In this role, you'll lead a team of category merchants, influence your team's roadmap, and help drive innovation and execution in our categories. You'll collaborate cross-functionally to execute category strategies, develop talent, and ensure operational excellence through data-rich decision making and customer-centric execution.


Key job responsibilities
Whole Foods Market is seeking a dynamic leader to lead our Meat & Seafood category merchant team in Austin, TX.

Are you a data-driven leader with a passion for building high-performing teams? Join our team as and drive team development, operational excellence, and business results.

In this role, you'll lead a team of category merchants, influence your team's roadmap, and help drive innovation and execution in our categories. You'll collaborate cross-functionally to execute category strategies, develop talent, and ensure operational excellence through data-rich decision making and customer-centric execution.

Responsibilities:

· Take ownership of team delivery and operational performance

· Establish the right team structure to respond to customer needs and business goals while meeting SLAs and delivering high-quality results

· Lead and develop a team of category merchants, providing tactical management while building strategic leadership capabilities

· Lead your team to deliver results, manage difficult problems, and mitigate risks before they become roadblocks

· Make trade-offs between time, quality, and resources to meet business objectives

· Facilitate career growth conversations, provide constructive feedback, and align individual goals with organizational objectives

· Create customized onboarding plans for new team members

· Attract, hire, and retain a team of high performing merchants.

· Dive into details, ask the right questions, and drive the right customer outcomes

· Maintain solid understanding of design approaches, technologies, products, and processes utilized by your team

· Work closely with stakeholders across diverse functions to ensure smooth execution of team goals

· Communicate clearly and concisely in verbal and written formats

· Identify and optimize workflows and best practices for operational excellence

· Prioritize root cause resolution and process improvements

· Create an inclusive team environment where every employee feels valued, trusted, connected, and informed

· Evaluate employee performance against expectations and navigate challenging conversations with empathy and professionalism

· Present decisions to senior leaders

· Foster shared understanding to meet business needs and reach consensus on approach