Walgreens

Senior Category Manager

Walgreens$110K — $130K *
Food & Beverages
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or high school diploma/GED with extensive retail experience
  • 6+ years in areas like procurement or merchandising
  • 2+ years handling P&L concepts
  • Proficient in customer-centric retail analytics
  • 4+ years developing strategic merchandising programs
  • Intermediate skills in Excel and basic skills in PowerPoint and Word
  • Experience in financial decision-making and team leadership.

Responsibilities

  • Oversee merchandising and advertising plans for complex categories
  • Negotiate vendor contracts for best pricing and maintain relationships
  • Utilize market analyses to set and adjust pricing levels
  • Manage and predict category performance with financial models
  • Create and defend category strategies using sound analytics
  • Present business cases for promotions to division leadership
  • Translate marketing insights into merchandising strategies and manage weekly performance meetings
  • Understand private brands and collaborate on sales forecasts with DMM.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance plans
  • Retirement savings plan with company match
  • Employee discounts at Walgreens
  • Paid time off for vacation and personal needs
  • Continuous training and development opportunities
Full Job Description
Job Description

Job Summary:
The Senior Category Manager is responsible for managing revenue and overall profits and losses (P&L) for the most complex and/or multiple groups categories. This role will own the end-to-end business performance for a significant portion of Walgreens' Food & Beverage portfolio, with accountability for sales, profitability, market share, and long-term category growth. Operating with a general manager mindset, this leader develops and executes customer-centric category strategies that drive revenue, EBITDA, and return on invested capital.

The ideal candidate is customer-obsessed and commercially minded, with a proven ability to identify opportunities, close performance gaps, and drive growth through data-driven decision making. They excel at translating insights into compelling business stories that influence senior leaders, cross-functional partners, and suppliers, balancing near-term performance with long-term category growth and profitability.
Job Responsibilities
  • Oversees development and determines merchandising, display, advertising, distribution, packaging and sales plans and programs for highly complex items and multiple merchandise departments.
  • Negotiates buying contracts and obtains most advantageous pricing. Manages day-to-day vendor relationships and growth opportunities.
  • Uses market, competitive, and customer perceptions analyses to set and adjust item price levels.
  • Aggressively manages category performance by establishing category goals and building financial models to predict ROIC. Utilizes innovative methods to predict performance of more complex merchandise.
  • Demonstrates category ownership by creating and defending all planogram category strategies and decisions with sound analytics. Delegates analytic tasks to key support functions and synthesizes results.
  • Provides division leadership with business case for promotions/ROTO spots, including promotional productivity forecast and product performance sensitivity analyses.
  • Manages the translation of marketing and consumer insights into innovative assortment merchandising decisions to drive return on most complex categories. Champions the weekly category meetings with merchant support to manage category performance.
  • Maintains an understanding of Walgreens and WBA private brands, including assortment and projected sales forecasts, gross profit level, and merchandising and promotional programs. Works with the DMM to project sales forecases and gross profit levels within the assigned categories.
  • Cultivates team moral, motivation, and loyalty through continuous training and mentorship, setting obtainable performance goals, providing clear communication and constructive feedback.


External Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree and at least 6 years' experience in two or more of the following: retail, procurement/purchasing, merchandising, vendor relations, pharmacy operations, or retail marketing OR a high school diploma/GED and at least 9 years of experience in two or more of the following: retail, procurement/purchasing, merchandising, vendor relations, pharmacy operations, or retail marketing.
  • At least 2 years' experience working with P&L concepts - revenue, cogs, gross profit margin, operating expenses and income
  • Knowledge of customer centric retailing principles and the analytics of customer purchase behavior.
  • At least 4 years of experience developing strategic programs in merchandising, vendor relations, and marketing in the retail business.
  • Knowledge of retail business financial concepts, to include penny profit market, mark-up percents, turns and ROI.
  • Experience collaborating on analysis for market potential evaluation, pricing, and promotions.
  • Knowledge of marketing and promotional strategies and methods.
  • Intermediate level skill in Microsoft Excel (for example: using SUM function, setting borders, setting column width, inserting charts, using text wrap, sorting, setting headers and footers and/or print scaling).
  • Basic skill level in Microsoft PowerPoint (for example: inserting, rearranging, hiding and deleting slides, navigating between slides, increasing list level, adding, centering and editing text, changing views, inserting a table or a note, moving objects, printing outline view and/or running a slide show).
  • Basic level skill in Microsoft Word (for example: opening a document, cutting, pasting and aligning text, selecting font type and size, changing margins and column width, sorting, inserting bullets, pictures and dates, using find and replace, undo, spell check, track changes, review pane and/or print functions).
  • At least 2 years of experience contributing to financial decisions in the workplace.
  • At least 3 years of direct leadership, indirect leadership and/or cross- functional team leadership.
  • Willing to travel up to 10 % of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).


Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience managing people, projects and/or cross functional teams.
  • At least 2 years of experience in negotiating deals.
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. To review benefits, please click here jobs.walgreens.com/benefits. If you are applying on a job board or unable to click on the link, please copy and paste this URL into your browser jobs.walgreens.com/benefits

About Walgreens

Walgreens is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,689 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services, and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility, and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers, and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.

Walgreens Careers

Joining Walgreens means becoming part of a team dedicated to inspiring health and well-being across America. As a cornerstone of the community, Walgreens offers unparalleled job opportunities in the retail and healthcare sectors, making it an ideal place for professional growth and innovation. Work You’ll Do At Walgreens, every position contributes to our mission of delivering premier health solutions while ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace that fosters growth. Our team members are at the forefront of transforming customer experiences through dedication and expertise. Lead with Innovation and Leadership Embrace the opportunity to lead at Walgreens, where we combine industry expertise with a culture of innovation. Our leadership is committed to nurturing a professional environment where ideas thrive and leadership skills are honed through comprehensive diversity training and leadership development programs. Engage in Meaningful Work Join a team that values hard work and creativity, where your skills will be enhanced through challenging projects and collaborative team efforts. Walgreens is not just about filling prescriptions—it's about offering solutions that promote healthier communities. Explore Career Opportunities Whether you're looking for an entry-level position or a more advanced professional role, Walgreens offers a range of career paths in dynamic business areas. From in-store roles to corporate support, our job opportunities are designed to fit a variety of skills and interests. Internship and Employment Benefits Start your career with a Walgreens internship and gain hands-on experience that paves the way for future employment. Our interns work on real projects that matter, gaining skills that are crucial for future success. Full-time team members enjoy a wealth of benefits, including comprehensive health coverage, retirement plans, and exclusive employee discounts. Invest in Your Career Growth Walgreens is committed to the career development of our employees. We provide resources and training that encourage continuous learning and career advancement. With support for certifications and networking opportunities, team members can expand their professional horizons and achieve their career goals. Stay Connected Join Our Team Discover the diverse range of hiring opportunities at Walgreens by exploring open positions that match your skills and interests. We are looking for passionate, curious, and solution-driven team players ready to make a significant impact. Keep Up to Date Stay informed with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work at Walgreens. Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, the latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Explore the exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at Walgreens. At Walgreens, we are excited to see where your ambition takes you. Join us and be part of a team that is dedicated to shaping the future of health and wellness for everyone.
Learn more about Walgreens
Size
202,000 employees
Market Cap
$32.8 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$696 million
Founded
1901
5 Year Trend
+2.3%
Revenue
$141.5 billion
NASDAQ

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