Associate Category Merchandiser

Position Overview

Keep our communities fed.

Our focus is simple but meaningful, from our distribution centers to our offices — every employee of C&S and their family of companies works to help feed local families, neighbors, and communities
As the Associate Category Merchandiser, you are responsible for the coordination and execution of strategic category plans across a smaller desk and assigned categories. Partnering with the Category Manager and Promotional Planning Manager, the Associate Category Merchandiser will use margin targets and competitive data to provide business insights and recommendations to adjust strategies and tactics to improve sales, simplify execution, and improve profitability for assigned categories. The Associate Category Merchandiser ensures regional assortment and seasonal merchandising needs are prioritized to drive incremental volume. The Associate Category Merchandiser coordinates product, cost, merchandising tactics, and activities supporting promotions, TPRs, and selling events. The Associate Category Merchandiser oversees the input of deals and file maintenance data to ensure all programs are executed on time for their assigned desk & categories. You will work with cross-functional teams to ensure programs are on trend with the industry, reflective of the regional mix, and focused on delivering the highest quality, relevant products, and best cost.

Job Description

• Full Time - Hybrid post training

• Location: Robesonia, PA

You will contribute by:

• Understanding and applying analytical and quantitative insights to support annual category strategy development, including supporting the planning process, competitive intelligence, sales data, and syndicated data to provide actionable insights, trends, and opportunities to drive incremental sales and margin
• Overseeing the execution of assigned vendor programs, allowances, performance funds, incentives, forward buys, direct plan ship options maintaining efficiency incentives as a competitive advantage.
• Partnering with the Commercial team and Promotional Planning team in their assigned region to implement sales programs and support local events
• Responsible for the oversight and execution of category tactics, milestones, and deliverables, including deal submissions, demand planning, new item introduction, and key selling events.
• Performing SKU rationalization of categories and work with suppliers to continually offer the right assortment to customers and to continually understand commodity market risk for their assigned desk.
• Serving as the primary point of escalation for assigned vendor/broker tactics and planning day to day, including deal submission and approval, and working with manufacturing, Buying, and Transportation to resolve OOS (out-of-stock issues) for their assigned desk
• Monitoring and tracking Trade Fund planning execution (passed and retained), flyer income, incentives, forward buys, truckload opportunities, and income and escalates variances to the Sr Category Merchandiser for resolution.
• Participating in cross-functional planning to support corporate and regional growth strategies.
• Travel Required: No

Environment

• Office: Office Temperature (65F to 75F)

We offer:

• Weekly Pay

• Benefits available from day 1 (medical, dental, vision)

• Company matched 401K

• PTO and Holiday Pay offered

• Career Progression Opportunities

• Tuition Reimbursement

• Employee Health & Wellness program

• Employee Discounts / Purchasing programs

• Employee Assistance Program

​We’re searching for candidates with:

• Solid analytical and quantitative skills, comfortable with complex financial data
• Experienced in category planning; Solid understanding of financial methodology to determine costs, develop annual business plans and oversee daily metrics (sales, volume, inventory, costs, etc.)
• Ability to present results of analysis, data models, and other projects to management concisely
• Strong communications skills – speaking, writing, presenting; Strong planning and time management skills
• High threshold for working in ambiguous, fast paced environments – figuring it out and adapting as you go
• Ability to operate simultaneously and effectively in both tactical and strategic modes
• Will need to travel to minimum of 2 food shows a year

Years of Experience

• 0-2 years working knowledge of retail/supermarket, who