Provide the business with insights and assessment related to marketing, merchandising, format, and new ventures, that delivers a superior understanding (competitive advantage) of merchandising portfolio performance. This position acts as the lead consultant to their assigned portfolios and directly influences key strategic and tactical decisions. The team uses consumer data and knowledge, KPI Analytics, and provides objective interpretation of this information, including actionable insights, taking into account overall company and portfolio strategy and goals, marketing and merchandising goals, and overall knowledge of the business. This position is a dual reporting position that functionally reports to the Portfolio Insights & Support Lead, while also reporting to the Portfolio Lead.

1. Top-Down Expectations Developed

• Supports leader responsible for playing a chief role in the determination of the "destination / opportunity gaps" and providing the key assumptions driving conclusions - prioritizing gaps

• Supports leader in providing inputs that determine the way the SVP's manage their macro-asset allocation (space, time, coupons, promotions) • Support role in providing key inputs that determine the filters through which priorities are determined at the portfolio level, down to categories • Manages day-to-day around vendor input that is utilized to sharpen assumptions and drive the expectations that are pushed down to the teams

2. Developing Plans that Target Gaps

• Supports lead driving sub-category level insights & 4-box that determine the plans around gap targets prioritized by the Portfolio Leads and Category Managers.

• Supports consultation and ongoing support around right-sizing spend versus gaps based on opportunities that are prioritized • Supporting the assortment, shelf and promotion/program teams with insight leadership to make sure they are aligned at all points in process • Important support role in the sign-off of the base plans for the upcoming year, in each of the prioritized businesses for the Portfolio Lead and Category Manager

3. Finalizing Plans & Negotiating

• Support role in the development of the insights that tie into the A-Brand and Fresh COGs workbooks developed for key categories/sub-categories and manufacturers

• Working with assort, shelf and negotiations team to support the development of the final plans and insights for the negotiation process with manufacturers • Key role in helping pull together the final pieces of the joint business plan - supporting with clerical work, pulling together pieces of data into one place and organizing

4. Measuring Progress & Ongoing Changes

• Leads the set-up of unique tracking processes that allow for timely and consistent measurement of progress versus goals - utilizing systems & vendors

• Support the macro-space teams and category managers in the establishment of laboratories & tests based on focus/priorities

• Pulls together info/intel for the weekly, bi-weekly, monthly & quarterly plan updates delivered to the Category Manager (weekly/bi-weekly), Portfolio Lead (monthly) and SVP (quarterly)

• Prepares slides for Category Managers and Portfolio Leads for monthly and quarterly gap closure versus plan discussions