Job Description:

The Senior Category Manager, Merchandise position is a highly collaborative role that partners on cross-functional initiatives with Product Management, Buying, Merchandising, Operations, and Technology to define the overarching strategy for managing Workhuman’s merchandise portfolio – what our offering should look like and our roadmap for how we get there. In this role, you will focus on managing the eCommerce merchandise assortment while developing a competitive strategy for the market.  If you’re looking to make a significant impact on major company goals, including revenue and margin growth, all while gaining GM experience in eCommerce with exposure to leadership, then this job is for you!

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute integrated merchandise strategy, building on existing foundation to maximize revenue and profitability growth.

• Maintain and further develop relationships with all current suppliers feeding our North American merchandise catalogs across the US, Canada, and Mexico.

• Drive pricing and terms negotiations with vendors, coaching and developing team around negotiations and persuasive communication skills along the way.

• Build and drive a robust merchandise promotional strategy that incorporates planning and discount sourcing along with volume and margin goals.

• Infuse analytics into our merchandise strategy to drive both strategic and day-to-day decisions, utilizing a combination of internal purchase and site metrics, market data and trends, and competitive analyses.

• Partner with E-Commerce Product and Technology teams to design and develop technology enhancements to support merchandise offering.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver on plans and constantly evolve our offering – including Sales, Customer Success, Product, Marketing, Creative, Operations, and Customer Service.

• Support client and prospect needs by serving as the expert on our merchandise offering and capabilities and providing regular data, presentations, and general input into sales and retention pitches and incorporating client needs and interests into our merchandise strategy.

• Build, manage, and mentor a team of Category Specialists &/or Managers to deliver on growth.

• Serve as internal expert on our offering, industry trends, and ways to stay ahead of the competition.

Requirements & Qualifications:

• 7+ years of Retail / E-Commerce / Merchandising or Consulting experience.

• Excellent ability to negotiate and manage relationships with key stakeholders and C-suite level contacts from large companies/suppliers.

• Proven experience in vendor negotiations – able to communicate effectively and sell current vendors and suppliers on strategic roadmap to improve company profitability and customer experience.

• P&L / general management experience preferred – demonstrates mature instincts around high-level business performance and levers.

• Entrepreneurial leader who can both set the vision and the plan and execute on the details and get the job done – healthy balance of strategic and tactical skills.

• Highly collaborative.

• Flexible self-starter who can make an impact with little structure or foundation.

• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.

• Creative & innovating problem-solving.

• Adept at developing complex cross-functional solutions & processes involving a broad set of senior stakeholders.

• Articulate and persuasive communication skills, both written and verbal.

• Experience leading and developing a highly skilled team of negotiators & decision-makers.

The Company:

Workhuman® is the world’s fastest-growing integrated Social Recognition® and continuous performance management platform. Our human applications are shaping the future of work by helping organizations connect culture to shared purpose. With a consistent stream of gratitude fueling unparalleled, provocative workplace data and human insights, Workhuman® Cloud is a critical software engine for global companies seeking to motivate and empower their people to do the best work of their lives. Workhuman® (formerly known as Globoforce) was founded in 1999 and is co-headquartered in Framingham, Mass., and Dublin, Ireland.

Did you know: 

• We are #1 Great Place to Work in Ireland for the 2019 medium-sized workplace category and have been named one of the 2018 Top Places to Work in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe. 

• Workhuman® is used by 4.5 million employees across 160 countries. 

• Our core values are; Respect, Determination, Innovation and Imagination.

Perks & Benefits for our Happy Healthy Humans:

• Comprehensive Health Plans 

• Fully paid parental leave (12-week maternity/4-week paternity) effective day 1

• Peer-to-peer recognition program 

• 401(k)

• Tuition Reimbursement 

• Commuter bus from downtown Boston

• On-site fitness center

• Wellness rewards and reimbursements

• Fully stocked kitchen (cold brew on tap - snacks and coffee machines as far as the eye can see…) 

•  Regular celebrations for employees, families and special guests

At Workhuman, we love what we do because we’re shaping the future of work through our people and our technology. Our human cloud-based applications are helping some of the world’s leading global brands connect culture to shared purpose. The Workhuman Cloud empowers employees to thank, talk and celebrate each other, creating an environment that sparks gratitude and human connection while increasing employee engagement and productivity. 

Workhuman is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees. We proudly provide a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions at Workhuman are based on solely on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Workhuman believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as a global company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.