Job Description

Whole Foods Market is looking for a talented and dedicated Category Program Manager to lead and elevate marketing efforts for key product categories. In this exciting role, you'll work cross-functionally to shape impactful campaigns .

This role primarily supports our Senior Program Managers over Center Store and Product Discovery programs. They will liaise with merchant teams to understand seasonal and promotional priorities, ensure submission deadlines are met, partner with senior program managers to author briefs, and manage creative proofs to ensure accurate execution against program expectations.   

Responsibilities:

• Acts as Category Program Manager for assigned product areas.

• Develops marketing and communication plans for specific categories to establish , enhance, or distinguish WFM versus the competition.

• Participates in promotional coordination meetings to help develop project schedules, including timelines and expected deliverables.

• Engages with merchandising and supplier representatives to understand category and promotional objectives , timing, target audience, and budget / cost constraints.

• Assists in the development, production, and execution of product / category-specific marketing collateral and programs; provides support in areas such as:

• Writing briefs,

• Contributing to timeline and budget development,

• Managing the relationship with internal PR, creative, printing, regional marketing, and related teams and stakeholders,

• Develops relationships with national buyers to ensure marketing supports their business objectives .

• Builds knowledge in designated areas, monitoring competitive activity and identifying emerging customer trends, expectations, and needs.

• Analyzes and evaluates key market statistics and customer metrics to help define marketing strategies and identify opportunities to expand coverage and take-up.

• Assists with development of compelling and scalable category / awareness demand programs and customer-facing assets.

• Works with analytics Team Members to gather and analyze campaign effectiveness.

  Skills:

• Ability to connect marketing efforts to business objectives .

• Working knowledge of how marketing and related communications strategies and tactics are adapted to varied and diverse media platforms.

• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications.

• Excellent communication skills, including written, verbal, and listening.

• Presents information and responds to questions with guidance, one-on-one, and with internal and external customers.

• Able to communicate technical information effectively to non-technical audiences and stakeholders.

• Supports team projects within defined area of responsibility.

• Impacts the quality of own work and that of the team.

• Works as a fully competent Team Member.

• Maintains positive working relationships with cross-functional stakeholders and with third-party vendors and service providers.

• Ability to plan, estimate, organize, and monitor projects.

• Ability to keep projects on track financially, creatively, and in accordance with stakeholder objectives and deadlines.

• Understands store and regional marketing goals and objectives .

• Able to identify alignment / misalignment of team project goals with larger organizational strategy, goals, and objectives .

• Understands the WFM product mix, supply base, and retail operations.

  Education & Experience:

• BA/BS degree and 2 + years of relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

  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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