Channel Merchandising Manager
Grainger is a global leading broad line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving businesses and institutions. Our 18,000 employees are driven to serve customers and the community in exceptional ways focusing on delivering the highest level of service. The Grainger team works closely with customers to better understand their challenges and provide cost-saving solutions. Grainger's employees serve customers more than 115,000 times every day through multiple channels. As part of a high-performing team, you’ll be able to develop your talents, and make a difference. Grainger is a Fortune 500company and a perennial member of Fortune magazine's Most Admired Companies list.
Primary Function:
Working directly under the Senior Manager, Merchant, the Channel Merchandising Manager is responsible for implementing the merchandising strategy for assigned Grainger product categories ranging from $100M to $600M annual revenue. The Channel Merchandising Manager will ensure those product categories are presented in a compelling way to optimize customers’ discovery and selection of products and to drive revenue, gross profit dollars, and customer acquisition.
The Channel Merchandising Manager will partner with the Merchant, Publishing, Product Information, and Operations to ensure all product information and content is being created, submitted, and checked so the Channel Merchandising Manager can build presentations according to the vision of the Merchant’s category strategy. This is a complex role requiring diligent management of multiple concurrent work queues to ensure the Merchant’s category vision is achieved in all online and print publications.
Principal Duties & Responsibilities:
- Implement assortment strategies, organization and naming strategies, and product information strategies for all assigned product categories ($100M to $600M annual revenue), ensuring industry leading product presentations with best possible attribute data and product content.
- Collaborate with Publishing (copy, photography and CGI) to initiate and ensure content is developed to create industry leading publications and an effortless customer experience.
- Collaborate with Product Information to ensure all necessary attribute data is gathered and normalized in accordance with category plan to create industry leading publications.
- Analyze customer feedback to make necessary changes and improvements to assigned category presentations.
- Oversee the addition of new items to the website ensuring all products are displayed in accordance with the category strategy.
- Research assigned products to develop an understanding of how they work and how customers use them in order to ensure publications enable an effortless customer selection experience.
- Collaborate with onsite search to develop new search terms and ensure customers can easily find products.
- Use available analytics to maximize search results and optimize customer’s browse experience.
- Maintain awareness of competitors' performance to ensure our publications exceed industry standards.
- Lead or support merchandising improvement initiatives and other special projects
Preferred Education & Experience:
- 5+ years of experience in user product management, merchandising, information architecture, interaction design, human factors, and other related UX disciplines.
- BS/BA degree in design, engineering, cognitive science, library science, psychology, human factors or HCI is preferred.
- Natural curiosity about how industrial products work
- Excellent organizational skills and obsessive attention to detail.
- Demonstrated successful project management skills.
- Adept at prioritization
- Familiarity with any manufacturing processes is a plus (knows the business)
- Ability to drive action through the activity of others in order to reach stated objectives.
- Excellent communication skills—written, interpersonal and small group presentation.
- Must be able to translate data into clear insights and recommendations.
- Strong systemic thinking and problem solving skills.
- Demonstrated teamwork and facilitation skills.
- Experience with e-commerce businesses
This position can be based in Lake Forest or downtown Chicago.
Grainger is an Equal Opportunity Workplace and an Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status