Category Advisor

CREATIVITY IS OUR SUPERPOWER. It's our heritage and it's also our future. Because we don't just make toys. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire fans, entertain audiences and develop children through play. Mattel is at its best when every member of our team feels respected, included, and heard-when everyone can show up as themselves and do their best work every day. We value and share an infinite range of ideas and voices that evolve and broaden our perspectives with a reach that extends into all our brands, partners, and suppliers.

The Opportunity:

As a Category Advisor for the Dolls category, you will lead a two-person team devoted to assisting the Walmart Dolls buyer in improving Omni merchandising strategy and execution via your insights development, industry perspective, and data-led storytelling skills. This job requires the ability to understand and leverage data to provide expert insights into shopper decisions, the business acumen to align recommended tactics within Walmart's strategies, and the vision to build a recommended merchandising strategy that drives long-term Category gains. Externally, you will work to execute your Walmart buyer's vision and centrally manage your Walmart buyer's strategies and tactics with Walmart analysts, modular planners, replenishment teams, and vendors critical to Category success. Internally at Mattel you will manage, coach and develop an associate category advisor, lead category reviews and competitive tracking to inform recommendations to your Walmart buyer, lead projects requiring coordination with other Walmart teams, and actively manage Mattel office interactions and data access to preserve complete confidentiality.

What Your Impact Will Be:

• Retail: design and recommend product mix, and placement strategies that maximize performance and profitability for Walmart

• Supervise your Walmart buyer's listing strategies and quality of execution across all Doll category modular (planogram) configurations

• Proactively analyze and provide recommendations on vendor-controlled factors to optimize Shopper Navigation Tree and Purchase Occasions

• Regularly leverage Mattel and Walmart data and research to recommend ways to optimize segmented store traits (store groups)

• Co-develop robust dot com merchandising strategy that creatively improves shopper experience and conversion for the category

• Organizational Intelligence: design interactive reports that elevate the Walmart merchant team's visibility into critical category trends

• Enhance reporting utilizing dashboards and data storytelling to improve comprehension and reduce time required to unearth insights

• Evaluate space to sales performance, competitive insights, industry and retail best practices, and highlight gaps and growth opportunities

• Strategize with your Walmart buyer to augment Modular Walk-Throughs with data-led insights that help align stakeholders' investment

• Leadership: lead your Dolls Category Advisor team with passion and accountability, focusing on category growth via achieving Walmart modular and site excellence

• Effectively develop relationships with and engage Walmart merchant team members for high performing, goal-achieving results

• Successfully build relationships and partnerships to support key objectives, goals and outcomes for the Walmart business

What We're Looking For:

• Attitude:

• Fun, smart and engaged team-player

• Ability to adapt to changing needs and priorities on a daily basis

• Proactive problem solving and a positive attitude while dealing with challenges

• Desire to grow career, skill set and leadership within Mattel

• Analytics:

• Strong analytic knowledge and expertise, with ability to frame insights into stories

• Proven ability to synthesize data sources, conduct in depth analyses, uncover insights, and deliver creative and actionable recommendations

• Creative, collaborative approach to test and learn opportunities

• Attention to detail, common-sense approach to data validation, and accountability for accuracy

• Experience with Panel and/or Luminate data a plus

• Style:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills for engaging in-person and remote-location audiences

• Ability to explain highly complex topics to audiences with varying levels of knowledge

• Able to work independently with very minimal supervision, adhere to schedules and follow up accordingly

• Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience, MBA or Masters in Analytics a plus

• Team leadership and coaching background

• 6+ years of experience in category management, analytics, trade marketing, merchandising, sales forecasting/analysis, consumer and/or sales research

• Solid knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint - expert knowledge of Excel a plus

• Experience with JDA Space Planning or similar space planning tool a plus

• Familiarity with analyzing data from Retailer POS and/or syndicated data

• Tableau dashboard design experience a plus

The annual base salary range for this position is between $107,000 and $132,000

This range is indicative of projected hiring range, however annual base salary will be determined based on a candidate's work location, skills and experience.

Don't meet every single requirement? At Mattel we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

How We Work:

We are a purpose driven company aiming to empower generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. We live up to our purpose employing the following behaviors:

• We collaborate: Being a part of Mattel means being part of one team with shared values and common goals. Every person counts and working closely together always brings better results. Partnership is our process and our collective capabilities is our superpower.

• We innovate: At Mattel we always aim to find new and better ways to create innovative products and experiences. No matter where you work in the organization, you can always make a difference and have real impact. We welcome new ideas and value new initiatives that challenge conventional thinking.

• We execute: We are a performance-driven company. We strive for excellence and are focused on pursuing best-in-class outcomes. We believe in accountability and ownership and know that our people are at their best when they are empowered to create and deliver results.

Our Approach to Flexible Work:

We embrace a flexible work model designed to empower a culture of growth, optimism, and wellbeing, where every employee can reach their full potential. Combining purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility, our focus is to optimize performance and drive connection for moments that matter.

Who We Are:

Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, Monster High, MEGA and Polly Pocket, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold in more than 195 countries in collaboration with the world's leading retail and ecommerce companies.

Mattel is recognized as a Great Place to Work and as one of Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2022.

Visit us at https://jobs.mattel.com/ and www.instagram.com/MattelCareers.

Mattel is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer where we want you to bring your authentic self to work every day. We welcome all job seekers including minorities, females, veterans, military spouses, individuals with disabilities, and those of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Videos to watch:

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