Merchandising Operations - Senior Manager

At CVS Health, we're building a world of health around every consumer and surrounding ourselves with dedicated colleagues who are passionate about transforming health care.As the nation's leading health solutions company, we reach millions of Americans through our local presence, digital channels and more than 300,000 purpose-driven colleagues - caring for people where, when and how they choose in a way that is uniquely more connected, more convenient and more compassionate. And we do it all with heart, each and every day.The Merch Ops, Business Acceleration team develops and recommends strategies to improve business performance by working closely with Merchandising leadership in analyzing market trends and dynamics, vendor/brand economics and productivities, customer loyalty, and related assortment optimization opportunities. The team leverages strategic sourcing and vendor negotiation tactics to bolster the impact of strategic recommendations and incrementally improve business outcomes.The Senior Manager, Merch Ops will lead a team of 1-3 analysts and is charged with developing and driving a portfolio of strategy and profit improvement initiatives in partnership with Category Managers and Category Management leadership. Generally, Senior Managers oversee the Strategy and Profit Improvement project execution plan for 6-10 Categories within a Business Unit (~half of a BU's Categories). The Senior Manager will report to the Director overseeing the total Business Unit and will assist in annual prioritization of his or her Business Unit's initiatives within the context of the overall initiative.

• Develop and drive a portfolio of strategy and profit improvement initiatives
• Build and develop a high-performing Category Strategy & Profit Improvement team
• Lead the team to identify sales, cost, and profit opportunities across SKUs and vendors through rigorous analysis and research, including: assessment of SKU/Vendor/Brand/Promotional incrementality, competitive benchmarking (space, brands, SKUs), market insights, customer insights (eg, surveys, Customer analytics), vendor insight (cost structures, motivations), and extensive SKU/brand/vendor-level analysis (relative productivity, profitability, brand loyalty, transferability, etc.)
• Oversee the development of analytical materials to be shared internally during category reviews and assortment discussions with the Merchandising team
• Oversee the development of "Ask" materials to be shared with vendors during negotiations
• Provide direct vendor negotiations support to Merchants, including serving as lead negotiator where warranted
• Manage sourcing tools and processes (e.g. RFPs, eAuctions) to ensure selection of best vendors for Store Brand and other commoditized products (considering cost, quality, value, availability, etc)
• Enhance and enforce documentation, archiving, and audit processes for agreements with vendors
• Assist in the development of annual plans and budgets for category strategy & profit improvement, working with the Merchandising leadership team
• Work on special projects, ad hoc analysis, and initiatives related to assortment performance and cost reduction and management

• Excellence in managing, developing, and leading a team
• Intense interest in learning new things and intellectual curiosity
• Outstanding analytical and problem solving skills
• Ability to present to senior management with poise and credibility
• Ability to communicate effectively and succinctly, both verbally and in writing via Microsoft PowerPoint
• Ability to conduct complex quantitative analysis and build analytical models using Microsoft Excel
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple assignments and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with Merchandising Directors and VPs
• Ability to work independently and adapt to changing work priorities
• An open and honest communication style that quickly builds trust and respect
• The candidate selected for this position will be a creative, out-of-the-box thinker who is intellectually curious with a demonstrated interest in learning. This person will also need to be a self-motivated, entrepreneurial, high-energy individual who can easily function in a high demand, performance-driven environment.

• Merchandising expertise - strong understanding of retail merchandising basics (ie, category management), and merchandising organizational structures and processes
• Mastery of Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint

• Education: Four-year college degree; MBA strongly preferred; Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and/or other quantitative analytical degree a plus
• Experience: 3+ years of relevant experience, part of experience must be in either management consulting or retail/CPG - with strong preference towards management consulting for a top tier firm. Specific experience in retail category management, CPG, vendor management, or sourcing a strong plus

• Affordable medical plan options, a 401(k) plan (including matching company contributions), and an employee stock purchase plan.
• No-cost programs for all colleagues including wellness screenings, tobacco cessation and weight management programs, confidential counseling and financial coaching.
• Benefit solutions that address the different needs and preferences of our colleagues including paid time off, flexible work schedules, family leave, dependent care resources, colleague assistance programs, tuition assistance, retiree medical access and many other benefits depending on eligibility.