Category Management Analyst II
Company: Ace Hardware Corporation
Location: Oak Brook
Posted on: October 7, 2024
Job Description:
The Category Management Analyst II will leverage fact-based
analytics and customer research to develop consumer-relevant retail
assortments and planograms. Improving the store model is pillar of
Ace's long-term retail strategy, and developing the most efficient,
productive and differentiated assortments/planograms for our
Retailers is a critical element for success.
- Category Scope: Category Management Analyst II will have
responsibility over smaller volume & less complex categories.What
you'll do
- Data Analysis- Support category line reviews & store model
initiatives by conducting thorough analysis of sales data, market
trends, product line structures and consumer decision trees to
identify opportunities for category growth, space, and inventory
optimization.
- Assortment Planning- Develop best in class assortments with the
Merchant to grow top line sales, lower cost of goods, and maximize
profitability while simplifying the shopping experience for
category resets. Manage all aspects of assortment and planograms,
from analytics and recommendations of the mix, optimal placement
and depth on shelf to cross-functional alignment and
execution.
- Cross Functional Collaboration- Lead cross functional teams
throughout line review process to ensure that assortments are
"retail ready," and all best practices are implemented for flawless
execution at retail. (e.g., Merchandising, Space Planning, Retail
Pricing, Store Environment, Retail Analytics, Field Operations,
Inventory, etc.).
- Category Performance Monitoring & Insights- Proactively monitor
category KPI's to identify opportunities to make assortment and/or
space/planogram changes to improve category performance and to
understand impact of prior changes made. Work with management to
align on key actions to take based on results and work with
cross-functional category team to act as needed.
- Servicing our Retailers- Provide direct customer service to
retailers as needed. - Return phone calls and emails promptly
exhibiting the willingness and expertise to answer questions and
resolve issues as presented.
- -Continuous Improvement- Proactively identify opportunities to
enhance category management processes and methodologies, driving
efficiency and effectiveness within the organization.
- Complete special projects/requests as assigned by management
team.What you need to succeedExperience and Technical Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree in engineering or business related field
- 3-5 years retail or consumer packaged goods experience
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
- High degree of curiosity and structured problem solving
skills
- Ability to analyze, evaluate and interpret complex data
- Confident presenting in larger groups across multiple levels of
the organization
- Ability to communicate effectively verbally and written to
various levels of corporate and retail management (e.g., manager
through VP and store associate through owner)
- Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Outlook,
Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
- PowerBI and SQL experience preferred although not required
- Knowledge of standard Category Management process and
principles a plus
- Must be able to lift 30lbsCompensation Details:$73000 - $91300
Per YearWhy should you join our team? We live our values -
W.E.L.I.G.H.T (Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude,
Humility, and Teamwork). Gratitude. Humility. Love. You don't often
see values like these in most corporate statements, but Ace is
different. These things are important to us. They represent our
commitment to the company, our employees, to Ace retailers and to
the Ace brand.In addition to providing our employees a great
culture, Ace also offers competitive benefits* that address life's
necessities and perks, many of which expand and improve year after
year, including:
- Incentive opportunities, based on role/grade level (rapid
company growth over the past 5 years resulted in incentives being
paid out at an average of 122% of your target opportunity!)
- Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with a fully vested
matching contribution the first year in addition to quarterly
contributions and annual discretionary contribution (once
eligibility requirements have been met). - Over the past 5 years,
company contributions (matching, quarterly & discretionary) for
fully eligible employees have averaged 9.6% of total eligible
compensation
- Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision and
disability - up to 26 weeks short-term disability and long-term
disability) & life insurance benefits for you and your
dependents
- 21 days of vacation immediately available (prorated in the
first year) and up to 6 paid holidays depending on the month of
hire
- Company Car, phone and fuel card are provided for field-based
positions
- Your career at Ace is more than just a job. It's a chance to be
part of something meaningful. We help locally-owned businesses
thrive and make an impact in their communities - and we support our
employees in doing the same by offering an annual Ace Cares Week,
20 hours off work per year to volunteer at an organization of your
choice, opportunities to help Children's Miracle Network Hospitals
and the Ace Helpful Fund through the Ace Foundation
- Ace invests in every employee we hire, with a key focus on
development and coaching. We offer on-site classes, facilitator-led
courses, and a generous tuition assistance program, plus a
performance management approach that goes beyond the typical annual
review
- We know the work environment matters. That's why Ace holds
frequent campus events like Employee Appreciation Week, vendor
demos, cookouts, and merchandise sales
- We bring them to you! Services such as mobile spas, auto
maintenance, car wash and detailing, dry cleaning, dentists, eye
doctors, flu shots, recycling and more!
- Employee discounts on Ace merchandise (including top brands
like Weber, Traeger, Yeti, Craftsman, DeWalt and more), travel,
fitness, computers and thousands more
- Birth/Adoption bonding paid time off
- Adoption cost reimbursement
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - access to free visits to
therapists and lawyers, guidance on financial matters, elder and
childcare, and assistance with tickets to entertainment events
- Identity theft protection* Benefits are provided in compliance
with applicable policies.Want to be notified when new jobs are
posted? Follow the link below to create an account and set up
custom job alerts:Create Job AlertWe want to hear from you!When
most people think of career opportunities with Ace Hardware, they
often think of the helpful cashiers and sales associates at their
local store. However, have you also considered the people behind
the scenes who select, promote, ship and process the invoices for
more than 75,000 products? Maybe you haven't, but we'd like you to.
Because together we help our customers take care of their homes.
Come find out why a career with the Ace Hardware Corporation is one
of America's best kept secrets.Equal Opportunity EmployerAce
Hardware Corporation 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 or veteran status, sexual orientation or
any other action covered by federal or applicable state/local
laws.DisclaimerThe pay range for this position starts as listed in
the job posting, but could be higher based on education and
experience. Please note, compensation decisions are dependent on
the facts and circumstances of each opening. We take into
consideration the minimum requirements outlined in the job
description, such as an individual's education, training and
experience, the position's work location, required travel (if any),
and external market conditions when determining the final salary
for potential new hires. Be aware that salary estimates published
via alternate online job boards may not be a true representation of
the actual pay range offered for this position. Please refer to the
Ace position description for the accurate starting pay range
information and feel free to discuss this with a Talent Acquisition
professional if you are chosen to move forward with an interview.
This written "Position Description" is not intended to cover all
aspects of the position listed. It is meant to cover the
basic/general essential job functions of a particular position. Ace
Hardware Corporation reserves the right to change job duties,
including essential job functions, according to business
necessity.
Keywords: Ace Hardware Corporation, Wheaton , Category Management Analyst II, Executive , Oak Brook, Illinois
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