Job DescriptionLocation: Austin, Texas – This is a hybrid role that requires 3 days a week in the office.

　　This high impact leadership role supports WFM’s Growing With Purpose strategy with a focus on Deliver Exceptional Business Performance and Create the Best Customer Experience. This leader is responsible for establishing strategic direction that enables continuous event-based, in-stock improvement with a bias for near-term action as well as long-term strategic planning and execution. The role will serve as an exceptional team leader for the Center Store Inventory Planning Team, which performs order management for Center Store (Dry Grocery, Chill Grocery, and Whole Body) event-based inventory management.

　　The successful candidate will have a growth mindset with a relentless focus on delivering results and intended outcomes in a complex and dynamic landscape, while creating a future roadmap of growth directions. This leader will demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of retail merchandising and supply chain inventory flow to serve a broad group of stakeholders including Suppliers, Category Merchants, Operations, Supply Chain, and Distributors. The candidate will also demonstrate continued commitment to the long-term goal and resilient leadership on the journey.

　　Responsibilities:

　　Establishes strategic direction for item life-cycle management and annual goal setting for the Inventory Planning Team.

　　Leads and develops a leadership team with oversight to inventory planning, item management, and inventory order execution.

　　Responsible for delivering in-stock KPI improvements across life-cycle inventory planning events including, new item launches, item data-maintenance, promotional event forecasting, sell-through inventory management, and item exit strategies.

　　Oversees development and implementation of item life-cycle inventory planning strategies and operations for Center Store.

　　Establishes and maintains Win-Win relationships with third party distributors, suppliers, and cross-functional partners, fostering collaboration and mutual success.

　　Identifies capability gaps and establishes development roadmap for annual Operational Planning submissions.

　　Creates high-quality data integrity mechanisms and measurement for data inputs and outputs.

　　Establishes monthly business review practice for key-stakeholders to track against performance KPIs.

　　Actively models and reinforces Whole Foods Market values and culture, setting a strong example for the entire organization.

　　Skills:

　　Leads with a store-level, customer centric mindset to support operational excellence.

　　Demonstrates exceptional team development practices through performance management and succession planning.

　　Exemplifies excellent change management and agility skills to support new process and team change adoption.

　　Engages with other leaders to design, maintain and champion the mission, vision and strategy of the organization.

　　Develops deep, credible relationships with senior-level executives, both inside and outside current areas of responsibility.

　　Engages with internal and external stakeholders to define, clarify and resolve issues related to supply management and performance expectations.

　　Identifies gaps in strategic understanding, formulates resolution recommendations and delivers clear and compelling communication.

　　Influences broad organizational strategic direction and planning on a go-forward basis.

　　Plans, estimates, staffs, organizes and monitors significant task and project activity.

　　Oversees and advises direct leadership team on task and project-related issues and assists with overcoming barriers.

　　Demonstrates nuanced understanding of the WFM business, food retail industry and the business models of key strategic partners and competitors.

　　Able to assess how key functions, processes and operating models impact the business; delivers recommendations on how to optimize.

　　Able to “connect the dots” across markets, customers, partners and programs to identify interdependencies and long-term growth opportunities.

　　Qualifications:

　　BA/BS degree and 8-10 years’ relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

　　4-6 years leadership experience.

　　Exemplify the qualities of a strategic visionary, demonstrating their ability to craft and execute visionary plans that drive organizational success.

　　Proven history of inspiring and leading teams, motivating them to achieve exceptional results.

　　A track record of success in recruiting top talent and cultivating a high-performing team. They should be skilled in identifying and attracting exceptional candidates, as well as fostering an environment that nurtures individual growth and team collaboration. a track record of creative problem-solving in previous roles, demonstrating the ability to think innovatively and find effective solutions to complex challenges.

　　Ability to leverage their resources effectively to overcome obstacles and achieve successful hiring outcomes.

　　Experience leveraging analytics in decision-making.

　　Nuanced understanding of the grocery retail industry and the business models of key strategic partners and competitors

　　Excellent written and oral communication skills, including executive presence.

　　Proven ability to work under pressure, prioritize work, and balance a portfolio of programs.

　　Passion for, sustainability, win-win supplier relationships and world class retail.

　　Able to shift comfortably between big picture strategic thinking and the tactics required to achieve outcomes.

　　About Whole Foods Market:

　　Whole Foods was founded in 1980 on the belief that where food comes from, and how it's grown, matters. It meant creating quality standards, working with suppliers who achieve them, and sharing that information with our customers. And it radically changed the way people understood and shopped for food. The result has been the highest quality natural and organic products, an unmatched experience in more than 500+ stores, with a passionate team of over 100,000 team members, 5 percent of our total net profits given back to our communities each year, and millions of customers who put their trust in us every day.

　　Whole Foods Market provides a fair and equal employment opportunity for all team members and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. Whole Foods Market hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the position to be filled.

　　At Whole Foods Market, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all Team Members and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Whole Foods Market hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.

　　Whole Foods Market works with job sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter to promote opportunities at our company. Please be aware that other career sites may not be accurate or up to date and may even be fraudulent. We encourage and recommend all candidates to apply via our site.

　　Who are we? Well, we seek out the finest natural and organic foods available, maintain the strictest quality standards in the industry, and have an unshakeable commitment to sustainable agriculture. Add to that the excitement and fun we bring to shopping for groceries, and you start to get a sense of what we’re all about. Oh yeah, we’re a mission-driven company too.

　　Whole Foods Market attracts people who are passionate - about great food, about the communities they live in, about how we treat our planet and our fellow humans - and who want to bring their passion into the workplace and make a difference.

　　Learn more about careers at Whole Foods Market here (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers) !

　　Privacy Notice (http://careers.wholefoodsmarket.com/global/en/privacy-notice)