Gordon Food Service Looking for Regional Product Merchandising Specialist at Wyoming, MI Full Time

Responsible for executing regional merchandising activities that support goals for the assigned category of products. Collaborates and communicates with key stakeholders on the NA merchandising teams, marketing teams, sales teams and with vendors to execute strategies to achieve sales, margin, and brand goals. Executes implementation of go-to market activities to support sales and marketing strategies.

Essential duties:

Communication & Relationship Building

• Communicates effectively with merchandising and marketing counterparts on issues pertinent to business success, including the Division key performance indicators and category management impact on performance indicators.
• Builds an effective feedback loop with regional merchandising and division marketing and sales teams related to unique market differences.
• Builds and leverages effective and collaborative relationships within sales and marketing teams by communicating regularly and by conducting ride-alongs with front-line sales and marketing employees

Support Sales & Marketing

• Provide actionable product & vendor related communication that is timely and relevant – New Items, Discontinuations, Item Changes, Supply issues/shortages
• Provide strategic vendor & industry insights
• Understand and be responsive to division-specific sales needs related to assigned category
• Ensures category-specific regional/divisional needs are represented as an input into NA Category Management strategy development
• Provides relevant product category specific information to divisional CDS and Marketing team via phone and email, as needed
• Develops and communicates relevant product and vendor information to the divisional sales and marketing teams, in support of assigned category strategies and initiatives.
• Provides regular communication to divisional sales and marketing teams regarding product issues, and price changes.
• Provides problem analysis and resolution to customer and CDS on product related concerns.

??Category Management

• Assists Merchandising Manager in the collection and analysis of division-specific product/vendor needs for Competitive Market Reviews (CMR’s).
• Assists Merchandising Manager with all slot management activities to ensure all divisions work within their designated slot allocation.
• Supports Merchandising Manager in all aspects of regional category management strategies, key initiatives, and product life-cycle management process from initial sourcing, new item setup, market introduction and discontinuation/deletion of regional items
• Provides insights, analytics and recommendations in the development of strategies. Provides insight to achieve volume and margin targets for assigned category, in support of segmented customer and brand marketing plans.
• Responsible to ensure implementation of appropriate cost for price/national cost for each division in coordination with the NA Category teams and NA Revenue Management team
• Optimize margin while ensuring a competitive cost for price/national cost to the street for assigned category of products at each division

Supply Chain Support

• Support resolution of supply chain disruptions caused by vendor shortages, industry issues, etc.
• Support removal of aging inventory and liquidation
• Perpetual Learning & Growth
• Develops and maintains a high level of industry and product expertise to be the primary source of knowledge for assigned categories.
• Maintains knowledge of current trends and developments in the field by reading appropriate books, journals and other literature and attending related conferences, seminars, training, supplier visits, etc. Maintains peer relationships in the field to share issues and ideas.
• Leverages internal and external category data and customer insights to inform decision-making.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Cost/Price Management

?

• Responsible to ensure implementation of appropriate cost for price/national cost for each division in coordination with the NA Category teams and NA Revenue Management team
• Optimize margin while ensuring a competitive cost for price/national cost to the street for assigned category of products at each division

Supply Chain Support

• Support resolution of supply chain disruptions caused by vendor shortages, industry issues, etc.
• Support removal of aging inventory and liquidation

Perpetual Learning & Growth

• Develops and maintains a high level of industry and product expertise to be the primary source of knowledge for assigned categories.
• Maintains knowledge of current trends and developments in the field by reading appropriate books, journals and other literature and attending related conferences, seminars, training, supplier visits, etc. Maintains peer relationships in the field to share issues and ideas.
• Leverages internal and external category data and customer insights to inform decision-making.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Ideal candidate will have:

• Must have basic knowledge of assigned product category and marketing segments.
• Ability to understand, follow and create processes in order to complete projects.
• Must have good time management, administration, and organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Proficiency in analyzing information; able to use analytics and associated tools (e.g., Excel, Google) in creative ways to tell the product story, garner buy-in, provide insights and to support decision-making.
• Must have good financial acumen and ability to learn and understand Margin, Pricing, Freight and other related financial metrics
• Ability to inject creativity, fresh thinking, and new perspectives and to generate new and imaginative ideas, while using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Ability to give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Positive attitude, problem-solver mentality willingness to experiment and be creative.
• Must have the ability to multi-task and be able to work “exceptional” hours including evenings and weekends and be able to take on new responsibilities with a strong desire to succeed.
• Proficient communication skills – both written and verbal – to communicate effectively with a broad-based team including diverse internal stakeholders and vendors.

Benefits

We take care of each other at Gordon Food Service. Employees love our competitive benefit plans, which include all the things you would expect and a few that you might not!

Get a quick glance at who we are and the impact you could have on the food service industry. There’s a seat at our table for you!

Be part of an amazing culture where what matters to you, matters to us!

Gordon Food Service values our customers and understands that their success is largely dependent upon their workforce. To demonstrate our commitment to our partnership, we will require any candidate who works for a Gordon Food Service customer to provide a letter of support from their management if they are selected for the interview process.

Gordon Food Service is an equal opportunity employer.

All qualified applicants and employees will receive consideration for employment, or in terms or conditions of employment, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability. The EEO is the Law poster is available here: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, please submit your request to [email protected] and use the words “Accommodation Request” in your subject line. Please keep in mind this method is reserved for individuals who require accommodation due to a disability.

All Gordon Food Service locations are tobacco-free.
Gordon Food Service is a drug-free workplace and drug tests all employees.