Private Brands Manager

We are looking for a **Private Brands Manager** who is passionate about food and enjoys working in a fast paced, team environment

Do you have interest in Merchandising?

Why not join us?

**Position**: Private Brands Manager

***

**Job Overview**:
Reporting to Vice President, Private Brands, this position is responsible for supporting merchandising group in activities related to the development, implementation and successful execution of Private Brands for assigned categories. The position will liaise between Category Managers, the Central Kitchen team and Supplier-partners. The incumbent will also provide administrative duties including reporting, assisting in presentations and responding to internal and external stakeholders in a timely and effective manner.

This position will also be responsible for Private Brand development and execution, product selection, vendor negotiations, executing pricing strategy, promotional planning, and event planning for assigned categories. This position will also be responsible for analyzing category financials and consumer insights to make informed decisions around consumers’ needs, with an eye on becoming “Food Experts.”

**Accountabilities**:
**Brand Portfolio Management**:

- Lead efforts to identify & develop new private label opportunities & line extensions.
- Deliver the product to market in a timely, efficient manner.
- Align with Category Management to develop and execute long term strategic plans with the goal of increasing Private Brands customer penetration.
- Drive top line sales growth and end to end margin on new and existing products in collaboration with CM, Finance and Marketing.
- Recognize and create unique products and seasonal assortment strategies as needed. Interpret trends, seek out innovation and analyze data to support strategic objectives.
- Adopt a customer and store’s first focus.
- Work in collaboration with Category Managers to understand category strategy and set appropriate product strategies and roadmaps to maximize private label penetration, market share, sales volume & profitability of assigned product categories.
- Develop strategies for existing products including reformulations & redesigns, pricing & promotions.
- Create strategies to take advantage of market opportunities and execute strategies with cross-functional teams.
- Manage, maintain product adherence to brand positioning, brand guardrails, and customer value proposition to drive brand loyalty and equity.
- Research the market, develop the product rationale, create product & packaging, & recommend pricing, advertising, merchandising & promotions.
- Develop strategies for existing products including reformulations & redesigns, pricing & promotions.

**Product Development**:

- Project manage and champion new product developments from ideation to on time launch.
- Develop & maintain good communication & working relations with other departments within as required (Category Management, Product Development, Quality, Sourcing, Marketing, Replenishment, Legal, Operations, packaging) & outside resources (Advertising agencies, Graphics suppliers) to own critical path to ensure on-time to market deliveries.
- Work closely with category managers and marketing to ensure integration of campaigns with brand consistency in advertising, promotions, internal publications, marketing, and social media outreach.
- Partner with internal teams to develop enabling tools and process improvements the improve time-to-market to help scale Private Brand business
- Utilize available financial & management information systems to monitor sales results & profitability & recommend actions to improve in market product performance.

**External Vendor Relationships**:

- Reviews, analyze and monitors vendor and contract performance.
- Assists in follow-up with vendors on key initiatives to ensure that vendors are following Longo’s policies and processes

**Health and Safety**:

- Promotes and endorses safety vision “Safety is our way of life”.
- Role models safety in all Longo’s work environments by recognizing risks and taking a proactive stance to prevent risk to all Team Members.
- Ensures policies and procedures are adhered to and makes recommendations for improvement where applicable.

**Knowledge, Skills & Competencies**:

- Post-Secondary Diploma, preferably in a business-oriented field
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in retail merchandising & retail marketing
- Previous Project Management experience
- Strong retail product knowledge
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills Ability to meet deadlines and demonstrate flexibility with shifting priorities and workload demands.
- In-depth knowledge of Product Development in Food Industry.
- Demonstrated skills in project management.
- Proficient in MS office (Word/Excel/PowerPoint are essential)
- Exceptional written and oral communications skills including the ability to write evaluate and edit the content, struc