Region Director, Merchandising

Job Summary

The Region Director of Merchandising drives Sysco Specialty company’s product, supplier, and sourcing strategy to meet revenue and margin goals. They lead a team of merchandisers, a business analytics team, a site content team, and supply chain management.

Responsibilities

• Builds, manages, and develops regional merchandising teams through regular department meetings; on-going interaction & communication; monitors associate morale; and responds to ideas to improve associate engagement and enablement.
• Interprets, trains, and consistently reinforces Company policies, procedures, and tools.
• Works with logistics to optimize supplier shipping performance.
• Manages item cost (product and freight) accuracy.
• Ledges and inspires teams to deliver high-quality category strategies.
• Establishes a strategy and category financial forecasting with category merchandisers for each category.
• Directs “Strategic” supplier meetings with category merchandisers.
• Provides input for marketing, communication, and promotional activities.
• Sets pricing strategy and works with the manager of business analytics to implement and maintain the pricing model.
• Administers supplier logistics to deliver products effectively and efficiently to customers.
• Manages inventory spend on stocked products.
• Manages shrink and approves credits as needed.
• Studies and acts upon all market trends, new products, innovation, and niches to drive additional sales and site loyalty.
• Conducts the supplier rebate table and meets with accounting to forecast annually.
• Manages the buying group relationship and training: GSB Beef Merchandising and SSMG COE Merchandising teams.
• Transfers knowledge from category management initiatives to the organization to improve the sales and profitability of the company.
• Works cross-functionally with sales, marketing, logistics, information technology (IT) and accounting to support goals.
• Interfaces with IT development to continually improve the look, feel, and effectiveness of all customer and marketing associate (MA) facing web sites.
• Integrates with IT operations to ensure all systems are performing at acceptable levels, bandwidth issues do not arise, data support is at or above customer expectations, platform redundancy and emergency preparedness plans are in place.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience in lieu of degree sufficient to successfully perform essential job functions.
• 8+ years management/professional experience.
• Significant category management, merchandising and/or operations experience within a retail, wholesale or distribution environment preferred.
• Preferred Qualifications: Master’s degree, strong excel skills, professional skills including building high-performing teams & enabling a culture of best practices, managing conflict and reaching quick resolution with facts and dialogue, working cross functionally and building relationships across the organization/enterprise, communicating effectively with individuals of different backgrounds, demonstrating ability to adapt to and lead change, proactive attitude of identifying and addressing issues as they arise, strong written & verbal communications skills, developing & implementing innovative strategies to maximize sales & gross profit potential while driving customer loyalty & Sales Consultant engagement, successfully performing job requirements in a remote work environment, travel requirement 1 – 3 times per month to sites within region. Up to 50% travel may be required for this role.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.