The Assistant Category Manager (Asst. CM) is a critical contributor to the Category team that supports all aspects of the buying cycle, as well as the management, merchandising and marketing of category product. The Asst. CM is responsible for developing expert product knowledge as well as understanding customer insights within Party City and across the competition, marketplace and industry. This position is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of product data from system entry to ongoing maintenance and creating reporting and analysis on category/product/sku performance. The Asst.CM must possess a versatile understanding of functional process to promote effective engagement with partners in merchandising, inventory and space planning, product development, visual merchandising, ecommerce operations, pricing and analytics, marketing and store operations. The Asst. CM must possess outstanding communication skills as well as effective time management and decision making as they routinely and independently engage with vendors, supply chain and store stakeholders to drive results. This role offers regular development assignments to provide exposure to next level experiences to challenge performance and prepare for growth. The Asst.CM is intended to enable succession. Therefore, Asst. CMs must be interested in next level assignments and demonstrate a desire to win, willingness to learn and an “it can be done” mindset.
Responsibilities and Duties
Develop expert knowledge of category product and customer.
- Identify opportunities to inform store and category partners in key departments to champion category exposure and awareness.
- Participate in competitive research; identify trends and product opportunities for future assortments. Regularly present opportunities to Category team.
Maintain integrity of product data in systems, assortment sheets, and planograms for departments and categories
- Coordinate the product set up process, inputting data and attribute information into all systems
- Generate and distribute all weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual sales reports offering general analysis, as appropriate
- Consult with category and visual merchandising team on product presentations; install and document initial presentation, collaborate on managing and maintain accurate planograms (i.e., samples, packaging, and price labels)
- Collaborate with Operations on any merchandising, presentation or product details to communicate to store teams. Address inquiries from store teams and field leadership related to product or direction; engage category partners as appropriate
Support all aspects of the Party City Buying Cycle
- Contribute to regular product walk throughs and weekly category meetings, offering ideas and recommendations from analysis and insights
- Support category presentation prep (i.e., Create/develop style boards and line packets to effectively represent product)
- Gain strong understanding of cross functional process and develop working relationships and influence with category (POD) team members.
Demonstrate high Operational Efficiency and Effectiveness.
- Manage timely communication and correspondence with category vendors.
- Balance competing priorities with effective time management, organization and planning
- Manage personal calendar and category priorities to meet team and individual objectives
