Director, Packaged Goods

Company Overview

Established in 1929, Heinen’s is a leading, family-owned grocery retailer known for its premium-quality products and outstanding customer service. Now in its fourth generation of family leadership, Heinen’s operates 23 locations – 18 in the Cleveland, Ohio area and 5 in the Chicago, Illinois market – supported by two distribution warehouses, a food production facility, and a corporate office located in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

Our culture is rooted in an associate-first philosophy, placing a strong emphasis on the well-being, development, and quality of life of every team member. We offer competitive compensation, professional development and leadership training programs, paid time off, and flexible scheduling designed to promote a healthy work-life balance.

Role Overview

The Packaged Goods Director provides strategic leadership for the Grocery, Dairy, Frozen, and Wellness departments, developing and executing merchandising, pricing, assortment, promotional, and vendor partnership strategies that drive sales, profitability, and customer value.

As the primary business leader for center store packaged goods, this role leverages data analytics, market insights, customer trends, and supplier partnerships to optimize category performance, introduce innovative products, deliver competitive pricing, and enhance the overall customer shopping experience.

The Packaged Goods Director leads a team of Category Managers and Field Merchandisers and partners closely with Marketing, Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance to ensure effective execution and alignment with the company’s broader strategic objectives. This position is accountable for achieving sales and margin targets, strengthening strategic vendor relationships, supporting private brand growth, and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement across the business.

Key Responsibilities

Category Leadership

• Develop and execute strategies for the Grocery, Dairy, and Frozen departments to achieve sales, margin, and market share objectives. Lead and support the Director of Wellness, a direct report to this position, in achieving these same objectives for the Wellness Department.
• Analyze category performance, customer trends, competitive activity, and pricing to identify opportunities and recommend strategic actions.
• Develop annual business plans and monitor performance against established financial goals.

Merchandising Leadership

• Establish merchandising strategies, guidelines, and standards including seasonal, event, and promotional merchandising strategies that drive impactful, consistent, and customer-focused execution across stores.
• Provide strategic direction for space planning and analytics, ensuring space allocation and product placement support category and business objectives. 
• Provide leadership and oversight for planogram (POG) development and execution, ensuring category strategies translate effectively to the shelf.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Category Managers, Field Merchandisers, and the Wellness Director to achieve business objectives and foster professional growth.
• Establish performance expectations and promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Pricing, Promotions & Assortment

• Oversee category pricing, promotional planning, and product assortment strategies.
• Lead the effective use of pricing and promotional analytics tools to optimize performance.
• Support personalized promotional initiatives and ensure alignment of vendor funding with merchandising programs.

Supplier Management

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers and negotiate product costs, promotional funding, and partnership agreements.
• Conduct regular business reviews to evaluate supplier performance and identify growth opportunities.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Marketing, Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance to support product availability, merchandising execution, and category initiatives.
• Champion the growth of the company's private label brands and support long-term merchandising strategies.

Operational Excellence

• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance merchandising effectiveness, promotional planning, and operational efficiency.
• Stay informed on industry trends, competitive developments, and product innovation to support future business growth.
• Drive product availability by establishing strategies, tools, and processes to improve in-stock conditions and ensure that customers can consistently find the products they expect 

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business or a related field.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in category management, merchandising, or product management, including leadership experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical, financial, and strategic planning skills.
• Proven negotiation and relationship management experience.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and project management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities in a dynamic retail environment.

Heinen’s, Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.