CATEGORY MANAGER – Tobacco
***Convenience Store / CPG Industry Experience Required***
COMPANY: This is an exciting time to be a part of this Regional Convenience Store chain as they grow, upgrade, and introduce a major contemporary branding initiative. They are one of the largest
independent owners, suppliers, and operators of gas stations and convenience stores in the Western United States (California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Colorado).
ROLE:
The Tobacco Category Manager (CM) is a strategic role responsible for driving the growth and profitability of the tobacco product category within the organization. This role involves a wide range of duties,
including product selection, pricing strategies, market research, promotional activities, and regulatory compliance. The CM will establish and manage the itemization strategy that aligns with the company’s
overall go to market strategy in the markets served. The CM will drive the long-term product assortment plan and optimize it as market and consumer trends evolve. They will dynamically introduce new
items/programs that drive growth and retire items/programs at the end of the product life cycle. The CM will be a data driven analytical decision-maker utilizing external/internal data to validate the success
of new and existing merchandising programs to ensure we capitalize on opportunities and test innovative concepts at retail. The CM will curate promotional strategies that are meaningful and impactful to
drive customer and basket size incrementality. They will grow profitability by price optimizing, and strategically manage our vendor partnerships, ensuring vendors align their efforts and investments with
our strategic objectives. They will align all stakeholders from vendor partners to operations leaders to ensure successful execution of all merchandizing programs and initiatives. The CM will also exercise the
ability to see the big picture, understand the overall corporate strategy, consider the customer in-store journey, and ensure their area of responsibility aligns with that strategy.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Develops and executes the strategic merchandising plans for area of responsibility, targeting an optimal product mix/assortment of back bar planograms.
Dynamically manages the product assortment life cycle to capitalize on trends and minimize inventory exposure of slow-moving items.
Responsible for the development, execution, and communication of the category marketing mix to key stakeholders – Product, Placement, Pricing and Promotional strategies.
Manages key vendor relationships ensuring their efforts support our strategic merchandizing efforts.
Drives gross margins performance by utilizing price optimization tools and actively seeking opportunities to reduce product costs, strategically buying into deals and aggressively negotiating costs and
product placement fees.
On a frequent basis, visits company retail locations and performs store walks with supplier vendors and operations teams to drive success at retail.
Will produce competitive market analysis and consumer insights studies to translate trends and consumer needs into actionable merchandising actions, taking into consideration geography and
demographic customer preferences.
Establish vendor scorecards with goals and objectives to measure key vendor participation in the growth of our business, Service level performance |Rebate participation | New item support | Promotional
investment | Brand Development.
On a weekly, monthly cadence monitor and reports on category KPIs to measure and manage sales, unit, and margin performance as well as inventory levels to ensure we meet budget and performance expectations.
Ensure all nicotine products and marketing activities comply with relevant laws and regulations. This includes staying updated on regulatory changes.
Actively identify ways to improve and streamline administrative processes around new item setup, promotional management, store planogram communication, etc.
Negotiates annual/multiyear partnership contracts with key vendors/suppliers.
Ensures that all appropriate product information is completed and set up on the merchandising system, then distributed to field operations.
Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned by management.
Work with cross-functional team to support the success of our digital rewards program to drive subscriber growth.
JOB QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s Degree in related field preferred (Business, Marketing), MBA degree highly preferred
8+ years of experience in Convenience Store merchandising/category management/procurement required
Demonstrated knowledge of CPG industry and consumer
Strong negotiation skills are required, specifically with suppliers and vendors
A self-starter with proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously, and consistently strives to exceed expectations
Ability to lead and fosters collaborative cross-functional partnerships, is highly analytical, and excels at planning and timeline management
Must possess strong strategic thinking skills including the ability to challenge the status quo and identify opportunities to advance our competitive advantage
High level of problem-solving skills; must be highly analytical and be able to seek solutions to deliver favorable outcomes
Demonstrated success in business development; proven track record of building relationships while developing existing relationships
Ability to make decisions and take calculated risks
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
Experienced in managing P&L performance for area of responsibility
High comfort level with Microsoft Outlook & Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
Strong analytical skills and understanding of reporting tools such as Power BI
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