National Category Director

Safeway; Boise (ID); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages paid weekly

Up to 50% earned wages before payday

Associate discounts

Health and savings benefits

Paid time off

Leadership development

Inclusive work environment

Job summary

Albertsons Companies seeks a National Category Director based at our Boise headquarters to lead category strategy and supplier negotiations for designated categories. You will build category pods, guide cross-functional teams, and leverage data to inform decisions that impact sales, profit, and market share across divisions.

You will mentor merchants, collaborate with senior leaders, and drive initiatives aligned with our transformation agenda while traveling as needed.

Qualifications

• 5-10+ years retail merchandising/category management and operations experience.
• Proven leadership of large, cross-division merchandising teams.
• Analytical mindset with data-driven decision making.
• Strong negotiation skills with national suppliers and internal partners.
• Willingness to travel up to 40%.

Responsibilities

• Lead category pod and develop merchandising strategies at national level.
• Collaborate with divisions and suppliers to optimize assortment and promotions.
• Drive data analysis, scorecards, and post-promotional review for improvements.
• Negotiate terms with suppliers and communicate outcomes to divisions.
• Mentor and develop talent across merchandising teams.
• Foster diversity, inclusion, and cross-functional collaboration.

Skills

Category management

Data analytics

Negotiation

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Why choose us?

Are you ready to take the next step in your career? Join us for an exciting opportunity at Albertsons Companies, where innovation and customer service go hand-in-hand! At Albertsons Companies, we are looking for someone who’s not just seeking a job, but someone who wants to make an impact. In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to lead, innovate, and contribute to the growth of a company that values great service and lasting customer relationships. This position offers the chance to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment that’s constantly evolving.

What You Will Be Doing

Albertsons Companies has an exciting opportunity to strategically manage a category(s) nationally for the entire organization. You will play an integral part in our growth and transformation as a company, as we seek to provide industry leading customer experience and grow our market share. In this role you must be comfortable as both a team leader and team player.

What does it take to be successful here? You have deep category management experience. You have an entrepreneurial spirit and a successful track record of managing high-functioning teams. You have an analytical mindset and can determine data-driven solutions to complex problems. You are a collaborative team member used to presenting analyses and insights to your peers and having discussions to resolve challenges. You are a passionate and proven negotiator. You are decisive in your actions, yet collaborative in your approach. You want to be part of a team that will build category expertise and an amazing culture to drive the overall success of the company. If that's you then what are we waiting for? Let's do this!

Main Responsibilities

The National Category Director will report to the National Category Vice President (and up through the Senior Vice President of Merchandising) and will be responsible for developing and managing merchandising strategy for a given category(s). As a Category Director, you will serve as the leader of a category pod, a team made up of merchants from each division with whom you will collaborate and lead merchandising planning activities for your assigned category(s).

The position will be in our national headquarters (Boise ID). Some travel will be required to interact with division merchandising teams and national suppliers.

This is a significant opportunity to make a difference in retail transformation at scale. As the leader of your category pod, you will work closely with national and division merchandising leadership to determine category strategies. You will develop deep category expertise, including understanding of category trends, innovations, consumer preferences, nuances by geography and customer segments, and competitor activity. You will negotiate with national suppliers on behalf of the divisions.

Category Management – Strategically manages category(s) to meet sales, profit, and market share targets at the national and division level. Creates and implements category strategy, pricing strategy, promotional strategy, and assortment strategy for each assigned category, based on a detailed and analytically driven planning process, relying on significant collaboration with divisions and functional leaders. Leads the merchandising planning process with national and division merchants within the category pod to maximize category performance across all of Albertsons and within each division. Serves as the company’s Subject Matter Expert (SME) for assigned category(s). Researches category trends, innovations, competitors, and regional preferences. Directly responsible for making critical decisions for the category, while working with division leads and functional teams to consider division nuances and drive to the right answer. Supplier Relationships / Negotiations – Conducts all company-wide negotiations with suppliers of assigned categories, including cost, assortment, funding, and replenishment & contract terms, taking into consideration division inputs and commitments. Acts as the primary contact for all vendors in assigned categories. Meets with vendors on a consistent basis for deal negotiation and business updates. Attend key vendor meetings. Develops supplier joint business plan by leveraging scale of the organization to achieve the best possible cost of goods. Evaluates supplier performance, working with divisions and procurement team as needed. Communicates negotiations outcomes to divisions to enable them to plan and execute promotional events and local ads. Data & Analytics – Leverages data to drive all decision-making. Maintains weekly, quarterly, and yearly scorecards to track sales, profit, and market share of each category. Oversee the utilization of merchant tools to conduct category data analysis. Works closely with functional team members and division merchants to collect and synthesize inputs (e.g., division promotional funding, local assortment considerations, Own Brands considerations, eCommerce strategy, and competitor benchmarking sets) to be used during the merchandising planning process. Manages and maximizes category(s) promotional plans to achieve most efficient use of vendor dollars for every division. Creates sales and profit projections at the category level. Conducts in depth post- promotional analysis at the item and category level in preparation for the next promotional plan. Uses critical thinking and problem-solving skills to recognize and anticipate issues and opportunities. Elevates analyses beyond reporting and translates insight into retail action. Collaboration – Leads the category(s) pod with Division ASMs and functional business units. Understands division needs and commitments and integrates these into the overall category plan. Works with multiple internal cross-functional teams to connect business opportunities and develop both strategic and tactical solutions. Cultivates team morale, motivation, and loyalty through continuous training and mentorship, setting obtainable performance goals and provides clear communication and constructive feedback. Diversity & Inclusion – Develops an approach that considers associates and leaders from across the organization and draws diverse perspectives into the design recommendation. Fosters a diverse and inclusive team and work environment and role models our culture and leadership practices. Talent Management – Demonstrates effective leadership skills and abilities. Develops professional materials and opportunities, including unique experiences and well-designed programs, to train and retain merchandising talent and drive category expertise. Applies knowledge of leadership competency frameworks and a variety of proven practices, tools, and techniques that help leaders develop in their jobs.

