Assistant Product Manager - Merchandising

About the position

The Assistant Product Manager - Merchandising at Essendant is responsible for driving joint business planning initiatives with assigned suppliers, managing supplier relationships, and developing marketing strategies to enhance sales growth. This role involves analyzing supplier performance, conducting product assortment reviews, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure effective execution of marketing campaigns and product launches. The position requires strong business acumen, analytical skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Drive joint business planning initiatives with assigned suppliers to create yearly and long-range objectives for growth.
• Manage and maintain relationships with assigned suppliers through quarterly business reviews.
• Develop and refine go-to-market techniques and strategies to drive sales growth opportunities.
• Maintain regular reports to track performance and identify impacts of activities on supplier performance.
• Develop and facilitate all marketing activities for assigned suppliers, including campaign implementation and analysis.
• Conduct product assortment reviews and identify top-performing SKUs by district/region.
• Review supplier pricing regularly and identify potential pricing issues and opportunities.
• Support assigned suppliers by developing category-specific communications and conducting trainings.
• Identify and report on trends, changes, and opportunities to increase supplier or category performance.
• Form effective cross-functional relationships with Essendant personnel.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in a Business Discipline, or relevant experience.
• Minimum 2-5 years of administrative, merchandising, marketing, or vendor management experience.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to perform analytics that drive decision making.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Detail-oriented with strong time management skills.
• Strong computer skills: MS Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in different business functions (finance, operations, marketing, customer care, or sales).
• Ability to create innovative solutions.
• Results-oriented and self-motivated.

Benefits

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid holidays
• Parental leave