Albertsons-Safeway's Northern California Division has an opening for a Director of Center Store Merchandising.

The Director of Center Store Merchandising leads a team of sales managers and department specialists to create plans and drive sales and profit in the center store merchandising department for Safeway in Northern California. You will be responsible for leading the strategic direction of Center Store Merchandising including Grocery, Frozen, Dairy, NOSHE, and GM/HBC, ensuring department plans stay aligned with the Division’s overall strategies as well as with the strategies produced at Corporate Merchandising. This alignment includes ensuring the successful execution of Corporate Merchandising, Division, and Department business initiatives, programs, and plans and meeting or exceeding financial targets. This role collaborates with Corporate Marketing and Merchandising to ensure business plans that reflect local, regional and industry trends.

The Director of Center Store Merchandising is responsible for setting the standards for the workplace culture and environment within their department and will report to the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising for the Northern California Division of Albertsons Companies.

Responsibilities

Planning: Develops sales and merchandising programs to support overall merchandising strategy. Supports the efforts of the national team while ensuring the local relevance of the banner. Ensures all metrics by category including sales, gross profit, shrink, and allowances are validated and accurately forecasted. Redirects team when financial target and business plans change or are not met. Advertising/Promotions: Ensures overall promo strategy includes local relevance and provides input into national strategy. Supervises and ensures that the promo activities meet the go-to-market strategies of the Division. Directs the execution of the promo strategy to ensure alignment with other related strategies. Collaborates with SVP of Marketing/Merchandising and Marketing team to develop ad themes for period planning and annual planning processes. Product Assortment and Presentation: Ensures execution of assortment and presentation plans and have the right production the right stores. Gives input into schematics/plan-o-grams (POGs). Attends store layout, fixtures meetings, and provides input on how store-layout and fixtures will look in the stores. Provides feedback to Corporate Merchandising in planning and execution related to all new, remodeled, and existing layouts to ensure local needs are met. Ensures product mix is competitive within the Division’s markets. Pricing: Approves pricing strategies and decisions. Ensures the Sale Managers execute pricing strategies, gross profit, and initiatives that are competitive in their market. Sourcing: Oversees local vendor relations. Ensures the Sales Manager sources local items/vendors to support local programs. Partners with Procurement and Distribution to ensure that local programs are supported. People Leadership: Leads, coaches, and develops Center Store Merchandising team. Responsibilities include interviewing, candidate selection, training, delivering performance reviews, talent development and succession planning for the Center Store Merchandising team.

Salary range is $150,900 to $211,000 annually. Starting salary will vary based on criteria such as location, experience, and qualifications. There may be flexibility for exceptional candidates.

What we are searching for

Strong organizational and supervisory skills with the capability to manage large teams effectively. Goal-oriented focus with demonstrated ability to identify, develop manage and motivate teams to achieve desired results while driving company initiatives. Strong knowledge base and financial background in supermarket retail and an understanding of consumer behavior in relation to product performance; must carry a detailed understanding of cause-effect relations between operational levers and performance (assortment/price vs. volume/margins) by utilizing financial, statistical, merchandising, marketing, and/or consumer research background. Proven ability to collaborate across all areas of the company; can successfully monitor performance; strong collaborative management skills, particularly working with vendors; ability to influence and lead effective partnerships with the corporate marketing/merchandising, retail operations, procurement, and distribution; can thrive in a complicated matrix environment. Excellent written and verbal communication skills to develop and maintain effective business relationships within and outside of the company. An innovator who can champion new ideas and initiatives to create an environment that supports continuous growth and will leverage fresh perspectives, breakthrough ideas, and new paradigms to create value in the market. Experience in vendor negotiations with contracts and terms to gain maximum advantage for costs and vendor funding opportunities. Experience in developing complicated local, regional, and national contracts. Demonstrated ability to understand and think big picture; delivers category plans and programs that complement both the corporate and departmental strategies leading to strong category sales and profit performance. Well-developed computer aptitude with proficient skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office and all merchandising systems; ability to adapt to and learn new systems and processes quickly.
 

We believe the successful candidate has these qualifications and experience

A minimum of 8 years retail merchandising experience, preferably across multiple banners and geographies. Extensive and specialized knowledge of assigned product lines with previous experience in merchandising or retail grocery operations required. An in-depth experience with merchandising methodologies and practices (P&L, fiscal management, category management, vendor relations including negotiations and vendor fund management, advertising strategy, pricing, promotions, consumer price index, etc.). Bachelor's degree in business or related field, retail certification or equivalent combination work experience.

Why You Will Choose Us
Albertsons Companies Inc. has always been a people-oriented business, and thoughtful people practices remain a core element of our company’s philosophy. Our goal is to continue to bring people together around the joys of food and to inspire well-being and that starts with people like you bringing your unique self to our company and making it one person stronger and better!

We also provide a variety of benefits, including:

Competitive wages paid weekly Associate discounts Health and financial well-being benefits for eligible associates (Medical, Dental, 401k and more!) Time off, including vacation, holidays, sick pay (for eligibility requirements, please visit myACI Benefits: https://myaci-benefits.com) Leaders invested in your training, career growth and development An inclusive work environment with talented colleagues who reflect the communities we serve

Our Values
We put people first.
We are customer driven.
We value different perspectives.
We raise the bar.
We act as owners.
We are one team.
We build belonging.
We are committed to a healthy future.

About Us
Albertsons-Safeway's Northern California Division office is located in Pleasanton, CA and supports the retail operations of 284 retail stores in northern California, northwestern Nevada, and Hawaii. Albertsons Companies is at the forefront of the revolution in retail. Committed to innovation and fostering a culture of belonging, our team is united with a unique purpose: to bring people together around the joys of food and to inspire well-being. We want talented individuals to be part of this journey!

Locally great and nationally strong, Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) is a leading food and drug retailer in the U.S. We operate over 2,200 stores, 1,732 pharmacies, 405 fuel centers, 22 distribution facilities, and 19 manufacturing plants across 34 states and the District of Columbia. Our well-known banners include Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, ACME, Shaw’s, Tom Thumb, United Supermarkets, United Express, Randalls, Albertson’s Market, Pavilions, Star Markets, Market Street, Carrs, Haggen, Lucky, Amigos, Andronico’s Community Markets, King’s, Balducci’s, and Albertson’s Market Street.

Our vision is to be a retail leader admired for national strength with deep local roots, offering an easy, fun, friendly, and inspiring experience, no matter how customers choose to shop with us. We celebrate the rich diversity of the communities we serve, and strive to create a workplace where everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources, and can fully contribute to their and our company’s success.

Bring your flavor! Building the future of food and well-being starts with you. Join our team and bring your best self to the table.

Albertsons Companies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, or on any other basis prohibited by law. Consistent with applicable state and local law, the Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of work performed by the employees assigned to this job and are not the official job description for the position. All employees must comply with Company, Division, and Store policies and applicable laws. The responsibilities, duties, and skills of personnel may vary within store and/or from store to store and the official job description will be provided during the application process.