Assistant Category Manager - Seasonal, Health & Wellness

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

Bachelors 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 multitasking skills