Job Summary
The Category Line Review Coach affects overall financial results through insights led facilitation of our category line review process with our merchandising teams. The Coach ensures a balance between customer and brand led decisions through cross-functional data compilation, alignment of impacted teams, process governance and continuous improvement. Responsible for challenging and stretching the ambition of merchandising, brand and sourcing teams to develop robust supplier negotiation plans for all category suppliers in order to maximize value for the company and our customers.

Job Responsibilities

• Manages daily activities to develop and inform category line review and commercial strategy. The coach partners cross-functionally with teams such as Merchandising, Finance, Insights, Consumer Research, Operations and Supply Chain to drive relevancy of Retail Products offerings. Leads the development of strategic recommendations to support targeted business growth.
• Instructs, facilitates and challenges merchandising teams to deliver evaluated, value creating proposals for price, promotions, range and distribution to support category, brand and supplier strategic intent while achieving financial goals. Acts as a role model and professional expert as it relates to supplier negotiation planning.
• Works cross-functionally to compile necessary customer and brand data, and delivers necessary insights to inform strategic category goals. Acts as a continued resource for relevant information to achieve line review financial targets. May become actively involved, as required, to meet schedules and resolve problems highly complex in nature. Advises and makes actionable recommendations to stakeholders on strategic category priorities.
• Defines and translates business goals into actionable roadmaps. Develops protocols to support improved or recommended category strategies. Oversees and / or collaborates with team(s) supporting the category line review process.
• Collaborates cross-functionally and shares information relevant to strategic business improvement opportunities. Interacts with peers in management / customers / suppliers to share information and improve cross-departmental processes.
• Project manages the on time delivery of the annual category line review plan, including effective stakeholder management of multiple functions. Identifies and leads continuous improvement activities to ensure ongoing strategic alignment and continued achievement of financial goals.
• May support the initial and ongoing development of supplier negotiation planning best practices and integration with other key supplier processes to deliver key strategic priorities (e.g., JBP and non-JBP). May ensure brand, category and supplier strategic goals are delivered in robust supplier negotiation plans, which will be implemented by merchandising teams.

Walgreens (walgreens.com), one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), a global leader in retail and wholesale pharmacy. Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health, beauty and retail destination supporting communities across the country, and was named to FORTUNE magazine’s 2019 Companies that Change the World list. Approximately 8 million customers interact with Walgreens in stores and online each day. As of August 31, 2019, Walgreens operates 9,277 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Walgreens also provides specialty pharmacy and mail services and offers in-store clinics and other health care services throughout the United States, most of which are operated by our health care strategic partners.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and at least 4 years of experience in category management, purchasing, promotions, marketing, retail, analytics, pricing, consumer packaged goods, consumer research, insights, vendor collaboration, inventory, and/or business analysis OR High School Diploma/GED and at least 7 years of experience in category management, purchasing, promotions, marketing, retail, analytics, pricing, consumer packaged goods, consumer research, insights, vendor collaboration, inventory, and/or business analysis
• At least 3 years of category management specific experience.
• Experience coaching others through core business processes.
• Experience establishing & maintaining relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization, including the executive level.
• Experience analyzing and reporting data in order to identify issues, trends, or exceptions to drive improvement of results and find solutions.
• Experience identifying operational issues and recommending and implementing strategies to resolve problems.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams.
• Experience influencing stakeholders within an organization.
• Experience in collaborating with internal and external resources to develop strategies that meet department goals within budget and established timelines.
• At least 2 years of experience planning, developing, and managing departmental expense and capital budgets.
• At least 2 years of experience directly managing people, including hiring, developing, motivating, and directing people as they work.
• Willing to travel up to 15% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a quantitative discipline.
• Master's Degree OR MBA.
• At least 7 years of experience in category management, purchasing, promotions, marketing, retail, analytics, pricing, consumer packaged goods, consumer research, insights, vendor collaboration, inventory, and/or business analysis.
• At least 3 years of negotiations experience including exposure to major cross category JBP suppliers.
• Experience negotiating with outside vendors, including negotiating contracts, prices, resolving service issues and reconciling differences.