Job Summary:Provides strategic leadership for the Meat and Seafood categories across all Company banners and leads the professional development of Category Management partners, ensuring delivery of planned results for sales, gross profit, and shrink. Builds and maintains effective vendor relationships to negotiate, procure, and coordinate the efficient distribution of quality meat and seafood products to each Company banner. Directs category strategies and tactics for competitive pricing, promotions, store layouts, and assortment, ensuring they align with Company initiatives.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:- Carries out management responsibilities including interviewing, hiring, training and developing partners; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining partners; scheduling, addressing complaints and resolving problems. Works in conjunction with senior leadership to determine pay and the department budget.
- Supervises category managers, inventory control analysts, zone specialists, and administrative support staff.
- Oversees the development of merchandising strategies for meat and seafood departments tailored to each banner portfolio. Implements a consistent approach with compelling seasonal adaptations to provide variety.
- Works closely with category personnel to gain a thorough understanding of financial goals and translate objectives into strategic plans and programs. Reviews category and financial results to ensure sales growth targets are being met or exceeded.
- Sets goals for sales, margin, and shrink that will allow meat and seafood departments to achieve desired earnings. Ensures proper execution of these goals by inventory control analysts.
- Develops the Meat and Seafood Category Management budget and presents it to senior leadership for approval.
- Monitors changes in category performance, store operating results, consumer behavior and the competitive environment; determines appropriate action to take.
- Builds and maintains collaborative senior-level relationships with strategic supplier networks, including packers, processors, and seafood suppliers.
- Monitors commodity markets for beef, pork, poultry, and seafood; anticipates cost and supply trends to inform buying, pricing, and promotional decisions.
- Directs the development and execution of meat and seafood strategies with the goal of driving SKU productivity, channel segmentation, margins, pricing, sell-through, and supply availability planning. Aims to increase in-store performance with a significant focus on product and department flow.
- Ensures the quality integrity of inbound and outbound fresh meat and seafood products. Establishes inbound product accountability by implementing and maintaining thorough inspections.
- Ensures field-level product inspections meet quality control and food safety standards; monitors adherence to all governmental labeling requirements.
- Guides seafood sourcing strategy, including supplier standards, product traceability, and responsible sourcing practices.
- Works closely with retail operations to enhance procurement programs and ensure local market relevance.
- Communicates regularly with zone specialists to provide updates on market conditions, product quality, product availability, and new items.
- Facilitates growth of meat and seafood departments by supporting vendor business reviews, joint business planning, and customer insights.
- Partners with logistics to develop supply chain standard operating procedures for the transportation, delivery, and receipt of meat and seafood products, including cold chain integrity.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:- Advanced knowledge of retail meat and seafood departments, including commodity markets, sourcing, and food safety requirements.
- Advanced knowledge of software systems used for the purpose of planning, forecasting and budgeting.
- Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Access, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint.
- Intermediate knowledge of SAP reporting and transactional applications.
- Strong financial acumen, including P&L management, margin analysis, and forecasting.
- Ability to lead, develop, and motivate a team of category professionals.
- Strong negotiation skills with senior-level supplier partners.
- Ability to work in a highly creative, driven manner.
- Ability to work with department members in a hands-on management capacity.
- Ability to quickly adapt to new work structures, environments, and processes.
- Ability to communicate effectively in written and verbal form.
- Ability to comprehend and interpret information.
- Ability to prepare reports and business correspondence.
- Ability to research information, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
- Ability to learn new technology systems, methods and processes.
- Ability to reason, form concepts and recognize and solve problems.
- Ability to analyze information.
- Ability to show information in presentation or diagram form.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive information.
- Ability to occasionally travel to off-site and out-of-town locations with possible overnight stays.
- Ability to work flexible schedules including nights, weekends and holidays.
- Must be attentive to potential hazards and remedy or place appropriate warning signs or devices around or near the hazard as soon as is reasonably possible.
- Must report any potential hazards that cannot be immediately remedied to a supervisor.
Education, Experience and Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in business, agriculture, food science, or a related field and ten or more years of related experience in meat and/or seafood merchandising, procurement, or category management, including significant leadership experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience required.
- Multi-banner experience preferred.
- Retail meat department operations or meat cutting experience preferred.
- Partners must be 21 years of age or older to drive for Company business in accordance with the BGC Business Driver Policy.
Physical Demands:- Continuously required to use close vision, distance vision, depth perception or the ability to focus.
- Frequently required to talk and hear.
- Frequently required to use hands for reaching, touching or handling.
- Frequently required to use fine finger movements (ex. sorting and typing).
- Frequently required to sit for long periods of time.
- Occasionally required to push, pull, maneuver or lift objects up to 40 lbs.
- Occasionally required to bend, kneel or squat.
- Occasionally required to stand or walk.
- Occasionally required to drive.
- Attendance at work is required.
Work Context and Environment:- Work is generally performed in an office environment with occasional visits to retail stores, distribution centers, and supplier facilities.
- Quiet to moderate noise level.
- Occasional exposure to cold temperatures in refrigerated and freezer areas during store, distribution center, and supplier visits.
