Position Summary...

The Senior Merchant designs, develops, and executes strategies for complex categories, as determined by established sales, qualitative, and quantitative criteria, in partnership with cross-functional specialist teams that achieve profit and loss deliverables and sell the products customers want at unbeatable prices.

What you'll do...

HMR is on an amazing journey as we aspire to expand our HMR (Home Meal Replacement) footprint and leadership in convenience meals. This exciting mandate requires an experienced, creative, and food-focused lead who will be instrumental in transforming our HMR business for tomorrow inclusive of hot counters, RTE and RTH expansion.

The successful candidate will have a strong passion for food, entrepreneurial spirit, obsessed with quality, and customer focused who remains ahead of the trends and already has experience in developing and growing HMR programs.

Senior Category Merchant – Home Meal Replacement (HMR)

1. Accountable for all aspects of merchandise profit and loss management and category financial results relating to specific categories including short-term and long-term planning, as well as proactive/reactive management to ensure forecasts, sales, markdowns, coop collection, market share growth, gross profit and inventory targets/budgets and pricing are met or exceeded. Communicates/reports results to appropriate cross-functional partners. Review post-buy financial analysis and identify Record of Results for review with cross-functional partners.
2. Develop category strategies that align with the merchant framework and portfolio strategies/financials through the use and review of multiple data sources. Conduct item level assortment analysis and determine assortment decisions, including coverage of needs analysis for priority sub-categories, vendor optimization, SKU optimization, price ladders, private label/brandstrategy and development. Visit stores (both Walmart and competitors) to build category strategy and price ladders for priority sub-categories.Proactively communicate strategies to leadership and their respective cross-functional teams to allow for appropriate planning and execution.
3. Initiate, negotiate and manage vendor agreements, costs, vendor allowances/terms, quality, and delivery terms in order to drive supplier performance. Develop and maintain vendor relationships, both domestic and overseas.
4. Responsible for all aspects of marketing for the category. Tab space planning based on historical analysis of results. Working with vendors as well as internal partners responsible for item level planning, selection, placement forecasting and execution for tabs, and all other media. Responsible for proofing of final tabs or other media for accuracy as well as exit strategies for any tab inventory residue.
5. Accountable for new item and promotional forecasts. Identify item deletes, manage and communicate markdowns/markups/price adjustments and develop exit strategies to ensure adjustments can and will be made as necessary.
6. Prepare and lead all line reviews and deliver store-ready modulars and seasonal sets on time. Complete promotional planning activities. Conduct modular walk throughs with senior management from cross-functional areas to receive sign off. Create store communication to ensure flawless execution at store level.
7. Attend trade shows and buying trips in order to identify new vendors, enhance innovation and product categories that will influence item assortment, new item creation, pricing, and align to the corporate strategy (i.e. Canada and the USA).
8. Responsible for associate engagement, development and ensuring associates (direct and indirect reports) have current development and succession plans in place. Provide coaching and direction to Category Team Analysts and/or Associate Merchants and/or Category Advisors (vendor). Mentor other merchants as required.

9. Effectively manage HMR supplier relationships inclusive of menu curation, development, and quality in addition to over-seeing in-store execution of third-party partnerships.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary Diploma or equivalent
• 6 to 8 years retail merchandising or category management experience required
• Financial planning and forecasting experience mandatory
• Commodity knowledge and strong negotiation skills an asset
• Experience leading special projects and new key initiatives necessary
• Prior experience managing retail HMR and/or culinary background preferred
• Proficient in MS Office with Retail Link experience an added bonus

Preferred Leadership Capabilities:

• Agile: Flexible and decisive, capable of swiftly adapting to market shifts. Embraces new challenges and opportunities and thrives in dynamic market environments.
• Growth Mindset: Highly curious and comfortable in challenging conventional norms. Views challenges as a catalyst for growth, not an endpoint, leveraging resilience in the face of setbacks.
• Communicator: Controls the message, can clearly articulate and express ideas and information in both verbal and written formats. Adept at tailoring communication to suit different audiences, and capable at simplifying complex subjects.
• Collaborator: Effective collaborator who has proven experience in inspiring and motivating cross-functional and external partners to a common goal. Skilled in active listening, root cause analysis and formulating key actions.
• Innovator: Displays creativity, forward-thinking and risk-taking abilities. Can identify, generate, and execute against of pipeline of ideation with an ability to generate and implement unique customer-centric solutions aligned to overall goals.

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Minimum Qualifications...

Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications...

Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.

Walmart will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants and associates as required by law.

Primary Location…

1940 ARGENTIA RD, MISSISSAUGA, ON L5N 1P9, Canada

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