Merchandising Manager (Home Fashion) (HIRED)
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Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 16 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico through its stores and online at Lowes.com, Lowes.ca and Lowes.com.mx. With fiscal year 2015 sales of $59.1 billion, Lowe’s has more than 1,855 home improvement and hardware stores and 270,000 employees. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. For more information, visit Lowes.com.
Overview:
The Merchandising Manager is directly accountable for the unique set of products, vendors and brands within their assigned grouping. The Merchandising Manager is also responsible for cultivating the relationship with assigned and prospective vendors to maximize return for Lowe’s in obtaining the highest quality products and brands and the lowest possible cost.
The Merchandising Manager must manage and be accountable for assigned product groups on a daily basis, under the direction of the Merchandising Director (MD), and ensure each item performs according to the financial goals set by senior management.
The Merchandising Manager must serve as the product authority for their assigned category, providing input to the MD’s category plan/growth platform and representing the products and vendors interests among the operational and support groups within Lowe’s.
Essential responsibilities:
Product Line Review Execution
• Executes the PLR process for assigned product groups in a timely manner.
• Provides input to a category plan/growth platform using fact-based decisions and customer/industry insights.
• Executes vendor/product evaluations and selection.
• Performs product line design.
• Assorts the offering by cluster and market.
• Executes the resetting of products in the stores with appropriate cross-functional team involvement.
• Monitors and assesses impacts of competitor product offering by market.
• Reviews industry research for current market trends.
• Identifies and drives new product opportunities.
Vendor Execution
• Maintains a professional and productive relationship with vendors to ensure all product opportunities are identified and responded to effectively.
• Communicates and interacts with vendors on a daily basis to ensure execution of Merchandising plans.
• Negotiates with current and prospective vendors as needed to secure best cost options and best opportunities for Lowe’s.
• Ensures that vendors and suppliers understand the requirement to comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the conduct of their business with Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
Business Influence
• Drives the development of tactical plans aligned with Merchandising and business strategy in order to bring the vision into realization.
• Uses a critical eye to examine and streamline work flows and processes within the team, to increase efficiency.
• Drives innovation across the team using a deep understanding of how the Merchandising team works within the organization.
• Keeps pace with change and maintains a competitive advantage within the marketplace by seeking out and learning about changes in the field.
• Drives projects and tasks to completion through teams, regardless of changing conditions.
People Leadership
• Manages extended teams in Lowes.com, Multi-Channel Testing and Commercialization (MCTC), Planogram, Marketing and Pricing & Promotion to ensure Merchandising’s success.
• Directs external/vendor resources to build and execute Merchandising programs.
• Aligns the extended team’s time and effort on projects that are critical to Merchandising’s success.
• Delegates the right tasks and decisions to the people who are in the best position to execute them.
• Provides open feedback and mentorship to team members to encourage growth and greater responsibility.
Self-Leadership
• Negotiates effectively for the organization with internal and external stakeholders and builds relationships with key individuals necessary for collaboration.
• Develops and presents communications, frequently to senior leadership, communicating the desired message, at the appropriate level, for the right recipient.
Product Line Review Execution
• Executes the PLR process for assigned product groups in a timely manner.
• Provides input to a category plan/growth platform using fact-based decisions and customer/industry insights.
• Executes vendor/product evaluations and selection.
• Performs product line design.
• Assorts the offering by cluster and market.
• Executes the resetting of products in the stores with appropriate cross-functional team involvement.
• Monitors and assesses impacts of competitor product offering by market.
• Reviews industry research for current market trends.
• Identifies and drives new product opportunities.
Required minimum qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Marketing, Business, or related area and 1+ years of experience in one or more of the following areas: Purchasing, Buying, Merchandising, Brand Management, Marketing or related field OR 5+ years of experience in one or more of the following areas: Purchasing, Buying, Merchandising, Brand Management, Marketing or related field.
• Demonstrated experience working cross-functionally.
• Demonstrated experience managing projects.
Preferred qualifications:
• Master’s degree in Business Administration or related field.
• 3 years of experience in retail product merchandising.
• 2 years of experience in retail industry.
• Experience working within relevant product category.
Lowe’s is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer and administers all personnel practices without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, veteran status, genetics or any other category protected under applicable law.
