Merchandising Program Manager- EJD - Full-time

The Job

The Merchandising Program Manager works in conjunction with the Director of Merchandising to set strategy and execute budgeted goals for their specific merchandising department (e.g. paint, tools, hardware, LG, etc.) of Ace Wholesale Holdings.  Each Merchandising Program Manager is responsible for the following; selection of vendors and items; the pricing of items at EJD sell price and dealer retail markets; the development of assortments, programs, and products for pro, hardware, paint, e-comm and B2B; the negotiating of vendor programs and the development of promotional offerings.  The Merchandising Program Manager works hand in hand with the appropriate sales personnel (as well as direct to dealer) to drive successful sell thru of these programs and promotions. The position provides leadership within the organization via a thorough understanding of the competitive marketplace and trends, opportunities for EJD customers to grow via differentiated assortment and ability to articulate and drive an action plan to execute.

What You'll Do

Strategy and Business Planning:

• The Merchandising Program Manager contributes to the strategy and manages their team’s execution toward achieving profitable top and bottom line growth in their channel/merch department.
• Identify opportunities within strategic planning process to grow respective category in terms of sales and gross profit, presents plan to leadership for support and revisit throughout the year to report progress and shifts in execution.
• Works with merchant enterprise counterpart on all line reviews, strat planning, sku rationalization and key vendor negotiations. 
• Ability to develop, implement and course correct 3-5 year plans

Program Development:

• The Merchandising Program Manager role negotiates regional and channel specific programs (product, price, assortment, payment terms, promotional buy periods, rebates, co-op, etc.) for warehouse and drop ship vendors.
• Under the guidance of the VP of Merchandising, and in conjunction with the Ace Merchandising team, their goals are to obtain programs equal to or better than competitors’ programs and secure vendor commitments for marketing initiatives.
• These programs drive margin and revenue generation for the Wholesale division of the Ace Enterprise.   Successful implementation of said programs requires industry knowledge, merchandising management experience, sales interaction and EJD strategy integration.

Cross Functional Relationships:

• The Ace Merchandising team – it is imperative that the Merchandising Program Manager provide counsel and perspective on what is required to succeed in their Wholesale Channel, by region.  EJD will not be successful unless we have a differentiated approach from the Co-Op model. 
• The Vendor/Rep Community – Working hand in hand with the vendors and vendor reps provides us with the immediacy of relationship necessary to win in the hyper competitive wholesale world. 
• The EJD Sales team – The success of any negotiated program is ultimately determined by the implement and sell-in at the dealer level, and the odds of success increase greatly when working closely with the sales leaders.
• The EJD Dealers (Channel Specific) - National Channel Merchants must understand dealer needs and what problems they can solve for our customers vs. what we’re trying to push top down.  Additionally, they must be forward thinking enough to anticipate future opportunities and proactively pursue them.  

Financial management:

• Contributes to setting of annual department/channel margin budget goals and owns achieving these budgeted numbers, specifically regarding measurables such as channel specific annual gross margin dollars and annual gross margin %.
• Negotiate and maintain conversion edge agreements

Promotional Planning:

• The Merchandising Program Manager must define and execute differentiated promotional offerings for their specific EJD focus channels.  While timing, form and function of the promotions will remain consistent across channel, the brands and item types will differ substantially. 
• The Merchandising Program Manager, under the direction of the Director of Merchandising and working thru the Promotions Coordinator, will set the strategy and execute the vision on a by-channel/merch department basis. 
• This will require communication with, and buy in from, the sales team to maximize sales growth opportunities. 
• Promotion success will also be contingent upon working closely with numerous other departments, (such as procurement, operations, marketing, etc.) both within EJD and Ace Corporate.

Convention planning:

• Select vendors to attend semi-annual convention
• Plan merchant area theme and execution for respective category
• Planning and execution of all vendor show programs including Power Buys, Pallet Buys, Breakfast Buys, and merchant initiative areas.

Retailer communication:

• Targeted retail store visits
• Utilize EJD portals to communicate new programs, changes or issues
• Coordinate with marketing and sales for calls and e-mails related to respective category
• Team management (based on category responsibility)
• Responsible for the hiring, training and development of team members
• Communicating roles and responsibilities, establishing goals, delegating workload, conducting annual performance reviews and support development
• Manages direct reports to complete daily margin analysis; coordinates efforts with Ace Merch Peers; and institutes changes to approach on an ongoing basis.

