Senior Director Merchandising- Fresh at SUPERVALU Inc in Stillwater, Minnesota

Job Description:

Purpose:

The Sr. Director, Fresh Department is responsible for shaping the strategic vision for the Fresh Department's categories over a 3-5 year timeframe. This individual will ensure that the vision is effectively communicated to the team and that execution aligns with the company's overall objectives. The Sr. Director will work closely with the Fresh team to optimize assortment, pricing, promotions, and sourcing strategies to deliver a seamless and profitable customer experience. This position will oversee the Fresh Department's growth, strategic planning, and operational execution.

Job Responsibilities:

Core Responsibilities-

Business Planning Responsibilities

• Establishes the long-term strategic vision for the Fresh Department, focusing on growth, financial objectives, and product category development.
• Develop and Implement Plans to grow market share within each fresh segment of the business.
• Drives annual business plans, ensuring alignment with corporate and departmental goals.
• Works with national vendors and key stakeholders to develop and implement long-term strategic partnerships.
• Oversees and reconciles growth progress, making adjustments to focus on profitable categories.
• Monitors and ensures financial objectives are met through analysis of category performance and operational adjustments.

Promotion & Marketing Strategy

• Develops and leads promotional strategies that drive growth and align with Fresh Department objectives.
• Lead and manage the annual promotional planning process for fresh products, ensuring alignment with the business's strategic objectives. Collaborate closely with the marketing team to create integrated go-to-market strategies.
• Collaborates with the marketing and eCommerce teams to create omnichannel campaigns that increase visibility and customer engagement.
• Oversees promotional plans to ensure they meet the needs of local markets and maintain consistency across regions.
• Ensure alignment of yearly, quarterly, and period-specific planning processes with sales and margin targets for each timeframe, driving consistent performance across all periods.

Assortment & Product Presentation

• Approves section sizes, layout plans, and product adjacencies to maximize sales.
• Reviews capital expenditure proposals (e.g., shelving, fixtures) and leads store layout strategies.
• Ensures alignment of product assortment with customer needs and trends.
• Manage the discontinuation process, ensuring the maximization of profit as product sets are re-aligned and approved for phase-out.

Pricing & Sourcing Strategy

• Approves pricing recommendations and ensures they align with financial objectives and competitive strategies.
• Oversees sourcing of Fresh Department products, building strong relationships with vendors and suppliers.
• Ensures that product sourcing and pricing strategies support category growth while maintaining cost-efficiency.
• Leverage strong trade partner negotiation skills to drive mutually beneficial agreements, optimize pricing, and ensure strategic alignment throughout the planning and execution process.

Vendor & Category Management

• Leads vendor relationships and ensures that contracts and negotiations align with Fresh Department goals.
• Oversees category managers to ensure effective execution of business plans and initiatives.
• Builds collaborative relationships with suppliers and manages vendor performance.

Leadership & Development

• Leads, coaches, and develops category managers and assistant category managers.
• Oversees the recruitment and hiring of new category leads and merchandising staff.
• Provides mentorship and performance feedback through the annual review process and supports succession planning.

Additional Responsibilities

• Collaborates with supply chain and logistics teams to ensure efficient product flow and availability in stores.
• Supports and drives initiatives to innovate and improve the Fresh Department's operational processes.
• Works with store teams and operational leadership to ensure execution of merchandising plans and customer satisfaction.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

Education/ Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field preferred.
• MBA or relevant advanced degree preferred.

Experience:

• 8 or more years of experience in retail merchandising, particularly in Fresh Departments or perishable goods.
• Proven experience in leading and developing large teams, with a focus on Fresh categories such as produce, meat, seafood, dairy, and bakery.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large-scale vendor relationships and negotiate contracts.
• Experience with financial planning, P&L management, and operational efficiency.

Knowledge/Skills/ Abilities:

• Strong understanding of Fresh Department operations, including assortment planning, pricing, promotion strategies, and sourcing.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and lead teams across multiple departments.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with retail merchandising software and systems.
• Strong financial acumen, with the ability to analyze data and make strategic decisions based on performance metrics.
• Proven ability to drive innovation and continuous improvement in the Fresh Department.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, matrix environment and manage competing priorities.

Work Environment:

• Hybrid Role- This position follows a hybrid schedule working in office three (3) days per week. The acceptable split between onsite and remote work is determined by the manager. Hybrid associates may choose to work from an office on a more frequent basis than required.
• Travel- This position may require the associate to travel to company offices, distribution centers, or other locations for specific meetings or other business reasons

Good judgment is required for this position as there may be times when direct supervision may not be immediately available.

My Cub. My Way.

We provide our customers the best grocery experience period by personalizing our customers' evolving needs with innovation, convenience and by supporting the communities we serve through delivering quality, variety and fresh groceries. At Cub we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to our success as an organization, and we strive to create a work environment that fosters respect, fairness, and equal opportunities for all employees.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, or gender identity), national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, age, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. This commitment extends to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, job assignments, training, compensation, benefits, and other conditions of employment.

Cub will not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment of associates by anyone, including any manager, supervisor, co-worker, contractor, customer, supplier, vendor, or visitor.

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