Develops category goals & strategies and product assortments through the lens of our core customer, ensuring a strong mix of national brand product relevance, best-in-class local product relevance, and best-in-class private label product relevance - distinguishing Whole Foods Market from our competition. Responsible for business financial performance, developing strategies that drive profitable sales through data-rich, customer centric assortment selection, product development, pricing, presentation, and promotion. Collaborates and works closely with Merchandising Planning, Merchandise Operations, Procurement, Distribution, Quality Assurance, Marketing, Regional Leadership, and our Suppliers to most effectively deliver on category goals and strategies.

Responsibilities:

• Accountable for the financial performance of assigned high volume, complex, and/or financially significant categories.
• Works with Merchandising leadership to help drive change and support WFM evolution to Category Management
• Works with leadership to help develop category strategy based on financial expectations, category role, category performance, customer and product trends, competitive landscape and WFM differentiators.
• Develops and executes category promotional planning including planning and executing key promotional events and reacting in-season bases on sales performance and the competitive landscape.
• Works with leadership to set category price strategy and develop pricing tactics to achieve financial and customer objectives.
• Conducts ongoing analysis of category performance, trends, and competitive assortment and pricing.
• Develops strategic relationships with key suppliers to ensure early insight into new trends and products; early and exclusive access to new items; differentiated product; merchandising and promotions and competitive costs.
• Partners across teams to integrate branded / exclusive programs into overall category strategies as well as with Marketing on marketing and promotional events.
• Engages with Exclusive Brands to integrate branded / exclusive programs into overall category strategies.
• Works with business partners to identify gaps in analytical processes and reporting; problem-solves with various other teams to fill gaps.
• Leads and ensures an integrated approach with business partners in vendor negotiations and cost increase justifications.
• Serves as thought-leader in pricing and category analysis.
• Leverages strategic supplier / vendor relationships to ensure early insight into new trends and products; early and exclusive access to new items; differentiated product; merchandising and promotions and competitive costs.
• Viewed as subject matter expert and thought leader within category merchant organization.
• Leverages experience to contribute to master category strategy development and key initiatives.
• Leads creation of customer-centric category owned brand vision.
• Ensures vision integration and alignment with higher-level objectives and encompasses a breadth of forward-looking insight.
• Supports leadership efforts to identify, assess, and hire new TMs.
• Helps with TM on-boarding, training, and development.
• Remains calm and composed in the face of ambiguity.
• Provides project leadership on various merchandising initiatives.

Skills:

• Proven ability to take complex business analyses and projects from concept to completion and make results accessible and relevant to business users at all levels.
• Ability to staff, structure, plan and lead projects.
• Exceptional change management skills.
• Applies experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals with a wide degree of creativity.
• Able to facilitate and/or lead the work of others.
• Expert in the implementation and use of various retail software solutions.
• Advanced to expert skills in Microsoft Office applications.
• CM: Demonstrates expertise in the discipline of Category Management.
• EB: Demonstrates expertise in new product lifecycle development
• Leverages skill set and exemplary judgment to make independent business decisions and deliver results.
• Leverages proficiency to serve as a resource across the team – for pulling financial reports, analyzing business trends and assessing underlying drivers of results.
• Attuned to category business performance; understands impact on master category, resolves underlying issues and delivers financial results.
• Expertly navigates through ambiguity given a blend of experience, input and intuition.
• Effectively presents to a wide range of audiences (direct reports, TMs, peers leadership, suppliers), tailoring communication to audience needs.
• Serves as voice of WFM with suppliers and other external audiences.

Education & Experience:

• BA/BS degree and 6-8 years’ relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

At Whole Foods Market, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all Team Members and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Whole Foods Market hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.