Category Merchandising Manager - Produce

UNFI is North America’s premier grocery wholesaler, delivering fresh, branded, and owned brand products to community grocers and retail chains. The Category Merchandising Manager - Produce manages customer relationships, merchandising execution, sales planning, and profitability for assigned retail accounts, with a focus on produce and floral categories.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and sustain strong working relationships and a presence as a valued consultant with assigned retail owners and department managers
• Address customer issues (e.g., needs, requests, and complaints) with proper urgency to the satisfaction of both parties
• Work collaboratively with Account Managers and Inside Sales to ensure the mutually established sales goals are achieved
• Respond to and meet customer needs, both internally and externally. Liaison to provide retailer feedback to management on all issues
• Represent the company by developing and maintaining a positive business relationship with retail customers, new clients, and UNFI region staff
• Resolve all internal and external customer requests and concerns while maintaining a high level of professionalism and service
• Establish a full understanding of the strategies, tactics, and programs offered by the region and implement those programs and concepts with retailers. Follow up with assigned accounts on program participation
• Identify purchase concentrations and product and service opportunities for each store/account develop plans and monitor progress to capitalize on opportunities
• Provide assigned accounts with operational and tactical support to achieve sales goals
• Assist with seasonal merchandising, promotional planning, booking seasonal & new item orders, and performing other tasks as necessary to support retailers
• Understand the specific markets in which the retailers compete and adapt programs and plans to the marketplace to ensure retailer success
• Communicate retailer needs to the regional merchandising department to create new or enhance existing programs
• Provide competitive field intelligence to the internal merchandising staff to meet the needs of our customers more effectively
• Provide competitive merchandising solutions/SOPs for retail formats by researching market conditions to determine potential sales of products or services and retail trends
• Be the Produce/Floral Expert! Stay abreast of all industry-related products, market conditions, key regulations/issues, equipment trends, and technology
• Assist sales leadership in conducting annual business reviews with assigned accounts (e.g., sales results, product and service level opportunities, performance against plan, and other key account issues or concerns)
• Establish department-specific sales plans for accounts within the prescribed territory to achieve financial goals for each assigned department
• Performs other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• The candidate must be based in Minnesota
• Possess good communication skills, both verbal and written. Deal effectively with a wide variety of people both in person and over the telephone
• Basic computer skills required and personal computer experience, with word processing and spreadsheet applications preferred
• Requires the analytical ability to handle administrative duties and mental alertness to ensure accurate, safe, and thorough completion of work activities
• Possess the ability to motivate and work with and through others to achieve desired results
• Experience addressing customer needs/concerns, solving customer problems, or otherwise providing customer support
• Possess the ability to concentrate and deal with frequent interruptions
• Good judgment is required for this position as there may be times when direct supervision may not be immediately available
• Travel is required up to 50% for this position
• Incumbent may sit for long periods of time at a desk or computer terminal
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear
• Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in the completion of job duties
• Bachelor's degree preferred
• 3 years' minimum of retail and/or vendor experience preferred