Vice President of Merchandising - RaceTrac

RaceTrac Company Overview

Job Description:

Reporting to the Chief Brand Officer, the Vice President of Merchandising is responsible for leading RaceTrac’s merchandising strategies to maximize profitability, drive sales, improve inside margins, and ease operational efficiencies.  This role is responsible for RaceTrac’s Category Management, Food Programs, and Merchandising Solutions teams and providing products guests want in the most cost and operationally efficient way possible.  The Vice President of Merchandising guides the development of RaceTrac’s product assortment and pricing strategies across categories, and leads an organization of Category Managers/Directors, Associate Category Managers, Planners, and Analysts. 

Responsibilities:

Building Talent

• Leading and developing the Merchandising Solutions, Category Management, and Food Programs and Offers teams and providing leadership to meet current and future business needs.
• Encouraging and influencing continuous two-way feedback from all team members.
• Ensuring all Executive Directors and Directors lead and develop their employees and provide leadership to maximize inside sales and margin.
• Developing and mentoring direct reports to maximize their performance and potential; cultivating a culture of development and succession.

Customer Focus

• Strengthening vital vendor relationships to maximize RaceTrac's position in the marketplace.
• Functioning as the supportive decision-maker for all escalated Merchandising issues that may arise.
• Partnering with cross-functional peers in Operations and Supply Chain to develop transformative processes that maximize efficiency and effectiveness while managing revenue growth and inventory turn.
• Implementing corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental challenges.

Strategy & Implementation/Driving Success

• Driving process improvement strategies that increase efficiencies and simplify Guests' and Associates' lives, including the store point of sale system and the inventory life cycle.
• Directing the management of Merchandising systems and technical solutions by ensuring alignment on strategic goals, current priorities, and future enhancements.
• Creating and leading a clear vision and strategic direction for merchandising across category management, food programs and offers, merchandise planning, and merchandising systems functions; monitoring execution to maximize performance and results.
• Ensuring all decisions and merchandise projects align with RaceTrac's strategic vision.
• Influencing direct reports to ensure consistency in developing and/or offering compelling products, differentiated from the marketplace, priced appropriately, that drive revenue growth.
• Leading merchandising team to develop industry leading product, assortment, pricing, merchandising systems, and planning strategies that grow revenue, margin and profit.
• Developing effective merchandising and pricing strategies responsive to customer insights, competitive analysis and business performance.
• Implementing test and learn strategies to optimize ROI for new products and categories.
• Developing and communicating sales and financial goals by category; Achieving Gross Margin and Inventory targets.
• Reviewing/approving vendors and vendor plans, as well as assortment plans.

Merchandise Optimization

• Monitoring the industry and competitive landscape and analyzes internal data including sales, sourcing, and pricing.
• Identifying patterns and market trends to help refine product strategies.
• Ensuring all contract negotiation strategies are in line with the RaceTrac’s best interest.
• Owning the store layout process to ensure synergy and adjacencies across store layouts to improve the overall guest experience.
• Approving, prioritizing, and monitoring all Merchandising expenditures.
• Directing department financial activities to maximize operations and increase productivity.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university, or equivalent experience
• 10+ years experience in a related role
• 5+ years experience leading in leading large cross functional teams
• Experience in a wide variety of Category Management and Merchandising Functions
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite preferred
• Essential critical thinking and analytical skills
• Project management experience
• Excellent understanding of merchandising financials and the ability to manage profitability
• Ability to build relationships across business functions and organization
• Cross-functional leadership and influencing skills
• Experience in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment, acting as a change agent
• Well-developed ethical professional behavior standards