

Revionics

MSP

Job description

Category/Area of Expertise: Merchandising

Job Requisition: 557284

Address: USA-NC-Salisbury-2110 Executive Drive

Store Code: FL Ctr Str Category 1 COS (2762698)

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

Responsible for intense negotiations and management of vendor relationships with minimal supervision from the Category Manager (CM). Will provide leadership coverage for the Category team when the CM is unavailable. Will lead the processes of shelf presentation, assortment decisions, cost negotiations, promotional planning as well as product and program development for assigned Categories. Will work collaboratively with Shelf Merchandising, Banner Merchandising, Pricing, and Replenishment to implement the execution of a comprehensive, cohesive, and well-integrated Category plan in support of each Banner's strategy and Integrated Business Plan. Also responsible for collaborating with Retail Operations, Marketing, Category Services, Our Brands, and Supply Chain to ensure maximum organizational alignment and optimal portfolio performance according to established goals and strategic plans.

Principle Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist the Category Manager with providing day-to-day direction for implementation and support of strategies and initiatives of Category, Merchandising & Pricing.
• Provide leadership coverage for the team when CM is unavailable
• Work collaboratively across departments to meet budgeted key performance metrics, which include, but are not limited to:
• Sales, Movement, Market Share, and Net Contribution metrics. These key performance metrics are meant to be comprehensive but are not limited to the list above due to changing nature of business priorities.
• Responsible for all aspects of category analysis that will support achievement of Banner strategies. This will include, but not be limited to:
  • Assisting the CM with negotiating the most advantageous programs with vendors and actively seeking new opportunities to reduce costs while maintaining an optimal item mix.
  • Assist the CM with negotiating the lowest cost, including all elements that impact costs such as logistics, distribution, shrink, and reclaim - including swell allowances.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain (SC) and MGP business areas
• Ensure appropriate assortment mix changes as each Category moves through review
• Use assortment principles for each Banner as guidelines for ensuring each Banner has the right product on the shelf at the right time
• Understand what consumers value most from each Category and meet their needs in a profitable way
• Ensure promotional plans are developed using identified lead items that will leverage margin while meeting the standards for the defined category role and strategy for each Banner.
• Assist the CM in managing vendor allowances to ensure targets are met.
• Leverage Our Brand items to build consumer loyalty and profitability within the Category as well as Ahold Delhaize.
• Assist in the creation of a comprehensive, cohesive Category strategy that will meet the needs of the consumers and achieve Category goals while supporting the Banner Integrated Business Plan.
• Ensure assortment reflects the unique needs of each Category while aligning with the Category role for each Banner.
• Components to be validated include, but are not limited to:
• • Compliance with best practice promotional planning, feature/display activity, and in-store shopper marketing investments to effectively grow market share for the Category while meeting margin targets used by Category Analysts.
  • Planograms and test sets
  • Compliance with the on-shelf Category assortment presentation and item mix.
  • Best practice shelf placement principles, planogram production, and versioning

Basic Qualifications

• 5-8 years combined experience in retail, merchandising, category, pricing, logistics, supply chain, procurement, and distribution
• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education and related work experience.
• Experience with the following computer programs: SEGA, DSS, LlamaSoft, WMS, PFT, Inforem, Tableau, Revionics, MSP
• Knowledge of relevant practice areas, i.e., Fresh or Center Store categories.
• Fresh Categories include, but are not limited to: Produce, Meat/Seafood, HMS/Deli/Bakery
• Center Store Categories are considered any category not listed in Fresh above
• Mature level of knowledge of company, business, and industry practices
• Ability to manage day-to-day activity in support of identified business area and functional area strategies
• Ability to influence organizational alignment across multiple business areas
• Ability to take an educated risk when implementing programs that support consumer demands.
• Ability to negotiate
• Ability to think innovatively
• Demonstrate a personal acceptance of change and the ability to adapt and drive change
• Demonstrated 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
• High degree of credibility and the ability to work with and through 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

Travel

• Typical 8 - 12%

Food Lion provides equal employment opportunities to all associates and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions) national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or gender expression or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you have a disability and require assistance in the application process, please contact our Recruiting Department at [e-mail]