Manager, Cost Management and Assortment Planning with strong analytical capabilities, sound business acumen, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable recommendations. Reporting to the Director, Supplier Negotiation and Strategy, this individual will be responsible for leading the Cost Management and Assortment Planning teams to support the Merchandising and Negotiation teams in their strategic decision-making.
The incumbent will contribute to the development of negotiation and assortment strategies by providing cost analyses, category diagnostics, market insights, and recommendations aimed at protecting profitability, optimizing product offerings, and maximizing value for both the business and its customers.
This role will play a central part in category review (Line Review) processes, ensuring assortment decisions are supported by a thorough understanding of category performance, customer needs, competitive dynamics, and growth opportunities. Close collaboration with cross-functional teams will be essential to ensure alignment between commercial, assortment, and negotiation strategies as markets, costs, and consumer expectations evolve.
Key Responsibilities :Cost Analysis and Management- Lead supplier cost analysis activities to identify risks and opportunities for improvement.
- Oversee cost and profitability analyses performed by the team to support merchandising and negotiation strategies.
- Interpret market trends, commodity indexes, and economic factors impacting product costs.
- Develop recommendations to mitigate cost fluctuations and improve profitability.
Assortment Planning- Lead the Assortment Planning team responsible for evaluating and optimizing category assortments.
- Establish priorities, methodologies, tools, and analytical standards for the assortment planning function.
- Oversee category diagnostics to evaluate current assortment performance and identify growth, optimization, and rationalization opportunities.
- Support Line Review processes by providing recommendations on product additions, removals, and assortment adjustments.
- Guide analyses related to category performance, SKU productivity, competitive positioning, customer needs, and customer purchase decision trees.
- Act as a strategic partner to Category Managers by supporting assortment decisions before, during, and after category reviews.
- Provide ongoing analytical support to adjust assortment strategies based on business needs, market dynamics, and category performance.
- Drive continuous improvement of assortment planning tools, methodologies, and performance metrics.
Negotiation and Business Partnership Support- Serve as a business partner to Merchandising and Negotiation teams.
- Support the development of negotiation strategies through data-driven analyses, scenarios, and recommendations.
- Proactively identify and communicate renegotiation opportunities and value-creation levers.
- Ensure alignment between cost analyses, assortment strategies, commercial objectives, and supplier strategies.
- Promote integrated decision-making that balances profitability, competitiveness, and customer experience.
Data, Tools, and Business Intelligence- Oversee the development and enhancement of tools, analytical models, and dashboards used by both teams.
- Ensure the integrity, quality, and availability of data used in decision-making.
- Promote process automation and continuous improvement within analytical activities.
- Establish key performance indicators and monitor results for both Cost Management and Assortment Planning functions.
- Develop analytical capabilities that improve understanding of category, assortment, and supplier performance.
Leadership and Collaboration- Lead and develop a team consisting of Cost Management Analysts, Assortment Planning Analysts, and Cost Integrity Agents.
- Provide coaching, guidance, and support in the execution of analyses and recommendations.
- Establish team priorities, manage workloads, and ensure objectives are achieved.
- Develop the analytical and business skills of team members.
- Collaborate with Finance, Merchandising, Procurement, Assortment Planning, Negotiation, Supply Chain, and IT teams on strategic initiatives.
- Foster collaboration between Cost Management and Assortment Planning functions to deliver integrated and consistent recommendations.
- Represent both teams with internal stakeholders and support organizational
Risk Management and Continuous Improvement- Maintain ongoing market intelligence on factors affecting product costs.
- Identify risks related to cost fluctuations and recommend mitigation strategies.
- Identify opportunities to improve assortment planning and optimization practices.
- Standardize analytical processes and methodologies to improve efficiency and quality.
- Contribute to the evolution of cost management and assortment planning practices in support of business objectives.
- Promote a culture of data-driven decision-making, continuous improvement, and value creation.
Performance Indicators- Value of cost savings and value-creation opportunities identified.
- Quality and relevance of analyses supporting negotiations.
- Timeliness and accuracy of recommendations provided to business partners.
- Number and impact of renegotiation opportunities identified.
- Quality and adoption of developed tools and dashboards.
- Quality and impact of implemented assortment recommendations.
- Improvement in category performance following assortment reviews.
- Number of growth, optimization, or rationalization opportunities identified and executed.
- Timeliness and quality of deliverables within Line Review processes.
- Satisfaction of Merchandising, Negotiation, and Category Management teams.
- Performance, engagement, and development of Cost Management and Assortment Planning teams.
- Contribution to company profitability, growth, and optimization objectives.
Qualifications :Skills- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and data analysis tools.
- Experience with data visualization and data management tools such as Power BI, SQL, Alteryx, or equivalent.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret large volumes of data.
- Solid understanding of cost drivers, commodities, and market indicators.
- Strong knowledge of category management and assortment optimization principles.
- Understanding of category performance analysis, SKU productivity assessment, and consumer purchasing behaviors.
- Ability to influence decision-making and communicate complex analyses clearly.
- Ability to formulate strategic recommendations that balance financial, commercial, and customer objectives.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
- Strong business acumen and results-oriented mindset.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Education and Experience- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Business Intelligence, Supply Chain, Marketing, Retail Management, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in one or more of the following areas: category management, assortment planning, business analytics, strategic sourcing, negotiations, finance, or business intelligence.
- Previous people management experience.
- Experience in a retail, merchandising, or consumer products environment.
- Experience in category management, assortment optimization, or analytical merchandising is considered a significant asset.
- Experience in commodity analysis and supplier market intelligence is an asset.
- Bilingualism (French and English), both written and spoken ( Frequent communications with internal/external partners and/or clients/employees outside of Québec )
By joining the RONA family, you'll enjoy many benefits, such as:
- A childcare centre that can accommodate up to 78 children
- A cafeteria with a delicious menu prepared by a dedicated chef, healthy options, as well as FARO Roasting Houses and Tim Hortons coffee stations
- Electric car charging stations
- A fitness centre, sports activities, and showers
- Exclusive employee discounts, plus a 10% discount on store merchandise (at all RONA locations)
- Benefits: retirement savings plan, annual bonuses, student incentive program, etc.
- Access to the GreenShield+ telemedicine platform, including virtual consultations with healthcare professionals and pharmacy services
- Career growth opportunities within the company
- An inclusive and safe working environment
- Promotion of work-life balance
- An employer that's involved in the community
- And much more!