The ideal candidate has an entrepreneurial spirit and a successful track record of delivering results. They hold a curious mindset, are innovative and bring creativity to improving processes with a keen eye for efficiency and automation. They want to be part of a team that will lead a retail transformation, build an amazing culture, and drive the overall success of the company.

We Are Looking For Candidates Who Possess The Following

• Field or relevant business experience where a solid understanding of marketing, merchandising, consumer research, and financial management practices have been gained
• Excellent understanding of store operations, merchandising methodologies and practices, and P&L and financial management
• Strong quantitative, marketing, merchandising, and consumer research background to read, interpret, and understand how internal and external factors influence financial results
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills and experience in taking initiative and making decisive yet appropriate decisions
• Strong planning, facilitating, and organizing skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills as well as excellent interpersonal skills to develop and maintain effective relationships within and outside the company
• Strategy development skills
• Proven track record of being a strong negotiator
• Skilled in Category Business Planning
• Able to effectively lead a collaborative process with multiple stakeholders
• Understanding of procurement, logistics, and inventory management

We believe the successful candidate has these qualifications and experience

• 5-10 plus years retail merchandising/category management and operations experience
• 3-5 plus years Division and or National level retail operations, merchandising/category, marketing, and finance experience.
• Experienced with successfully leading large-scale projects across multiple retail locations.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience with a related degree in Business, Marketing, or related field.
• Demonstrated success record in collaborating with multiple functional areas to achieve overall company goals which would include but not limited to Divisions, Senior Leadership, Procurement and Vendor Partners.
• Proven leadership and ability to lead by influencing others without direct authority, both formally and informally.
• Ability to create an environment that fosters learning, teaching, growth, risk-taking, and innovation.
• Balances the needs of multiple stakeholders while maintaining strong executive level partnerships.
• Highly self-motivated and self-learner that assumes personal accountability for results and performance that has a passion for lifelong learning and personal development.
• Demonstrated track record as proactive trusted advisor/leader in an organization, particularly around strategic issues to drive results.
• Ability to implement innovative plans in reaction to a range of business and consumer challenges and to sell these programs to our Division Management Teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills as well as excellent interpersonal skills to develop and maintain effective relationships within and outside the company
• Strategy development skills
• Proven track record of being a strong negotiator
• Skilled in Category Business Planning
• Able to effectively lead a collaborative process with multiple stakeholders and working in a matrixed environment
• Understanding of procurement, logistics, and inventory management
• Up to 40% travel depending on location

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

• Proficiency with merchandising tools (e.g., Periscope, Demand Tech, I2E, BI Dashboards, GOLD, OMNI, IRI, Nielsen, Mintel, tool)
• Advanced degree (e.g., MBA)

We Also Provide a Variety Of Benefits Including

• Competitive wages paid weekly
• Access to up to 50% of your earned wages before payday, via our partnership with Stream
• Associate discounts
• Health and financial well-being benefits for eligible associates (Medical, Dental, 401k and more!)
• Time off (vacation, holidays, sick pay). For eligibility requirements please visit myACI Benefits
• Leaders invested in your training, career growth and development
• An inclusive work environment with talented colleagues who reflect the communities we serve

Our Values – Click below to view video: ACI Values

A copy of the full job description can be made available to you.