Director, Portfolio Management

All referred applicants must first be submitted through Workday by a current Loblaw Colleague._

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued - as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country’s largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well®.

At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong.

The Director, Gift Cards has ultimate accountability for the P&L of the 3rd Party Gift Card and President’s Choice gift program. This program operates under the Gift of Choice (GOC) brand which is Canada’s go-to destination for all in-store and digital gift card needs in Loblaw banner stores, including our very own President’s Choice gift cards. The area of responsibility includes all functions that impact the category financial objectives, including the merchandising strategy, store fixturing, marketing programs & promotions and in-store program execution. The Director will also collaborate internally with key partners to formalize and implement the future digital gift card experience across Loblaw’s digital properties.

**What You’ll Do**:

- Define and lead all aspects of the development and execution all category priorities to achieve planned growth targets for 3rd party gift cards
- Lead both strategic and operational aspects of the President’s Choice gift card program (both Retail & Bulk)
- Lead all aspects of gift card promotional strategy and annual marketing calendar by facilitating negotiation of offers and key strategic programs
- Build and maintain relationships with 3rd party gift card partners to drive category growth and develop partnership opportunities
- Set store merchandising and fixturing direction in collaboration with Store Operators, Loblaw Properties, and external partners
- Develop and maintain key partner relationships across the organization to gain support and ensure standard processes are being deployed at the store level to drive exceptional sales performance.
- Collaborate with finance on sales planning and forecasting (weekly, periodic, annual)
- Own the future digital strategy of gift cards for Loblaw Enterprise in collaboration with internal teams
- Prepare capital requirements for strategic projects including required technology, digital enhancements, and upgrades
- Collaborate and align with IT and digital teams on business requirements, technical inputs, and overall strategy
- Lead presentation of business results and recommendations to executive team and key business partners
- Negotiate all business terms for vendor contracts
- Collaborate with Shopper’s Drug Mart category team to share standard processes and define key enterprise objectives for gift card programs
- Mentor, coach, and guide team members to achieve their priorities
- Provide leadership and direction to team, including participating in resource planning, recruitment, and performance management

**What you’ll need**
- 10+ years of category/product management or retail operations experience.
- University degree with a specialization in Business, Commerce, or an equivalent degree in a field of study related to the job.
- Self-starter with pro-active work ethic and get-it-done demeanour.
- Exceptional negotiation skills and ability to persuade/influence both internal and external partners
- Experience in building a strategic framework (plans), presenting ideas to various levels across the organization, driving execution of project to completion
- Thrive in a fast-paced environment, in partnership with divisions and collaborators across the enterprise to take on sophisticated problems
- Collaborative approach with the ability to influence and build consensus across internal and external partners to secure alignment and consensus.
- Ability to deal with ambiguity, self-organize and be proactive to complete multiple tasks on time with a clear focus on quantitative results is required
- Excellent communication skills with demonstrable and proven results with key decision makers including senior management and key vendor personnel is required
- Communicate with clarity in all situations to all levels, including written, verbal and team settings.
- Ability to identify, diagnose and quickly mediate problems and issues that arise.
- Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
- Adaptable to set and prioritize work with varying exceptions.

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