Regional Category Manager (Austin, TX)

About Ace Retail Holdings

Ace Retail Holdings (ARH), the division of Ace Hardware Corporation that owns and operates the Great Lakes and Westlake Ace Hardware chains, is one of the largest hardware retailers in the United States.  ARH has been in operation for over a century and operates over 220 neighborhood stores located throughout the United States.  Great people make ARH stand out in our industry, and we are looking for individuals who strive for personal and professional growth, and who want to work with a company dedicated to serving our customers and communities.

Service, Passion, Respect, Integrity, Teamwork and Excellence

Job Title:    Regional Category Manager
Department:    Merchandising
Reports To:    Senior Director, Merchandising & Marketing
Exemption Status:    Exempt (Salaried)

About Westlake Ace Hardware
Ace Retail Holdings, the division of Ace Hardware Corporation that owns and operates the Westlake Ace Hardware chain, is one of the largest hardware retailers in the United States.  Headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, Westlake Ace Hardware has been in operation for over a century and operates over 150 neighborhood stores located throughout the United States.  Great people make Westlake stand out in our industry, and we are looking for individuals who strive for personal and professional growth, and who want to work with a company founded on (and still led by) our solid Core Values of: 
Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility, Teamwork
General Job Summary                                                                                                       The Regional Category Manager is responsible for developing the merchandising strategy and delivering profitable sales results for key product categories that support the unique sales opportunities within the specified regions. The position will create and execute business strategies that align with the company growth plans and initiatives while partnering with key cross functional partners. 
Essential Duties and Responsibilities                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Assortment Strategy and Management
•    Develop quality product assortments that drive sales and profitable growth in the key categories, leveraging Ace planograms, assortments and fixtures presentations where possible.
•    Analyze and monitor sales, trends and economic conditions within a specific category to anticipate consumer buying patterns. Work in collaboration with inventory management to determine demand forecasts for everyday and promotional periods.
•    Provide strategic direction for the development of advertising and marketing initiatives to drive sales and transaction growth.
•    Maintain strong understanding of the competition, the marketplace and industry. Monitor competitors’ sales activities, product assortments, and pricing by reviewing daily/weekly print and electronic advertisements, as well as store visits.
•    Identify localized opportunities to ensure a merchandise assortment that meets the needs of the varied consumer base where appropriate (B2B, DIY, Rural, Urban, etc.).
Financial Accountability
•    Accountability and management of financial KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators), including sales, net margin, sell-through and GMROI (gross margin return on investment) including development of semiannual forecasts to support Sr. Management planning activities.
•    Negotiate costs, discounts, rebates, VPP (Vendor Partnership Program) and freight terms for assigned categories.
Sourcing and Procurement
•    Establish and maintain strategic supplier relationships, aligning suppliers, products and services to meet the needs of the business.
•    Attend trade shows to identify product opportunities and enhance business relationships.

Leadership and Management
•    Define and implement departmental strategic objectives with both short and long-term plans developed.
•    Strategic and tactical ownership, accountability and execution for the assigned product category Line Review process.
•    Demonstrate effective presentation skills of merchandising strategies to ensure buy-in and engagement across the entire organization.
•    Serve as project manager for all merchandising-driven initiatives in support of key categories.
•    Willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done with a focus on an improved customer experience and reduced store labor requirements. 

Partnership and Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams including
•    Store Operations on the development and delivery of effective product knowledge training.
•    Inventory management to ensure optimal in-stock levels and exit strategies.
•    Store Operations and Marketing to develop a deeper understanding of customer product needs and preferences.
•    Marketing/Visual Merchandising to deliver improved in-store presentation, Point-of-Purchase materials and marketing strategies.
•    Develop strong working relationships with Ace counterparts to fully leverage available product assortments, customer research and partner on strategic initiatives to further category performance.
•    Interact with field and store associates to assist with acquiring comprehensive product information and identifying solutions for merchandise problems.

Other Essential Requirements
Ability to exhibit and incorporate our Core Values into daily decisions and interactions with others:

o    WINNING – In business, money is the score. To win, we must perform, compete, and have fun. At Ace, we win through people- our strength is being helpful.
o    EXCELLENCE – Excellence honors God and inspires people. We aspire to be the best, to continuously improve and to inspire others by giving the team our very best.
o    LOVE – Love the people, love the work and love the results.
o    INTEGRITY – For Ace to win, we need to be able to trust each other. And trust will require us to be honest, reliable, caring, of high character and of unquestioned ethics.
o    GRATITUDE – We recognize that we are blessed to be in the business of serving others.
o    HUMILITY – We strive for greatness with a humble, modest and respectful attitude.
o    TEAMWORK – We will fight the natural tendency for control and credit in favor of collaboration and mutual success, recognizing that…Together, we are Ace. 
 

Minimum Skills, Requirements and Qualifications
•    BS/BA Degree in Business Management preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
•    Interest or class work in Merchandising or Buying.
•    Solid understanding of retail operations, relationship sales skills, business fundamentals, merchandising strategies and assortment planning.
•    Knowledge of the neighborhood hardware store B2B and DIY customer.
•    Refined interpersonal skills to engage with others both written and verbal.
•    Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic business environment.
•    Demonstrated organizational skills and attention to detail.
•    Ability to work independently, be highly self-motivated.
•    Familiarity with modern marketing techniques in electronic, digital and social media platforms.
•    Proven ability to successfully lead teams backed with strong project management skills.
•    Analytical thinker, team player, customer-focused, business minded.
•    Strong working knowledge of Excel (charts, VLookUps, data manipulation and macro execution). 
•    Thorough understanding of MS Word and strong skills in PowerPoint to support category presentations. 
•    Experience with JDA a plus.
•    Travel as required.
•    Standing, walking, lifting (up to 25lbs) and climbing.
 

Compensation Details

$60000

For a full list of benefits and open positions, please visit us at: https://acehardware.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Westlake_External

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Equal Opportunity Employer
Westlake Ace Hardware is committed to a policy of promoting equal employment opportunities. The company recognizes the importance of diversity and leveraging the skills and talents of all people to the mutual advantage of each individual and the organization. The company is committed to the prevention of employment discrimination related to race, religion, color, sex (including sexual harassment), gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability and military discharge, or any other action covered by federal or state laws.