“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs

Compensation: $200K (base + bonus); Flexible; DOE                                        

POSITION OVERVIEW: 

The incumbent will be responsible for setting strategy and driving customer, operational, and financial success across client’s proprietary food categories and products. 

Incumbent will achieve this success by driving strong collaboration and communication between the Category Management, Marketing, and Operations team and with the other cross functional teams across the company. 

This business leader will ultimately be responsible for the P&L for the Food and Beverage categories. This leader will be responsible for developing ideas, initiatives and opportunities to grow the business, and influencing the short-term and long-term retail strategy.

Role is expected to practice a higher field presence as this will be critical to successful execution.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Strategic Planning – Design the long-term and annual growth strategies for the Food & Beverage business. This will include making specific commitments regarding where to play and how to win in Food and Beverage, based on an analysis of consumer trends, channel shopping patterns, and broader competitive considerations.

Plans should include objectives, goals, strategies and measures of success, including financial metrics, market share, and other KPI’s. This includes developing annual P&L.

Strategic plans should be drafted with input from cross-functional colleagues, and executive leadership. 

Financial Delivery – Incumbent will own the P&L, including responsibility for delivering revenue and profit commitments, and responsibility for setting and managing annual operating budgets (which will include critical cost areas like people, systems, technologies, COGS, and other capital expenditures required to propel the business to the next level).  Incumbent will actively monitor both food & beverage revenue, cost and waste and adjust programs to maximize quality, revenue and transaction growth. 

Menu Design & Development – Ongoing responsibility for designing the full proprietary Food and Beverage portfolio including which categories to present to guests, and which specific food offerings will help the brand succeed. These food choices (assortment strategy) should be based on market research and consumer insights, which will hold the answers on how the company wins in Food and Beverage. This work will require very close collaboration with external vendor partners, and a variety of internal partners who are committed to making Food and Beverage a success. Product development and innovation will also be key to the client’s ongoing success with regards to their proprietary offerings. Food & Beverage categories will potentially include, Hot & Cold Beverage, Bakery, Heat & Serve, Made to Order, Grab & Go and Fresh snacks and meals.

Supply Chain Management – This is, in many ways, a general management position, and the work includes overseeing the supply chain to ensure that retail is able to source what it needs to make and present guests  with a compelling menu of Food and Beverage options. 

Research, Insights & Trends – Success in the Food and Beverage space will require an ongoing commitment to researching and understanding consumer trends, competitive innovations, customer consumption patterns, pricing, etc. This leader will be responsible for leveraging both internal and external data and information assets, so that all critical decisions related to Food and Beverage are well informed and supported by strong data. Partners with Marketing to analyze key sales and transaction trends from store tests, promotions and campaigns. Leverages Insights to deliver actionable business initiatives to grow the food and beverage business.

Sales, Marketing & Merchandising – This leader will be responsible for partnering with Marketing to develop annual plans to market, promote and sell the full line of the company’s Food and Beverage products. This includes developing a competitive promotional calendar that considers seasonality, local Food and Beverage options and preferences, and the competitive landscape. 

Manage & Influence Others – This role will directly manage a small team, and this leader will also influence decisions made by other team leaders. Incumbent must be committed to training, developing and inspiring others across the company. This also includes advising on organization design, staffing, technology and systems requirements, etc. Partner with Store Operations to ensure successful execution of key food service programs. Solicits feedback from Operations with the goal of enhancing sales and revenue. Provide executive overviews and presentations to leadership on results from campaigns, store tests, promotions, etc.

Key internal operating relationships include Store Operations, Marketing, IT, Digital, Learning & Development, Accounting, and HR.

CANDIDATE PROFILE EXPERIENCE BASE

Merchandising or Marketing Background –

• Candidates could have a retail merchandising background, bringing expertise in purchasing, product assortment, category management, pricing, promotion, point of sale, promotional calendar, etc.or a Marketing background, from any multi-unit Retailer. C-store, QSR, Hotel, Fast Casual Restaurants etc. Ideally, candidate will have Marketing leadership experience within a competitive multi-unit retail segment, preferably convenience stores. 
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• C-store industry-specific experience (a must-have) successfully creating new products or experience leading internal product development teams, and leveraging external consulting companies, who specialize in Food and Beverage development
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• Candidate must be able to lead by example, roll up their sleeves and gain the support of business peers, leadership and local stores associates. We need someone who can listen to – and help support – store associates, to make their work easier and more effective. 

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Demonstrated experience in Merchandising, Marketing and Business development 
• Strong Commercial and Customer Orientation.
• Focused on financial performance and demonstrated ability to develop P&L and budgets that balance revenue, growth and profitability
• Strong Analytical skills and Strategic planning skills
• Demonstrated organizational skills and attention-to-detail (strong tactical execution, project management) 
• Strong relationship management and interpersonal skills (high EQ) 
• Prior experience in budgeting, contract negotiation and qualifying equipment.
• Strong Influencing skills (proven ability to persuade others towards an idea or goal)
• Ability to utilize the data to “story-tell” in a compelling manner to drive a strategic shift in the business or support an existing strategic priority for growth.
•  Ability to develop and communicate findings and recommendations.
• Fundamental understanding of key financial and retail performance metrics
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and possess the ability to present information to external and internal groups
• Ability to operate in a complex, rapidly changing environment while adhering to tight schedules and budgets.
• Demonstrated project management skills and proven ability to balance multiple projects in varying degrees of implementation.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving and attention to detail skills are required.
• Must be well-organized and able to coordinate multiple tasks and requests. 

People Management:  

• Responsible for providing direct reports with timely, candid and constructive performance feedback; developing associates to their fullest potential and provide challenging opportunities that enhance associate career growth.
• Developing the appropriate talent pool to ensure adequate bench strength and succession planning; recognizing and rewarding associates for accomplishments. 
• Incumbent also holds direct reports accountable for performing the same functions and activities with their direct reports if applicable.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business management or Marketing
• Eight to Ten (8-10) years’ experience and comprehensive knowledge of Operations, Marketing and Category Management in Food & Beverage.
• Previous Hands-On prepared food experience in a C-Store environment.

COMPUTER / TECHNICAL:

• Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Power Point,
• Prior experience with CRM based systems, Loyalty platforms and other marketing/Guest-based systems a plus.