Director Category Management (Meat/Seafood)

Category/Area of Expertise: Merchandising
Job Requisition: 425673
Address: USA-MD-Hyattsville-8301 Professional Place Ste115
Store Code: Fresh - Brands (5148837)

Who Is Giant?

With over 2 million weekly customers and annual sales topping $5 billion, Giant is the #1 grocer in the Baltimore-Washington area. What began as one store on Georgia Avenue in Washington D.C. in 1936, now has grown to over 160 stores spanning across D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.

Giant's mission is beyond stocking groceries on shelves, we strive to be the most trusted and loved local food retailer in our community.

DIRECTOR OF CATEGORY MANAGEMENT

This role leads Category Management, Merchandising, and Pricing, driving sales growth and profitability. Strategically manages assigned departments/categories to enhance performance through tailored category plans, optimized assortments, effective floor plans, and competitive pricing. Collaborates cross-functionally to execute initiatives, lead teams, and develop vendor partnerships to capitalize on market opportunities. You'll exemplify leadership, fostering a positive work environment while ensuring strategic goals are met.

What You Will Do:

Strategic Planning and Execution

• Develop and implement long-term category/department business plans and merchandising strategies to achieve profitable growth.
• Align category goals with financial objectives and organizational vision.
• Partner and provide strategic guidance to the private brand development strategy.
• Oversee daily operations to ensure accuracy and timeliness in execution.
• Continuously assess category performance and adjust strategies as needed.

Collaboration and Leadership

• Collaborate with Store Operations, Field Teams, and other cross-functional departments to align on initiatives, labor models, and inventory management.
• Direct field merchandising and visit stores to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Provide strategic guidance on private brand development and category innovation.
• Direct the creation and execution of procurement, replenishment and inventory management strategies across all Divisions.

Vendor and Supplier Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors, ensuring alignment with sales, service levels, and compliance.
• Negotiate and hold vendors accountable for agreed-upon performance metrics and contracts.

Operational Excellence

• Ensure adherence to safety and regulatory standards within the department.
• Work with supply chain and logistics teams to optimize supply chain operations.
• Institute methods and processes to constantly improve customer perceptions of the category, manage strategies to consumer insights for quality and image.
• Conduct regular visits with stores, suppliers, and distribution partners; direct field merchandising to best understand and respond to needs/opportunities for assigned categories/department.

Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Category Management team to make informed decisions and drive operational excellence.

What You Will Bring:

• 8-10 years of Category Management experience
• Bachelor's Degree
• Ability to interact with all levels of management in a fast paced, changing environment.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills with a history of forging strong relationships with multiple stakeholders and ability to work collaboratively to build positive and effective partnerships.
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
• Proactive, with a strong sense of urgency and the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Deep commitment to building a culture of workplace excellence and experience leading through organizational change.
• Ability to meet job and schedule requirements

Skills and Abilities:

Functional Competencies - Mastery Level

• Analysis & Insights - Uses insights to develop strategies which anticipate changes in the marketplace
• Assortment - Identifies areas for gaining significant & substantial competitive advantage through assortment initiatives
• eCommerce & Omnichannel Expertise - Provides significant value through extensive knowledge of eCommerce
• Financial & Business Acumen - Builds on high level knowledge of corporate business & financial principles & concepts to deliver results
• In-Store & Digital Merchandising - Identifies areas for gaining significant & substantial competitive advantage through in-store & digital merchandising initiatives
• Internal & External Communication & Documentation - Ensures that communication is tailored to the audience & provides information required for success
• Negotiation - Develops creative solutions to resolve challenging situations to achieve alignment
• Pricing & Promotion - Identifies pricing & promotion tactics to gain significant & substantial competitive advantage
• Product, Category & Industry Knowledge - Provides significant value to company & the shopper through extensive understanding of products, categories & the marketplace
• Product Development - Identifies areas for gaining significant & substantial competitive advantage through product development initiatives
• Strategic Business Planning - Develops innovative Category plans which maximize return on investment
• Supply Chain - Leverages knowledge of end-to-end supply chain to provide innovative solutions
• Systems & Technology - Applies extensive knowledge of the most complex systems & software & assists others in their use
• World-Class Collaborative Partnerships - Develops business based on long-term vision & internal & external collaboration at the highest levels

The pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include, but are not limited to, responsibilities of the role, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable law.

This position will be on-site at the Giant Food Headquarters in Hyattsville, MD.

Why Giant:

We pride ourselves on cultivating a culture of care and offering opportunities to better yourself professionally and personally. We truly value the moments that matter most to our associates. Our guiding principles are GROW, CARE, BELONG.

GROW with us through benefits like tuition reimbursement, scholarship & grant programs, leadership development, career advancement, continuous learning opportunities and access to Market USA Credit Union.

Our CARE culture is built on a legacy of prioritizing people, offering comprehensive healthcare, life insurance, paid parental leave, wellness programs, a 401k plan with up to a 5% company match, paid time off, and employee assistance programs.

BELONG through Business Resource Groups (BRGs), rewards & recognition programs, community outreach, and countless volunteer opportunities that connect us with the communities we serve.

Join us and explore the full range of benefits available and become part of our 88+ year legacy. After all, food makes us a grocery store, but our people make us GIANT.

The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions for this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required, and the scope of responsibility, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief, to equalize peak work periods, or otherwise to balance the workload.

Why Work at Giant?

At Giant, we love what we do, and make it easy for you to love it, too! Every day, we build on our over 80-year legacy of innovation, quality, and value and hard work to keep our top spot in the market and with our customers. The most important part of that? Our people.

Giant's thousands of associates in our stores, distribution centers and corporate headquarters have one thing in common: the opportunity to advance their career. We proudly hire and promote from our own ranks, offering opportunities to learn and advance, take trainings and earn degrees, serve our communities, receive recognition for their work and have a career, not just a job.

We proudly host Business Resource Groups ( BRGs) - six voluntary employee-led groups that help build community and are aligned with our mission, values, goals, business practices and objectives. The BRGs programming is designed to support their members and our associates through social activity, volunteering and professional development opportunities.

Our mission is to provide convenient ways for our customers to prepare meals for moments that matter most through meal solutions, recipe inspiration, time-saving services like pickup and delivery and beyond. Giant also values being a better neighbor. One way we support our neighbors is by providing donations and charitable efforts to our local partners that support our main charitable causes.

We'd love for you to become part of the Giant family and join us in our journey of being a Better Place to Work, a Better Place to Shop and a Better Neighbor - because, after all, our people truly make us Giant.