Assistant Category Manager

Serve as a buyer of a discrete, smaller category with ultimate sign-off from the category manager (CM). Assist category managers with the tactical work in building assortments, managing KOMPASS process, executing pricing/promotions, and gathering/analyzing data. Demonstrate the company's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety.

Responsibilities

- Make recommendations on assortment/plan-o-grams for a smaller category area of responsibility, including potential adds/deletes, and engage CM as needed for perspective and final sign-off
- Manage data analysis and day-to-day communication with vendors, 84.51 and Our Brands, and divisions for discrete area; ensure all inputs are gathered in a timely and comprehensive manner
- Validate local requests with data analysis and align on jointly-defined KPIs with the division
- Support plan-o-gram process, including organizing templates and PCOE communications
- Monitor SKU performance on an ongoing assortment to meet financial and strategic goals; establish feedback loop with CM to inform of potential adjustments
- Make recommendations on category budgets, forecasts, and plans; identify trends in business and competitive landscape that may affect health of business
- Support assortment work and testing process for CMs
- Assist with ad-hoc analysis to drive business forward, such as to evaluate decisions to deviate from pricing algorithm recommendations or react to competitor price moves or cost changes
- Be proficient across all systems (NEXT, Stratum, etc.)
- Support CM in driving promotional strategy to engage customers and drive excitement
- Review past ad performance and information on shelf capacity, store sales, and display locations to inform future promotional recommendations
- Assist in supply chain issue resolution with replenishment; update CMs before regular checkpoints and engage as needed to provide direction
- Organize and manage information sharing with vendor, including product lists /SKU information, directional forecast needs, etc
- Must be able to perform the essential job functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation

Qualifications

Minimum
- 2+ years of experience with replenishment buying/procurement, merchandising, store assistant leader, operations or brand management
- Intermediate knowledge of Excel, Word and Outlook
- Strong attention to detail
- Excellent oral/written communication skills

Desired
- Bachelor's Degree
- Any replenishment buying/procurement experience
- Any division store management experience - Any exposure to Kroger Category Management Systems, Business Objects, Enterprise Sales Planning (ESP) and 84.51 sciences - Strong organization and multi-tasking skills