Senior Merchant, Category Solutions

About the role

The Sr. Category Solutions Merchant at The ODP Corporation leads the development and execution of product and category strategies across multiple departments, collaborating with cross-functional teams and the Director of Merchandising to drive sales, margin, and profitability. This role focuses on bringing new products and services to market at scale, leading both the strategy and execution for each product category. It oversees the end-to-end product lifecycle, develops new solutions to address assortment gaps, and ensures alignment with market demands and business objectives. The role also manages and mentors a team, leverages market insights, and interacts with executive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic execution and delivery of category strategies to increase sales, penetration, and margin growth.
• Develop and execute product strategies for each category that drive growth, profitability, and market leadership while aligning with business strategies.
• Lead end-to-end product lifecycle management from concept to launch, including product planning, development, launch, and post-launch evaluation.
• Define and provide product and engineering teams with requirements, priorities, and customer inputs to bring the intended product and UX experience to life, partnering through design, build, and release using agile delivery practices.
• Leverage market insights and data, evaluate tradeoffs, and analyze outcomes to inform decision-making on new opportunities and growth strategies.
• Drive project plans with supporting financials, manage challenge processes, and ensure execution of projects.
• Track and analyze key performance metrics to measure product success, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.
• Provide point of view development on customer-centered platforms like sustainability, safety, hygiene, and productivity.
• Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to drive product adoption and sales growth through effective marketing collateral, sales training, and customer support materials.
• Build successful partnerships with vendor partners, key internal customers, and cross-functional teams while representing the "voice of the customer" in internal decision-making.
• Lead and mentor a team of merchants, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Merchandising, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in retail and merchandising, product development, and new product introduction (concept to launch at scale).
• Experience in leadership and management, strategic leadership, P&L management, and long-term planning.

Skills

• Strategic Planning and Execution
• Negotiation
• Financial Acumen
• Vendor and Supplier Management
• Market and Consumer Insights
• Project Management
• Agile Methodologies (Scrum/Kanban, backlog, and roadmap management)
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• Problem-Solving
• Intermediate PC software skills using Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Attributes

• Visionary Leadership
• Strategic Mindset
• Influence
• Accountability

About The ODP Group

The ODP Group, through its business entities ODP Business Solutions and Office Depot, is a leading provider of products, services, and technology solutions through an integrated business-to-business (B2B) distribution platform and omnichannel presence. This includes world-class supply chain and distribution operations, dedicated sales professionals, an online presence, and a network of Office Depot and OfficeMax retail stores.

Commitment to Safety

We are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for our coworkers and customers. All coworkers are expected to support our operational safety culture by working safely and addressing potential hazards or concerns.

Benefits

The company offers a benefits package, which includes a 401(k) and more, along with plenty of opportunities to move and grow within our organization. You may be eligible to participate in an incentive program, paid in accordance with the Incentive Plan terms and conditions.