Category Manager

**The Role: Category Manager (12 month contract)**

At Rexall, we are community difference makers. We are leaders in health and wellness and a talent destination for over 7000+ Rexall team members. Together, we are defining better health through innovation, service, and living the “I²CARE” values. Talk about a dream team

**What you are looking for**:

- A closely connected culture
- A total rewards package meant to enhance your work-life flexibility
- Fully utilizing your talent
- Professional growth and development via challenging projects and assignments
- Warm and fuzzy feelings knowing you have helped your community, your team, the business and social causes through the Rexall Care Network
- The road ahead is one of adventure and heart. Are you our next all star?

**What you will be doing?**:
**Budgets**
- Review category budgets at a required frequency and report back to management remedial action required to achieve budget
- Lead the profitability of category sales as well as the costs and pricing to deliver on sales and margin with cross-functional teams and vendors
- Partner with vendors to invest in marketing, loyalty and promotions
- Negotiate co-op rates and supervise revenues and expenses against budget
- Negotiate the annual trade agreements with all assigned vendors to improve all Rexall revenue streams including co-op and over/above promotional activities.
- Present at weekly & periodic sales meeting on performance of Category Portfolio - progress to date, opportunities for improvement and share strategies to accelerate or close sales / margin gaps.

**Strategic Category Plans**
- Develop and supervise category strategies and plans for all elements of the merchandising mix, i.e. product mix, pricing strategies, promotional mix, promotional events, corporate brand strategies.
- Analyze Nielsen market data and Homescan data to measure category trends to support opportunities and measure Rexall’s performance to market.
- Research, determine and maintain efficient product mix for Planograms, i.e. core retail listings, delists and private brand penetration.
- Generate and supervise micro strategy data and disseminate information to pertinent staff.
- Collaborate closely with McKesson (in tandem with our McKesson liaison staff) to ensure all products and pricing arrangements are accurate.
- Facilitate listings of new products and communicate product changes to vendors, Private Brands team & stores.
- Establish pricing tactics and monitor implementation to ensure compliance to Corporate policies.
- Schedule and contribute to periodic business reviews with pertinent vendors to monitor and track performance to date.
- Generate revenues for co-op advertising (including promotional flyers, proprietary magazines, special events), loyalty, Launchpad etc.
- Proactively lead shrink and outdates with Operations, cross-functional teams and vendors, where applicable.
- Prepare and deliver special presentations as required.

**Private Brand Development & Plans**
- Collaboratively work with Rexall Corporate Brands team to:

- Define Private Label role & intent within Category portfolio strategy;
- Identify new products for investigation &/or development;
- Assist Corporate Brand team with negotiations, costing, product specifications / requirements, minimums / viability / volume estimates & shipping considerations;
- Provide feedback & decision to Corporate Brand team on listing & delisting products within category assortment and execute on these decisions;
- Define pricing of Private Label products to achieve Private Brand penetration, sales & margin goals for category; and
- Develop & execute Private Label promotional plan.

**Promotional Management**
- Manage promotional flyers, in-stores and special event programs by following critical path schedules.
- Lead all aspects of editing of promotional flyers and make appropriate changes.
- Negotiate vendor participation in various Rexall global promotional events (e.g. Anniversary, Mega, etc.).

**Administration**
- Collaboratively work with all cross-functional areas to execute on category plans - Merchandising Operations, Promo & Pricing, Private Brands, Finance, Operations and Marketing.
- Negotiate vendor participation in various Rexall corporate events (e.g. annual vendor conference, fundraising events, grand openings etc.).
- Coordinate communications to stores on all functional issues including planogram changes.
- Respond promptly and efficiently to all partner inquiries and address any issue.
- Perform other duties as assigned to support Rexall Pharmacy Group ULC

**How you will succeed?**:

- Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field
- 2-3 years’ experience as a Category Manager managing relevant product category or 3-5 years’ experience as an Assistant Category Manager or Buyer with demonstrated progressive expansion of responsibilities
- Strong eye for business, ability to see big picture while leading day-to-day and accountability to