Procurement

• Responsible for driving profitable sales growth of the produce category within a region.
• Collaborates cross functionally (Sales, Supply Chain, Revenue Management) and across entities (Market, Corporate, Specialty).
• Category expert that provides training, product information, regulatory guidance, and market cost guidance to internal and external customers in support of the produce category.
• Align with SMS Produce teams to execute strategies.
• Identify category development opportunities, coordinate with sales teams (leaders, specialists, sales consultants) to propose new business.
• Ensuring expected compliance and proper support of SMS Produce and Freshpoint.
• Analyze data and market insights to understand consumer needs and wants.
• Research competitors and suggest appropriate pricing.
• Manage site specific market cost decisions on a weekly basis.
• Collaborating with Regional Revenue Management Director and Regional VP of Merch, utilize available contract programs and resources to provide customer specific pricing for key Regional customers.
• Provide field feedback on strategies including advising on marketing materials to improve sales.
• Provide planning team with forecasts for product demand trends.
• Coordinating new customer onboarding activities.
• Addressing the needs and concerns of key CMU/LCC contacts within the Region.
• Providing product assortment and SKU rationalization recommendations that are aligned with your Region demand.
• Ensure product availability.
• Design exit strategies for unsuccessful products.
• Providing SC support through business reviews, customer insight encounters with targeted training and education.
• Schedule and manage category sales training of Sales Consultants.
• Provide timely and effective communication with Sales force including but not limited to market conditions, product quality and availability, new items and applications.
• Develop and monitor SOPs ensuring that pick locations are checked daily.
• Collaborating with Operations and Food Safety teams.
• Work cross-functionally with QA and Operations to generate PDN’s – ensure accuracy, timely completion, and submission.
• Ensure resulting claims are tracked and settled appropriately.
• Mitigate Expense/Shrink. Works with inventory control to manage expiration dating through SWMS reports.
• Works closely with Quality Assurance lead(s) and in conjunction with Operations and Transportation Management.
• Establish and maintain accountability that all inbound product is inspected thoroughly.
• Collaborate with QA and Product Support Advisors to ensure quality and integrity of all inbound and outbound Category 11 products.
• Manage market adherence to GAP/GMP Compliance.

Produce Category Manager

Procurement Specialist