Category Director, Procurement - Apples, Pears and Cherries

Referred applicants should not apply directly to this role.

All referred applicants must first be submitted through Workday by a current Loblaw Colleague.

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued - as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country's largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well®.

At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong.

Why is this role important :
Reporting to the Senior Director, Produce Procurement, the Director, Procurement will be the subject matter expert dedicated to specific categories who will be relentlessly focused on securing the best cost for the enterprise. The Director, Procurement will be accountable for negotiating with vendors to purchase products for the Discount, Market, Wholesale, SDM divisions and leverage the scale of the organization to enable the delivery of better value for the customer. The role is also responsible for using their deep knowledge of the vendors and the marketplace to advise the Merchandising and Category teams on the category’s short-term and long-term strategy.

What you'll do:

• Meets with Category Director(s) in Merchandising to understand procurement needs, and to identify and evaluate vendors based on a set of criteria/scorecard to select the best vendor

• Negotiates with National Brand vendors for 1st cost (which includes baseline Over & Above case rates to deliver category 1st cost targets and budget along- side enterprise objectives

• Works with the Commodity Cost Review team to assess how vendor costs are tracking relative to market trends (using playbook as a guide)

• Initiates and owns the vendor Request for Proposal (RFP) process to source products that align to the category strategy and objectives

• Participates in the Enterprise Joint Business Planning (JBP) process, using reports and materials created by the JBP team and meets with the Merchandising teams in advance to plan cost driven initiatives and annual building blocks annual building blocks

• Shares information with the Merchandising and Control Brand teams on new products available and market trends to help inform category strategy and product development

• Serves as first touchpoint with vendors for all 1st cost related troubleshooting

• Develops 1st cost procurement strategies using levers (ie: commodity driven, RFP) aligned with the category playbook in partnership with merchandising.

• Completes negotiations for new and existing products, and collaborates with the Category Director in Merchandising to obtain final decisions on products

• Provides insight and input with new innovative sourcing and procurement opportunities that can be tied to trends in the market, through research, analysis of vendor landscape, all tied to improving cost and category strategy (ie: packaging, CSR opportunities, logistics, production efficiencies)

• Collaborates with category teams for quality related issues

• Participates in supplier facing enterprise initiatives

• Accountable for delivering budgeted 1st cost targets

• Works with Procurement Support team members for new vendor setup and new items that required a first cost signoff in the system in collaboration with the Central Data Management (CDM) team to ensure data is correct and up-to-date

• Collaborates with category teams to source new, sustainable products and vendors such as attending industry trade shows and other mechanisms to build best in class procurement across Loblaw

• Collaborates with the Replenishment and Transport teams to resolve major inventory issues as they arise i.e. over-orders, shorts shipments

• Facilitation where needed on major vendor stock supply chain issues

• Provides updates to the VP of Procurement on Procurement strategies and initiatives and raises risks/decisions as required

• Conducts and reviews post-mortem analysis on the effectiveness of vendor management and procurement, and finds opportunities for improvement

• Works with the Merchandising team to review performance metrics such as Sales, Market Share, Trading & Contribution Margin, Tonnage, and determines any specific action and support required from a costing and sourcing perspective.

• Guides, coaches, and motivates Procurement team members, and conducts performance reviews

• Building and leading diverse teams that foster a workplace of inclusiveness and belonging

What you bring:

• Have demonstrated success in a procurement or merchandising role

• Demonstrates a passion for buying and confident negotiator

• Ability to influence internal/external partners

• Excellent communication (verbal, written and comprehension) and presentation skills

• The desire to drive innovation across the business and develop ongoing costing strategies to support business needs

• A strategic attitude with a demonstrated track record of achieving performance achievements

• Demonstrates strong Financial Competence

• Strong leadership skills

• Proven collaboration skills

Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars - Environment, Sourcing and Community - and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values - Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence - guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits - these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

If you are unsure whether your experience matches every requirement above, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for varied perspectives which include diverse experiences that we can add to our team.

We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.

Please Note:
Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.