Director I End to End Item Management

Category/Area of Expertise: Merchandising Marketing Support
Job Requisition: 481666
Address: USA-MA-Quincy-1385 Hancock Street
Store Code: Commercial Reporting & Analytics (5134952)
Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of global food retailer Ahold Delhaize, is part of the U.S. family of brands, which includes five leading omnichannel grocery brands - Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Our associates support the brands with a wide range of services, including Finance, Legal, Sustainability, Commercial, Digital and E-commerce, Technology and more.
The Director of End to End Item Management is responsible for developing, articulating, and championing the business process, vision, and future state ways of working to optimize the end to end lifecycle of items/products (e.g. from deal through to discontinue) while overseeing the creation and enrichment activities for all item attributes. This role is responsible for business ownership of the Product Master Data Management tool (PMDM) and Vendor Master Data Management tool (VMDM) and is responsible for ongoing management of aligning products to the Common Product Hierarchy. This role requires strategic thinking, strong leadership, and the ability to drive efficiency, quality, and innovation across the item lifecycle.
***Our flexible/ hybrid work schedule includes 3 in-person days at one of our core locations and 2 remote days. Our core office locations include Salisbury, NC, Quincy, MA, Carlisle, PA, Scarborough, ME, Hyattsville, MD
Essential job functions:

• Provides strong leadership to the end-to-end item management, PMDM, VMDM, CPH and Item Life Cycle Team, fostering a collaborative, innovative and accountable working environment

P/VMDM & End to End Item Management

• Responsible for leading a team to develop, articulate and execute a comprehensive end-to-end item management strategy aligned to overall organizational goals. Champions the end-to-end business vision/strategy for item management in ADUSA

• Leads team responsible for business ownership and strategy of the Product Master Data Management tool (PMDM) and Vendor Master Data Management tool (VMDM)

• Oversees team that is responsible for defining and prioritizing key initiatives to optimize product lifecycle processes, enhance operational efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction

• Oversees team responsible for understanding the 'voice of the customer' across the ecosystem of business users and for developing detailed specifications for product features so that they are understood by the development teams. Responsible for championing the needs of the customer to the Product team and working with Product to prioritize the backlog from a business value perspective

• Leads team that interfaces between the business and product to understand new features/functions to create relevant test scripts and to drive UAT activities, participate in scrum ceremonies, and supports change management activities (e.g. training, communications) Works closely with the P/VMDM support function to ensure end users are well supported and IT tickets/root cause analysis are completed within department SLA's.

• Leads team that partners with Data Governance and supports adherence to item data standards and global standards to improve consistency and accuracy in data; develops and publishes reporting to confirm data and accuracy standards are being achieved

• Participates in Data Councils/Forums and shepherds item requirements back through the item set up team

Item Life Cycle

• Leads team that is responsible for all omnichannel end to end item lifecycle activities included, but not limited to item enrichment in STEP, item set-up, maintenance and disc in ACES, Mainframe and SEGA, Tax Assignments, Audits, WIC and root cause analysis / ticket support for RDS

• Oversees team that manages the entire lifecycle of items, ensuring seamless coordination between various departments and processes involved in bringing items to market (e.g. vendor, category, supply chain and item life cycle)

• Oversees team responsible for ensuring each item meets quality standards and regulatory requirements throughout their lifecycle; collaborates with compliance teams to establish and maintain robust quality control processes

• Oversees the management of 3rd party relationships that support item set up activities

Common Product Hierarchy

• Responsible for overseeing a team that defines and maintains the common product hierarchy across all the Great Local Brands of ADUSA

• Oversees the development and strategy to improve the accuracy, relevance, and consistency of product categorizations with the GLB's of ADUSA - ensuring alignment to industry standards for item placement (using internal and syndicated data) that meets customer expectations

• Stays informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in item lifecycle management

• Responsible for articulating the business vision/strategy for the item data management team (includes business owner of P/VMDM)

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, supply chain management, or a related field or equivalent experience
• Extensive experience (8+ years) in product lifecycle management, supply chain, project management, or related roles
• 6+ years demonstrated leadership of people/teams
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and successfully managing complex projects.
• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills
• Familiarity with relevant tools and technologies for product management, project management, and data analysis
• Demonstrated history of delivering on impacts and results on a wide range of responsibilities.
• Knowledge of quality standards, regulatory compliance, and industry best practices
• Leadership experience and ability to drive change and innovation
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis until the end of their appointment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Lean/Six Sigma Certifications
• Master's degree preferred
• Ahold/Delhaize knowledge of systems

ME/NC/PA/SC Salary Range: $139,120 - $208,680
IL/MA/MD/NY Salary Range: $160,000 - $240,000
Actual compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on their unique qualifications and experience, internal equity, and market conditions. Final compensation decisions will be made in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.
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At Ahold Delhaize USA, we provide services to one of the largest portfolios of grocery companies in the nation, and we're actively seeking top talent.
Our team shares a common motivation to drive change, take ownership and enable our brands to better care for their customers. We thrive on supporting great local grocery brands and their strategies.
Our associates are the heartbeat of our organization. We are committed to offering a welcoming work environment where all associates can succeed and thrive. Guided by our values of courage, care, teamwork, integrity (and even a little humor), we are dedicated to being a great place to work.
We believe in collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning in all that we think, create and do. While building a culture where personal and professional growth are just as important as business growth, we invest in our people, empowering them to learn, grow and deliver at all levels of the business.