Principal Category Program Manager

Are you ready to shape the future of promotional planning at Whole Foods Market?Whole Foods Market is seeking a Principal Program Manager for Integrated Promotion Planning to lead the strategy, management, and continuous improvement of our promotional planning efforts. In this critical role, you’ll drive the development of integrated tools that align merchandising and marketing promotions, working cross-functionally with teams across Product, Merchandising, Marketing, Analytics, Data Operations, Legal, Data Tech, and Data Science. As the business owner of this initiative, you’ll translate business needs into clear requirements, prioritize them on the product roadmap, and champion adoption through process development and change management. This position reports to the Senior Leader of Pricing Strategy and plays a key role in advancing how we plan and execute promotions across the organization.This role is based in Austin, TX, with an expectation of being in the Store Support office five days a week.

Responsibilities:

• Spearhead the strategic direction and evolution of Promotion Planning Tools, serving as the key business owner representing diverse stakeholders including Merchants, Marketers, Data Operators, and support roles.
• Drive the transformation and optimization of WFM's promotional planning processes, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and market trends.
• Develop a deep understanding of complex business requirements to champion 'Go to Market' Promotions planning, translating stakeholder needs into actionable strategies.
• Lead and execute a robust prioritization framework for tool enhancements, feature developments, and critical data needs, ensuring a customer-first approach in go-to-market strategy activation.
• Cultivate and maintain high-level partnerships with project sponsors, effectively managing expectations and fostering clear communication channels with all stakeholders.
• Strategically build and nurture vital business relationships across the organization to drive project success and cross-functional collaboration.
• Proactively identify, escalate, and resolve significant, complex, business-critical, or sensitive issues, demonstrating strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Exemplify thought leadership by driving meaningful organizational change through strategic partnerships, effective program review meetings, and establishing standardized approaches to prioritization and system requirements.
• Orchestrate the successful integration of merchandising and marketing enhancements, ensuring seamless alignment with overall business objectives.
• Leverage data-driven insights and industry best practices to continuously improve promotional planning tools and processes, maximizing efficiency and effectiveness.

Skills and Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree required and +6 years of experience OR MS degree and +4 years of experience.
• Relevant retail experience merchandising, operations, data and/or marketing, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• General knowledge and experience with marketing, merchandising, and operations, specifically around promotions in retail

• Exemplary Leadership: Demonstrate exceptional ability to lead through influence, set a compelling example, and cultivate an environment of trust and credibility across all levels and functions of the organization.
• Strategic Vision: Possess the capacity to oversee and optimize a critical, highly visible function at Whole Foods Market, understanding its interconnections with multiple workstreams and its impact on overall business objectives.
• Domain Expertise: Must have previous experience in the retail merchandising space with exposure to promotional planning activities.
• Technical Aptitude: Display a strong grasp of promotional planning tools and technologies, with the ability to understand and articulate technical requirements to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Advanced Communication: Exhibit superior interpersonal skills, articulate complex ideas clearly, and excel in cross-functional coordination to drive cohesive team efforts and organizational alignment.
• Results-Driven Mindset: Consistently deliver outcomes with a sense of urgency and a strong bias for action, balancing short-term goals with long-term strategic objectives.
• Proactive Problem-Solving: Demonstrate resilience and curiosity in identifying and addressing issues that impede financial impact, continuously seeking innovative solutions to drive business value.
• Self-Motivation: Exhibit exceptional initiative and self-direction, proactively identifying opportunities to deliver value to teams and contribute to overall business success.
• Change Management: Demonstrate proficiency in leading and managing organizational change, guiding teams through transitions, and ensuring smooth implementation of new processes and tools.
• Passion and Energy: Bring genuine enthusiasm and high energy to the role, inspiring and motivating team members while fostering a positive and productive work environment.
• Industry Knowledge: Maintain an in-depth understanding of retail industry trends, particularly in the natural and organic foods sector, and apply this knowledge to inform strategic decisions.

The wage range for this position is $100,244.00-$170,415.00 Annual, commensurate with experience. Whole Foods Market offers "Whole Benefits". Whole Benefits may include health insurance, retirement plan benefits, eligibility for a store discount, paid time off and access to other benefit programs. Eligibility for Whole Benefits is determined under the terms of the applicable Whole Benefits plan at a person’s date of hire. For additional information, visit our Whole Foods Market Careers site: https://careers.wholefoodsmarket.com/benefits.

At Whole Foods Market, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all Team Members and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Whole Foods Market hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.

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