Manager, Owned Brand Commercialization

Walgreens; Deerfield (IL); On-site; USD 115,000 - 196,000; Full time

Job summary

Walgreens seeks a strategic leader to drive growth for Walgreens Owned Brands across Confections. You will leverage consumer insights, market trends, and category expertise to uncover opportunities and craft customer-focused strategies that lift sales and profit.

Collaboration with cross-functional partners will guide innovation from concept to commercialization in a fast-paced setting. The role demands a creative thinker with strong business acumen, adaptable to ambiguity, and a proven track

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of experience in Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing.
• Experience with related financial modeling and analysis.
• Experience with project management (planning, organizing, and managing resources).
• Experience delivering presentations to various audience levels.
• Experience collaborating with internal resources and external stakeholders to meet goals.
• Knowledge of retail store merchandising including placement and promotion.
• Knowledge of logistics and its impact on profitability.
• At least 2 years of leadership experience.
• Willing to travel up to 15% for business.

Responsibilities

• Sets targets for sales and gross profit for assigned categories with Category Managers.
• Leads cross functional team to define customer opportunity and product specs.
• Forecasts demand and understands logistics impact on fill rates and inventory.
• Collaborates with external partners to drive product and packaging innovation.
• Develops categories via new product development and packaging ideas.
• Acts as Owned Brand expert in strategy, lifecycle planning, and cross-functional meetings.
• Oversees end-to-end Owned Brand commercialization with internal teams.
• Leads regular updates with regulatory/legal for substantiation of claims.
• Mentors direct reports and sets clear performance goals.

Skills

Merchandising

Product Development

Marketing

Financial modeling

Project management

Presentations

Strategic collaboration

Leadership

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree

High School diploma/GED alternative

Tools

Nielsen data

IRI data

Job description

Job Summary

Drive the growth and profitability of Walgreens Owned Brands across Confections. This role leverages consumer insights, market trends, and category expertise to identify opportunities and develop customer-focused strategies that deliver sales and profit growth. Partnering with cross-functional stakeholders, you will lead innovation from concept through commercialization while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate is a strategic and creative thinker who thrives in ambiguity, embraces innovation, and inspires teams to deliver results. A collaborative mindset, strong business acumen, and a positive, "can-do" attitude are essential for success in this role.

Job Responsibilities

• Sets targets for sales and gross profit for assigned categories. Works with Category Managers to meet established sales, profit and owned brand penetration goals.
• Leads cross functional team to define customer opportunity, product specification and ensure product submission meet or exceed consumer expectations. Develops assigned categories; stays abreast of category trends and market changes. Maintains knowledge of competition and applies information as necessary to grow sales and profit.
• Knows how to forecast demand for both short term and long term sales; must have a solid understanding of logistics and the effect on store and warehouse fill rates, inventory, and shelf life, and the results these areas have on Company profitability.
• Works with external partners and industry experts to develop a strategic relationship to identify product and packaging innovation and meet corporate requirements on service. Knows the entire new product innovation cycle and how it affects consumer response to product performance.
• Develops assigned categories through new product development, reformulation and packaging ideas.
• Serves as key Owned Brand product expert within category strategy process, regular S&OP meetings, strategic product lifecycle plan and regular cross functional meetings led by Category Manager.
• Steers end-to-end Owned Brand commercialization process ownership and management (direct and influenced). Follows processes that ensure owned brand participation is seamlessly integrated and aligned with relevant internal teams - merchant, sourcing, technical product development, etc.
• Leads owned brand integrated activity plan for assigned categories.
• Leads regular updates with regulatory/legal departments to ensure all products have appropriate claim substantiation.
• Understands core brand tenets and guardrails to deliver best quality product within expected guidelines.
• Cultivates direct report(s) through continuous training and mentorship, setting obtainable performance goals, and providing clear communication and constructive feedback.

About Walgreens

Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) has a storied heritage of caring for communities for generations and proudly serves nearly 9 million customers and patients each day across its approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and leading omni-channel platforms. Walgreens has approximately 220,000 team members, including nearly 90,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for retail pharmacy and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of experience in Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing OR High School diploma/GED and 7 years of experience in Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing.
• Experience with related financial modeling and analysis.
• Experience with project management (for example: planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives).
• Experience developing and delivering presentations to various audience levels within an organization.
• Experience collaborating with internal resources and external stakeholders to develop strategies that meet department goals within budget and established timelines.
• Knowledge of retail store merchandising including placement and promotion.
• Knowledge of logistics and the effect on store and warehouse fill rates, inventory, and shelf life, and the results these areas have on Company profitability.
• At least 2 years of experience contributing to financial decisions in the workplace.
• At least 2 years of direct leadership, indirect leadership and/or cross-functional team leadership.
• Willing to travel up to 15% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge and experience in private brands, CPG, or retail.
• Experience using retail data such as Nielsen or IRI.
• MBA or Master’s Degree

We will consider employment of qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

The Salary below is being provided to promote pay transparency and equal employment opportunities at Walgreens. The actual hourly salary within this range that you will be offered will depend on a variety of factors including geography, skills and abilities, education, experience and other relevant factors. This role will remain open until filled.

Salary Range: $115400 - $196200 / Salaried