Director, Portfolio Management - Gift Cards

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.

This role can be located at either Bathurst & Lakeshore or our 1 Presidents Choice Circle.

Our hybrid model requires this role to be in office 4 days a week with flexible working hours.

]The Director, Gift Cards has ultimate accountability for the P&L of the 3rd Party Gift Card and President’s Choice gift program. This program operates under the Gift of Choice (GOC) brand which is Canada’s go-to destination for all in-store and digital gift card needs in Loblaw banner stores, including our very own President’s Choice gift cards. The area of responsibility includes all functions that impact the category financial objectives, including the merchandising strategy, store fixturing, marketing programs & promotions and in-store program execution. The Director will also collaborate internally with key partners to formalize and implement the future digital gift card experience across Loblaw’s digital properties.

You will build collaborative relationships throughout the organization and with external partners, both of which will play an integral part in your success in driving category growth. You will apply entrepreneurial, consulting, management, and analytical skills daily, while implementing and delivering real outcomes that drive the bottom line.

What You'll Do:

• Define and lead all aspects of the development and execution all category priorities to achieve planned growth targets for 3rd party gift cards
• Lead both strategic and operational aspects of the President’s Choice gift card program (both Retail & Bulk)
• Lead all aspects of gift card promotional strategy and annual marketing calendar by facilitating negotiation of offers and key strategic programs
• Build and maintain relationships with 3rd party gift card partners to drive category growth and develop partnership opportunities
• Set store merchandising and fixturing direction in collaboration with Store Operators, Loblaw Properties, and external partners
• Develop and maintain key partner relationships across the organization to gain support and ensure standard processes are being deployed at the store level to drive exceptional sales performance.
• Collaborate with finance on sales planning and forecasting (weekly, periodic, annual)
• Own the future digital strategy of gift cards for Loblaw Enterprise in collaboration with internal teams
• Prepare capital requirements for strategic projects including required technology, digital enhancements, and upgrades
• Collaborate and align with IT and digital teams on business requirements, technical inputs, and overall strategy
• Lead presentation of business results and recommendations to executive team and key business partners
• Negotiate all business terms for vendor contracts
• Collaborate with Shopper’s Drug Mart category team to share standard processes and define key enterprise objectives for gift card programs
• Mentor, coach, and guide team members to achieve their priorities
• Provide leadership and direction to team, including participating in resource planning, recruitment, and performance management
  
  

What You’ll Need

• 10+ years of category/product management or retail operations experience.
• University degree with a specialization in Business, Commerce, or an equivalent degree in a field of study related to the job.
• Self-starter with pro-active work ethic and get-it-done demeanour.
• Exceptional negotiation skills and ability to persuade/influence both internal and external partners
• Experience in building a strategic framework (plans), presenting ideas to various levels across the organization, driving execution of project to completion
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment, in partnership with divisions and collaborators across the enterprise to take on sophisticated problems
• Collaborative approach with the ability to influence and build consensus across internal and external partners to secure alignment and consensus.
• Ability to deal with ambiguity, self-organize and be proactive to complete multiple tasks on time with a clear focus on quantitative results is required
• Excellent communication skills with demonstrable and proven results with key decision makers including senior management and key vendor personnel is required
• Communicate with clarity in all situations to all levels, including written, verbal and team settings.
• Ability to identify, diagnose and quickly mediate problems and issues that arise.
• Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
• Adaptable to set and prioritize work with varying exceptions.
  
  

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.