Product Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued – as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country's largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well®.

At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong. 

As Canada’s food and pharmacy leader, we play an important role in bringing about positive environmental and social change – both nationally and in the communities we serve. We aspire to lead change where it matters most, and we are proud to share with our stakeholders the actions we are taking to address some of the pressing challenges facing Canadians and our business.

With a passion for sustainability and creative thinking, you will work closely as a member of the Loblaw Marketing and Brands Team to execute multi-year strategic initiatives that future-proof our portfolio of brands that include President’s Choice, PC, No Name, Blue Menu, Farmers Market, Club Pack, PC Organics, Life Brand and Life at Home.

Your Impact

As a Product Manager on the Strategic Initiatives team in Loblaw Brands, you’ll be instrumental in building and overseeing the processes, team, and tools that will enable large-scale product and packaging changes for the next 3-5 years of portfolio futureproofing. The PM is responsible for the development and implementation of the project plan, liaising with internal and external stakeholders to align on roadmap to deliver a roster of high-impact initiatives, including regulatory labelling updates, packaging redesigns, product reformulations, and sustainability-focused work.  You will lead a team to execute packaging design changes through the Loblaw Studio, drive overall reporting of progress, and play a key role in enabling a more sustainable future for our brands.

What You Bring:

• A unique view for managing ambiguity, and an ability for bringing teams together to deliver big ideas
• An ability to think outside the box, and a sense for thinking critically about new challenges
• An ability to tell a story through data, and an eye for reporting
• A sense of ownership and ability to proactively address potential risks and/or business needs
• Leadership capabilities to help your team grow in their roles and develop plans for future career growth

What You’ll Do

• Own the development and implementation of a multi-year project plan, with key milestones for data collection, opportunity identification, and tracking supplier timelines across a global vendor base
• Build and foster relationships across a wide network of internal stakeholders, including Product Leadership, Regulatory Affairs, Creative Agency, and Marketing
• Work in partnership with a technical support team (Product Developer, Quality Assurance, Packaging Technologist) to identify areas of opportunity for product & packaging changes
• Lead monthly reviews with individual product teams to update on progress within existing portfolios, advise and support teams on considerations for new product development, and escalate delays as required
• Maintain organized tracking of planned, in-flight, and completed work across 10,000+ products
• Maintain tracking of estimated financial impact and work with Sourcing and Procurement supports to develop business cases for approval
• Lead weekly and monthly status update meetings with various levels of leadership within the Loblaw Brands team
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with all stakeholders to ensure proper execution of product launches and optimum service levels
• Ability to manage and mentor Assistant Product Manager and respond effectively to employee relations issues

Job Qualifications:

• University degree in Business, Marketing or Merchandising preferred
• 3 – 5 years of product management, merchandising or equivalent experience
• Project management experience, and experience in the packaging or printing industry is an asset
• Advanced level of initiative and judgment is required in order to organize and prioritize tasks, workload and multiple projects
• Exceptional decision-making skills required to achieve organizational objectives with an understanding and consideration to the impact on other work groups
• Highly adaptable to set and prioritize work with varying exceptions
• Diplomacy, constructive thinking and innovative approach to drive solutions
• Advanced understanding of marketing, merchandising practices and procedures
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills
• Advanced computer skills to produce effective reports, documents, spreadsheets and presentations
• Communicate with clarity in all situations including written, verbal and group settings

We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.  

Please Note:

Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.

Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars – Environment, Sourcing and Community – and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values – Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence – guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits – these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

If you are unsure whether your experience matches every requirement above, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for varied perspectives which include diverse experiences that we can add to our team.

We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.  
 
Please Note:
Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.

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