What you need to succeed

• Product passion – Natural and fanatical curiosity around product and retail marketplace, demonstrated and put into action.  Convertible to multiple categories based on changes in responsibilities.
• Strategic thinking – Ability to envision, create and present strategy to drive disruptive wholesale and/or retail growth in category sales and profit
• Results-oriented – Ability to drive results to and above plan with full accountability, proactively shifting efforts as trends and business variables change
• Leadership – Demonstrated and active leadership across the organization, vendors and retailers as authority in respective category.  Superior problem-solving skills.
• Negotiation skills – Superior negotiation skills with proven results leveraging company scale, business drivers and strategies
• Presentation skills – Ability to plan, assemble and present with excellence strategy, execution and updates to leadership, across the organization, vendors and retailers

Experience and Technical Requirements

• 7+ years of business experience
• 3+ years managing product categories
• Excellent problem-solving skills required
• Excellent interpersonal skills required
• Understand financial measures that impacts corporation
• Demonstrate strong decision-making skills
• Highly creative, flexible and adaptable with good follow-through
• Versatility to shift category responsibility every 3-5 years
• Proven ability to multi-task projects and meet deadlines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, Power Point,
• Knowledge of PCM, SAP and guided Ad-hoc reporting tools
• Ability to travel 25%

Compensation Details:

$131700 - $168000

Why should you join our team?

We live our values - W.E.L.I.G.H.T (Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility, and Teamwork). Gratitude. Humility. Love. You don’t often see values like these in most corporate statements, but Ace is different. These things are important to us. They represent our commitment to the company, our employees, to Ace retailers and to the Ace brand.

In addition to providing our employees a great culture, Ace / Emery Jensen Distribution also offers competitive benefits* that address life’s necessities and perks, many of which expand and improve year after year, including:

• Incentive opportunities, based on role/grade level (rapid company growth over the past 2 years resulted in incentives being paid out above 125% of your target opportunity!)
• Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match at 4% of eligible earnings (from day 1 of your first contribution)
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision and disability – up to 26 weeks short-term disability and long-term disability) & life insurance benefits for you and your dependents
• 21 days of vacation immediately available (prorated in the first year) and up to 6 paid holidays depending on the month of hire
• Company Car, phone and fuel card are provided for field-based positions
• Flexible working arrangements (Non-Field positions can work from home up to 2 days per week)
• Your career at Ace is more than just a job. It’s a chance to be part of something meaningful. We help locally-owned businesses thrive and make an impact in their communities – and we support our employees in doing the same by offering an annual Ace Cares Week, 20 hours off work per year to volunteer at an organization of your choice, opportunities to help Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Ace Helpful Fund through the Ace Foundation
• Ace invests in every employee we hire, with a key focus on development and coaching. We offer on-site classes, facilitator-led courses, and a generous tuition assistance program, plus a performance management approach that goes beyond the typical annual review
• We know the work environment matters. That’s why Ace holds frequent campus events like Employee Appreciation Week, vendor demos, cookouts, and merchandise sales
• We bring them to you! Services such as mobile spas, auto maintenance, car wash and detailing, dry cleaning, dentists, eye doctors, flu shots, recycling and more!
• Employee discounts on Ace merchandise (including top brands like Weber, Traeger, Yeti, Craftsman, DeWalt and more), travel, fitness, computers and thousands more
• Birth/Adoption bonding paid time off
• Adoption cost reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to free visits to therapists and lawyers, guidance on financial matters, elder and childcare, and assistance with tickets to entertainment events
• Identity theft protection

* Benefits are provided in compliance with applicable policies.

We want to hear from you!
Emery Jensen Distribution delivers wholesale products and best-in-class service to independent retailers in the Pro Lumber Yards, Home Centers, Paint, Hardware Stores, Decorating Stores, and E-retailer space. Our goal is to support sustainable and profitable growth for our customers by offering the broadest assortments, best pricing, and most knowledgeable team. We have national scale, a regional focus and the commitment to serve our customers and support each other. Come find out why a career with Emery Jensen Distribution is right for you.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Emery Jensen Distribution, a subsidiary of Ace Hardware, is committed to a policy of promoting equal employment opportunities. The company recognizes the importance of diversity and leveraging the skills and talents of all people to the mutual advantage of each individual and the organization. The company is committed to the prevention of employment discrimination related to race, religion, color, sex (including sexual harassment), gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability and military or veteran status, sexual orientation or any other action covered by federal or applicable state/local laws.

Disclaimer

The pay range for this position starts as listed in the job posting, but could be higher based on education and experience. Please note, compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each opening. We take into consideration the minimum requirements outlined in the job description, such as an individual’s education, training and experience, the position’s work location, required travel (if any), and external market conditions when determining the final salary for potential new hires.

Be aware that salary estimates published via alternate online job boards may not be a true representation of the actual pay range offered for this position. Please refer to the Ace position description for the accurate starting pay range information and feel free to discuss this with a Talent Acquisition professional if you are chosen to move forward with an interview.

This written “Position Description” is not intended to cover all aspects of the position listed. It is meant to cover the basic/general essential job functions of a particular position. Ace Hardware Corporation reserves the right to change job duties, including essential job functions, according to business necessity.