National Category Director – Produce

About the company 

Albertsons Companies is at the forefront of the revolution in retail. With a fixation on raising the bar with innovation and building belonging through our culture, our team is rallying our company around a unique purpose: to create joy around each table and inspire a healthier tomorrow for every community.

Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with over 2,200 stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Our well-known banners include Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets, and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. We support our stores with 22 distribution centers and 19 manufacturing plants.

Placing a premium on adaptability, safety and family well-being, our work model, Presence with a Purpose, offers a hybrid work environment between remote work and office time. A one-size-fits-all approach does not apply to everyone, and teams are empowered to make decisions best for them. 

Bring your flavor

Building the future of food and well-being starts with you. Join our team and bring your best self to the table. #LI-RC4

What you will be doing

Albertsons Companies has an exciting opportunity to strategically manage a group of Fresh categories nationally for the entire organization. You will play an integral part in our growth and transformation as a company, as we seek to provide industry leading customer experience and grow our market share in Fresh and across the store. In this role you must be comfortable as both a team leader and team player.

What does it take to be successful here? You have deep category expertise in Produce. You have an entrepreneurial spirit and a successful track record of managing high-functioning teams. You have an analytical mindset and can determine data- driven solutions to complex problems. You are a collaborative team member used to presenting analyses and insights to your peers and having discussions to resolve challenges. You are a passionate and proven negotiator. You are decisive in your actions, yet collaborative in your approach. You want to be part of a team that will build category expertise and an amazing culture to drive the overall success of the company. If that's you then what are we waiting for? Let's do this!

The National roles will have significant responsibilities and ownership of Fresh a group of categories; we need our best talent to drive results for our company. Our merchandising leaders will have a well-rounded merch experience across our Division and National roles. Finally, as a team member of the Fresh National team, you will gain exposure across all 12 Divisions and our corporate leaders, working closely with a cross-functional team from across the organization. 

The position will be based in Boise, ID, Pleasanton, CA or one of our division offices. Some travel will be required to interact with division merchandising/replenishment teams and suppliers.

Main responsibilities

The National Director of Category Development– Fresh Produce will report to Vice President Produce- National Merchandising (and up through the Group Vice President of Fresh) and will be responsible for developing and managing category development strategies for a group of Produce categories. As a National Director of Category Development–you will collaborate with Division merchants & functional partners and lead category planning activities for your assigned categories (Produce).

The salary range is $135,800 to $190,100 annually. Starting salary will vary based on criteria such as location, experience, and qualifications. There may be flexibility for exceptional candidates. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, sick pay (accrued based on hours worked), PTO/Vacation Pay (accrued based on hours worked) or Flexible Time Of, paid holidays (9days annually), bereavement pay, and retirement benefits (pension and/or 401K eligibility). Associates in this position are also eligible for a quarterly bonus. 

A copy of the full job description can be made available to you. 

What we are searching for 

• Deep Department & Category expertise and experience in Produce.
• Field or relevant business experience where a solid understanding of marketing, merchandising, consumer research, and financial management practices have been gained
• Excellent understanding of store operations, merchandising methodologies and practices, and P&L and financial management
• Strong quantitative, marketing, merchandising, and consumer research background to read, interpret, and understand how internal and external factors influence financial results
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills and experience in taking initiative and making decisive yet appropriate decisions
• Strong planning, facilitating, and organizing skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills as well as excellent interpersonal skills to develop and maintain effective relationships within and outside the company
• Strategy development skills
• Proven track record of being a strong negotiator
• Skilled in Category Business Planning
• Able to effectively lead a collaborative process with multiple stakeholders
• Understanding of procurement, logistics, and inventory management

We believe the successful candidate has these qualifications and experience:

• 5-10+ years retail merchandising/category management and operations experience including perishable and non-perishable products and programs
• 3-5+ years Division and or National level retail Produce operations, merchandising/category, marketing, and finance experience.
• Have a passion for the Fresh Produce industry, focusing on delighting our customers and continual focus on growing produce education and consumption with our customers.
• Demonstrated success record in collaborating with multiple functional areas to achieve overall company goals which would include but not limited to Divisions, Senior Leadership, Procurement and Vendor Partners.
• Experienced with successfully leading large-scale projects across multiple retail locations.
• Proven leadership and ability to lead by influencing others without direct authority, both formally and informally.
• Ability to create an environment that fosters learning, teaching, growth, risk-taking, and innovation.
• Balances the needs of multiple stakeholders while maintaining strong executive level partnerships.
• Highly self-motivated and self-learner that assumes personal accountability for results and performance that has a passion for lifelong learning and personal development.
• Demonstrated track record as proactive trusted advisor/leader in an organization, particularly around strategic issues to drive results.
• Proven ability to objectively interpret research, extract insights, link to strategies, and communicate in a motivating way.
• Ability to implement innovative plans in reaction to a range of business and consumer challenges and to sell these programs to our Division Management Teams.
• Ability to ask strategic and tactical questions leading to identification of root causes of problems; communication skills to motivate others to take action to address root causes and create solutions.
• Up to 40% travel depending on location

What is it like at Albertsons? 

Our 290,000 associates have a passion for great service and building lasting relationships with our customers. Through a companywide focus on innovation, we are continually enhancing our digital and product offerings, making it easy for customers to get what they need, wherever they are.

Albertsons is an Equal Opportunity Employer 

This Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, or on any other basis prohibited by law. Consistent with applicable state and local law, the Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. 

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