Job Description

TITLE: Category Development Manager DEPARTMENT: Sales REPORTS TO: Director of Sales LOCATION: Bentonville, Arkansas STATUS: Exempt SUPERVISES:  None

RAWLINGS SPORTING GOODS provides the finest quality sporting goods equipment and products to the world’s greatest players and to those simply dreaming of playing great. Our Mission is to enhance the performance and enjoyment of athletes of all ages and abilities through innovation and marketing of the finest sports equipment and apparel available. _GENERAL OVERVIEW:  _The Category Development Manager develops the overall strategy, insights, analytics, and category management for a product category. This role will serve as an advisor to the Walmart Merchandising Department(s) supporting initiatives related to shopper insights, assortment, modular shelf development, replenishment, analytics, and other related services to help grow category sales. This role will also share responsibility in other categories to help drive results through strategic planning and replenishment and sales analytics. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Works with Walmart merchandising team to drive category growth.
• Leverages Point of Sale (POS) data to build strategies, and to ensure proper decisions are made.
• Creates and manages weekly/monthly/seasonal dashboards to help drive sales and achieve targets.   
• Works with internal and external business portals for both Easton, Rawlings, and all major retailers.
• Plans and manages all aspects of Product SKU Creation within various dealers’ portals. 
• Collaborates with sales to help drive sales and profitable opportunities for all baseball/softball categories. 
• Understands overall retail segmentation, based on analysis of business trends in real time. 
• Identifies performance trends in the market as well as a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis when planning future business. 
• Understands market dynamics, pricing strategies and consumer trends for big and small businesses.
• Establishes and develops strong relationships with both internal and external retail partners.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND EDUCATION REQUIRED:

• Bachelor’s degree & 5+ years’ experience in a business setting or equivalent combination of the two.
• Minimum 2 years Category Advisor experience with Walmart.
• Advanced experience with MOD Planning, Development via JDA Prospace, and Execution through Retail Link.
• Strong written/verbal communication skills.
• Excellent communication & presentation skills with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Strong critical thinking skills. 
• Strong analytical acumen with Retailer Business Portals.  
• Detail oriented with strong ability to work in a very fast-paced environment.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including an advanced knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint.

_WORKING CONDITIONS:  _Office environment.

_LANGUAGE SKILLS _ Ability to read, analyze, and interprets general business information, professional journals, and technical procedures.  Ability to write professional business correspondence, and ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

_MATHEMATICAL SKILLS _ Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.    

REASONING ABILITY Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.   

PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk and use hands regularly. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is regularly required to stand and walk.  The employee will occasionally lift and/or move objects weighing 30 - 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and color vision. Employee will be required to hear telephone.

TRAVELING This job may require traveling for training purposes or meeting purposes (1-2 times per calendar year on average).  

This job description does not list all the duties of the job.  You may be asked to perform other instructions and/or duties. You will be evaluated in part based upon your performance of the task listed in this job description.

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BENEFITS STATEMENT

Note: not all benefits apply to all openings

•  Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision

•  Life and disability insurance plan options

•  401(k) plan match 

•  Paid Time Off Program for vacation and sick time

•  Paid holidays