Associate Category Manager, Tech & Impulse

Job content

Company Description

Current Indigo employees should apply through the Internal Mobility page using your @indigo.ca email address.

Dedicated to telling stories and creating experiences, Indigo is always looking for bright, energetic and customer-focused people who can help bring our exciting mission to life in one of our more than 150 Indigo, Indigospirit, Chapters and Coles stores across Canada. We offer a variety of exciting opportunities at our retail stores, distribution centres, and home office for people who share our passions and want to be part of a dynamic and enriching culture.

WHO WE ARE

We love books and all things beautiful
We are Canada’s Cultural Department Store
Books are our heart and our soul and Great Books are JUST the Beginning…

We play by the following rules:
We exist to add joy to our customers’ lives each and every time they interact with us and our products
Our job is to create joyful moments for our customers
We treat each other the way we’d treat a valued friend
We inspire each other to do our best work
We seek to ignite creativity and innovation every day
We give back to the communities in which we operate
Job Description

As the Associate Category Manager, you will be accountable for creating and implementing the vision, strategy and direction for the specific category within the total category portfolio as well as supporting and executing the overall portfolio product and category strategy.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:
Accountable and responsible for achieving sales targets, margin profitability, and funding contribution
Develop product assortments through full multi-approval level line review process with the Category Manger and planning teams, managing all financial metrics including vendor profitability and exit strategies for aged inventory provisions
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to execute category vision and assortment strategy.
Optimize the digital space and drive e-commerce sales through endless aisle assortment across categories
Use digital customer and market share data to build retail and online assortment to drive sales, reduce bounce rate, and increase on-line conversion
Develop and maintain best in class vendor partnerships focused on the core merchandising strategies and guiding principles using strong negotiating skills
Support with the day to day business needs of the total portfolio
Ensure the completion of team deliverables and set/adhere to team budgets, as applicable
Act as an advocate for the customer by placing them at the forefront of all design and decision-making processes
Attend trade shows to identify new products, research product development and/or design of products as required
Proactively identify and anticipate customer expectations and needs
Challenge the status quo and consistently identify areas for improvement, diagnose issues and working to resolve them
Build strong teams by attracting and developing the best talent
Bring out the best in others, empower and constructively stretch talent
Give authentic feedback on performance and potential
Ensure all team members understand where they stand and have clear performance objectives aligned with Indigo and team goals
Collaborate with others to drive flexible and iterative solutions, quickly and easily
Share technical knowledge with others and actively seek to learn from those more knowledgeable than yourself
Help others see the impacts of their efforts and proactively engage other functions to get input
Encourage others to freely share their point of view and be open to feedback
Accountable for the overall engagement, productivity, turnover and bench strength of the team
Model Indigo’s beliefs and convey a positive image in everything you do
Celebrate diversity of thought and have an open mindset
Take an active role in fostering a culture of continual learning, taking risks without the fear of making mistakes
Embrace, champion and influence change through your team and/or the organization
Qualifications

WHO YOU ARE:
University Degree
Experience in the Retail Industry
5-8 years’ experience in buying, product development and category management field with progressive accountability
Product development experience is not required, but beneficial
Proven ability to build productive business relationships with both internal and external partners
Proven ability to negotiate effectively with external business partners
Strong organizational skills with ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and reacting quickly to shifting priorities
Outstanding communication skills
Passionate for the category
20% travel required to trade shows, regional stores and promotional events
Additional Information

At Indigo, we are committed to our communities, our customers, and each other; together we can make a positive impact. We know that fostering diversity and inclusion brings out your full potential and creates a joyful and welcoming environment for everyone. We are driven to be an equitable employer, which highly values your diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that you, in all your uniqueness, belong at Indigo. We welcome all applicants and encourage applications from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, LGBTQ2+ and people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request to individuals who self-identify as having a disability or special need. Please contact Human Resources at 1 (888) 881-3177 (toll free) or Support-HR@indigo.ca if you require an accommodation at any time during the recruitment process.

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