Sr Category Analyst

Job Summary

Supports the company's growth and profitability goals through the evaluation of category analytics with the intent to develop strategies for improving category health including:  growing sales, profitability, improving terms and conditions, growing incentive programs reducing category fragmentation, improving margins, evaluation of market relevant cost and negotiation of into stock cost, and providing thoughts leadership. Drives topline growth for category.  Develops market cost strategies to drive increased profitability.  Provides guidance to other team members and leads the resolution process for complex issues.
 

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Develops market cost strategies to drive increased profitability.
• Drives topline growth for category. 
• Supports company objectives by analyzing category information and developing strategies to improve overall category performance such as sales, profitability, terms and conditions, and volume rebate programs.  
• Leads and manages extremely complex projects and assignments.
• Supports category objectives, vendor initiatives and communications consistent with strategic vendor performance plans.  
• Supports the Category Manager in providing analytics, category knowledge and category analysis on which to base our vendor strategies to better capitalize on opportunities. 
• Analyzes category performance to understand vendor metrics and the performance within the category.
• Assesses supplier performance by comparing Border States results with available benchmark metrics (industry, product, category, market, and location).  
• Collaborates and leads Procurement team to help analyze categories to develop effective category strategies 
• Follows up promotions with quantitative analysis, coordinates rewards, and surveys vendors to determine effectiveness.
• Provides guidance to other team members and leads the resolution process for complex issues.
• Completes moderately complex problems with some assistance and guidance.
• Ensures and negotiates the renewal of volume rebate programs, market costs, payment terms and spot-buys and maximizes vendor programs by tracking renewals.
• Reviews inventory strategy and makes recommendations to help maximize inventory performance and company profitability.
• Manages product transitions and conversions to help align the Regions spend with company objectives.
• Completes new product evaluations and introductions to ensure regions are aligned with top tier vendors to maximize profitability.
• Creates, manages and maintains vendor alignments to provide Regions guidance on which vendors to choose when making buying decisions.

Non-essential Functions

• Makes improvement recommendations, and documents expected savings.  
• Assists in setting up new suppliers, materials, and material groups in SAP. 
• Orients and trains new Category Analyst to the role.
• Attends and participates in meetings with suppliers.
• Assists in cost aggregation.
• Assists in collecting and maintaining content, including rich product catalog content, promotional collateral, supplier scripts, and portal text/images and assists in documenting and accomplishing related action items.
• Supports various marketing events including but not limited to: annual marketing summits, supplier/customer events, and industry events.
• Leads vendor meetings.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or other designate

Qualifications

• Minimum four-year degree and 4 years of work-related experience.
• Strong working knowledge of category required.
• Category management certificate required.
• Project management experience preferred. 
• Strong working knowledge of Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet and SAP software.
   

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to use professional concepts, company policies/procedures & creativity to solve a wide range of problems.
• Ability and willingness to pursue continuous learning.
• Analytical thinker with the ability to create and execute well-rounded category strategies.
• Attention to detail
• Excellent written, reading, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to be goal oriented and comfortable working with minimal supervision.
• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:
Occasionally 0 – 33% Frequently 34 – 66% Continuously: 67 – 100%

• Lift from Waist:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Lift from Floor:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Frequently
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Frequently
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Carried for Distance:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all

Physical Activity

Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day:

• Sitting (a continuous period of being seated) - Continuously
• Standing (for sustained periods of time) - Frequently
• Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Frequently
• Bending/stooping (downward and forward) - Occasionally
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet) - Not at all
• Climbing/Walking Stairs (ascending or descending) - Frequently
• Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Frequently
• Crouching/squatting (bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine) - Occasionally
• Kneeling (bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee(s)) - Occasionally
• Balancing (maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling) - Occasionally
• Repetitive motion (substantial movement (motions) or the wrists, hands, and/or fingers) - Continuously
• Pivoting (movement in any direction with one foot, keeping the other in contact with the floor) - Occasionally
• Pushing/Pulling (using upper extremities to press against or draw or tug) - Occasionally
• Grasping (Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm) - Continuously
• Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Continuously
• Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Frequently
• Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Occasionally
• Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Continuously
• Use of a computer - Continuously
• Use of a telephone - Frequently
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Not at all
• Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Occasionally

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer’s discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation.