If you're someone who has a genuine desire to help people live better and healthier lives, join us as we work to be a trusted resource in our communities, offering real people, real food at real affordable prices across the Midwest. If you are ready to immerse yourself in an environment, that helps shoppers naturally, intuitively, and enjoyably find real, honest, affordable goodness to meet them wherever they are on their wellness journey, we'd like to hear from you. Join us to begin YOUR journey and be a part of the Fresh Thyme Market Team!

Fresh Thyme Rewards

• Weekly pay

• Scheduling flexibility

• Paid parental leave

• Care.com/back-up care assistance

• Team member discount

• Career growth opportunities

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Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Works with the GVP to develop merchandising and marketing strategies and tactics that will increase sales and margin for the Meat & Seafood Department. The Sr. Category Manager will then help implement these strategies thru direction of the category management team.
• Recruits, trains, and develops category management and departmental staff.
• Assists and trains in the implementation of pricing, promotion, assortment and shelf schematics for all Meat & Seafood Categories, based on detailed analysis of past performance, results, industry best practices, and consumer trends.
• Negotiates and collaborates with vendors on pricing, product assortment, promotion, ads, services, promotional calendars, and support with the goal to maximize overall supplier performance and minimize supply chain cost.
• Reviews with the Category Manager's category and department financials (i.e. Profit & Loss Statement) weekly/monthly and reacts as necessary to ensure budgets are achieved; meets sales and margin budget expectations.
• Assists and trains Category Managers in new item selection, helps research new vendors for products, requests quotes, analyzes responses, selects products, and implements product placement.
• Trains Category Managers in schematic practices based on company direction.
• Conducts post promotional analysis to track sales and profit results at end of each promotional timeframe.
• Maintains and reviews price files and competitive price checks to ensure we are priced competitively within each of the markets that we operate.
• Visits stores as necessary to observe results of merchandising programs.
• Communicates all pertinent information, including merchandising plans, ad plans, price changes, projections, etc., to the stores, operations team, vendors, support offices, and department.
• Helps in the training and development of store level Department Managers and Operational Specialists.
• Facilitates cooperation between the procurement team and the category management team to ensure desired service levels and optimum inventory position is achieved.
• Works in conjunction with operations and other departments across the company to facilitate implementation of programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent Grocery industry experience required.
• Must have a minimum of 6 years professional experience.
• Preferred 5-7 years grocery retail experience in Natural Foods processes and procedures.
• Previous experience in a natural foods industry is preferred.
• Meat & Seafood category product knowledge preferred.
• Financial, mathematical, statistical and consumer research experience preferred to read, interpret and understand how internal and external factors influence financial results.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must maintain the highest level of customer service at all times.
• Ability to adapt to the ever changing high volume retail while working in a cross-functional team environment.
• Must have the capacity to take initiative for making appropriate decisions and have strong analytical and problem solving skills.
• Flexibility to adapt in a variety of situations.
• Must have advanced attention to detail with the capability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Excellent written communication and documentation skills.
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills for maintaining effective business relationships with peers, senior management, customers, and vendors.
• Must have advanced knowledge with MS Office including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Ability to multitask and have excellent organizational skills is essential.
• Must be able to lead, support and contribute to team goals.
• Ability to work varied hours/days as business dictates.
• Must be familiar with Health Department guidelines and regulations as they pertain to a grocery retail environment.
• Familiarity with Category Business Planning with an understanding of marketing and merchandising practices.
• Possesses the ability to read and interpret profit and loss statements and understand how the categories managed are affected.
• Has excellent people skills for training and communicating with customers and stores; requires a high level of patience.