Sourcing Director - Berries

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.

Why is this role important :

Reporting to the Senior Director of Sourcing, the Sourcing Director will be the subject matter expert dedicated to the fresh berry category and will be relentlessly focused on securing the best cost for the enterprise. The Sourcing Director will be accountable for negotiating with vendors to purchase products for the Discount, Market, Wholesale, SDM divisions and leverage the scale of the organization to enable the delivery of better value for the customer. In addition to the core trading responsibilities, the Sourcing Director plays a pivotal role in developing the category sourcing strategy, focusing on value, quality, risk mitigation, global diversification and product innovation. The role is also responsible for using their deep knowledge of the vendors and the marketplace to advise the Merchandising and Category teams on the category’s short-term and long-term strategy.

What you'll do:

• Meets with Category Director(s) in Merchandising to understand sourcing needs, and to identify and evaluate vendors based on a set of criteria/scorecard to select the best vendor.
• Negotiates with both National Brand and Control Brand vendors for 1st cost (which includes baseline Over & Above case rates to deliver category 1st cost targets and budget along- side enterprise objectives
• Works with the Commodity Cost Review team to assess how vendor costs are tracking relative to market trends (using playbook as a guide)
• Initiates and owns the vendor Request for Proposal (RFP) process to source products that align to the category strategy and objectives
• Participates in the Enterprise Annual Planning process, collaborating with the Merchandising teams in advance to plan cost driven initiatives and annual building blocks.
• Shares information with the Merchandising and Control Brand teams on new products available and market trends to help inform category strategy and product development
• Serves as first touchpoint with vendors for all 1st cost related troubleshooting
• Develops 1st cost procurement strategies using levers (ie: commodity driven, RFP) aligned with the category playbook in partnership with merchandising.
• Completes negotiations for new and existing products, and collaborates with the Category Director in Merchandising to obtain final decisions on product assortment
• Provides insight and input with new innovative sourcing and procurement opportunities that can be tied to trends in the market, through research, analysis of vendor landscape, all tied to improving cost and category strategy (ie: packaging, CSR opportunities, logistics, production efficiencies, varietal development)
• Collaborates with category teams for quality related issues
• Participates in supplier facing enterprise initiatives
• Accountable for delivering budgeted 1st cost targets
• Works with Sourcing Support team members for new vendor setup and new items
• Collaborates with category teams to source new, sustainable products and vendors such as attending industry trade shows and other mechanisms to build best in class sourcing across Loblaw
• Collaborates with the Replenishment and Transport teams to resolve major inventory issues as they arise i.e. over-orders, shorts shipments
• Facilitation where needed on major vendor supply chain issues
• Provides updates to the Senior Director and VP of Sourcing on sourcing strategies and initiatives and raises risks/decisions as required
• Conducts and reviews post-mortem analysis on the effectiveness of vendor management and procurement, and finds opportunities for improvement
• Works with the Merchandising team to review performance metrics such as Sales, Market Share, Trading & Contribution Margin, Tonnage, and determines any specific action and support required from a costing and sourcing perspective.
• Guides, coaches, and motivates Sourcing team members, and conducts performance reviews
• Building and leading diverse teams that foster a workplace of inclusiveness and belonging
  
  

What you bring:

• Have demonstrated success in a sourcing or merchandising role
• Demonstrates a passion for buying and confident negotiator
• Ability to influence internal/external partners
• Excellent communication (verbal, written and comprehension) and presentation skills
• The desire to drive innovation across the business and develop ongoing costing strategies to support business needs
• A strategic attitude with a demonstrated track record of achieving performance targets
• Demonstrates strong Financial Competence
• Strong leadership skills
• Proven collaboration skills
  
  

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.

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