Associate Manager, Product Development Owned Brands (Retail/Grocery/Big Box experience)

The primary purpose of this position is to support the Product Development Director in achieving the goals and objectives regarding assortment, sales, markdowns, margin, net profit, and inventory for a portfolio of product categories. Build private brand offering and increase sales and penetration through package design, product assortment. positioning, and promotion. Develops robust partnerships with suppliers and internal stakeholders, including Category Management, Merchandising, Marketing and Operations.

• Develop private brand offering and increase sales and penetration through package design, product assortment. positioning, and promotion.
• Develop and manage Own Brand advertising and monthly planning calendar for team.
• Partner on creative development and package design process for each own brand product line, in partnership with design agencies, suppliers, and merchandising team. Ensure adherence to brand standards and reintroduction timelines.
• Work collaboratively with category management team to develop assortment and positioning plans to increase own brand penetration
• Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships; hold suppliers accountable to performance agreements and implement course corrections and mitigation strategies as needed.
• Completes forms and templates for various business needs for supplier item set ups and RFQs
• Develops assigned categories; stays abreast of category trends and market changes. Maintains knowledge of competition and applies information as necessary to grow sales and profit.
• Knows how to forecast demand for both short-term and long-term sales; must have a solid understanding of logistics and the effect on store and warehouse fill rates, inventory, and shelf life, and the results these areas have on category profitability.
• Participate in annual category strategy review, support the development of plan-o-grams, and coordinate implementation by product categories.
• Leverages Rite Aid customer data to drive decisions. Ensures that insights and learnings are executed and that best practices are shared/leveraged within the organization.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Education Level

Area of Specialization (Marketing, Finance, Pharmacy, Engineering/IT, etc)

Required Or Preferred

Bachelor Degree

Business, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain or related **

Required**

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

Required or Preferred

Results-oriented leader with proven strategic thinking, planning, and analytical skills **

Required**

Excellent financial and business acumen **

Required**

Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. **

Required**

Action-orientated and a results-focused mindset. **

Required**

Possess the ability to connect with the merchandising organization and be able to convert opportunities into practical business strategies. **

Experience**

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required Or Preferred

Areas of Experience (Pharmacy, Compliance, E-commerce, Retail, etc)

3 years of experience in leading in retail private brands, merchandising, and/or buying **

Required**

2 years of experience in retail from a business perspective and a thorough understanding of sourcing, product development and commercialization **

Preferred

_“The typical starting pay range for this position is between [$59,500 - $83,875 ], although wages can vary based on experience and geography.”**_