Category Strategy & Performance - Manager

Job DescriptionCompany context: CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company that is reinventing pharmacy for better health and continuously developing new ways to improve access for patients, promote better health outcomes and control payor costs in a way that no pharmacy retailer or PBM could do separately. With the 2007 merger of CVS Corporation and Caremark Rx, Inc., CVS Health became an integrated provider of prescriptions and related health services with an unmatched breadth of capabilities. Today they are the market leader in multiple categories and able to provide payors and patients with solutions that no pharmacy retailer or pharmacy benefits manager on its own could offer. For this reason, CVS Health is in a "category of one," uniquely positioned to help people on their path to better health, by providing end-to-end solutions that impact everything from pharmacy plan design to the ultimate delivery of products and services to customers. CVS Health's capabilities include industry-leading clinical and health management programs, specialty pharmacy expertise, leadership in retail clinics, customer service excellence, and our deep knowledge of the consumer gained through the more than five million people we serve every day, seven days a week.Business Overview:At CVS Health, we are joined in a common purpose: helping people on their path to better health. We are working to transform health care through innovations that make quality care more accessible, easier to use, less expensive and patient-focused. Working together and organizing around the individual, we are pioneering a new approach to total health that puts people at the heart. We strive to promote and sustain a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging every day. CVS Health is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We do not discriminate in recruiting, hiring or promotion based on race, ethnicity, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability or protected veteran status or on any other basis or characteristic prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law. We proudly support and encourage people with military experience (active, veterans, reservists and National Guard) as well as military spouses to apply for CVS Health job opportunities.Context for this position: The Category Strategy & Performance team develops and recommends strategies to improve business performance by working closely with Merchandising leadership in analyzing market trends and dynamics, vendor/brand economics and productivities, customer loyalty, and related assortment optimization opportunities. The team leverages strategic sourcing and vendor negotiation tactics to bolster the impact of strategic recommendations and incrementally improve business outcomes. The Category Strategy & Performance, Manager will be charged with supporting and driving select strategy and profit improvement initiatives in partnership with Category Managers and Category Management leadership. The hiring manager will consider entry level candidates for high potential self-starting, intellectually curious, entrepreneurial new graduates, as well as more experienced professionals with the same qualities.Primary Responsibilities: Perform analysis to identify sales, cost, and profit opportunities across SKUs and vendors through rigorous analysis and research, including: assessment of SKU/Vendor/Brand/Promotional incrementality, competitive benchmarking (space, brands, SKUs), market insights, customer insights (surveys, Customer analytics), vendor insight (cost structures, motivations), and extensive SKU/brand/vendor-level analysis (relative productivity, profitability, brand loyalty, transferability, etc.). Enact a customer-first perspective, understanding when to approach problems through a macro, cross-team lens, necessary to reflect how customers shop at CVS (e.g., trips, basket analyses). Based on data analytics, drive the execution of performance improvement projects, including getting stakeholder buy-in from cross-functional teams (e.g. Merchandising, Inventory, Analytics). Establish working relationships and gain support across all levels and functions within the enterprise including Category Managers, Divisional Merchandising Managers (Sr. Directors), and Retail Team Merchandising Managers (VPs). Develop analytical materials to be shared internally during category reviews and assortment discussions with the Merchandising team. Provide direct vendor negotiations support to Merchants, including developing "Ask" materials to be shared with vendors. Enhance and enforce documentation, archiving, and audit processes for agreements with vendors. Work on special projects, ad hoc analysis, and initiatives related to assortment performance and cost reduction and management. Use a 'Test and Learn' mindset: assist in designing initiative pilots and deploying in select number of stores to measure and assess. Determine how and when to scale successful cases.Successful candidate will exhibit: Intense interest in learning new things and intellectual curiosity An open and honest communication style that quickly builds trust and respect Outstanding analytical and problem-solving skills Ability to conceptualize complex quantitative analysis and build analytical models using Microsoft Excel and other tools/platforms (e.g. Tableau) (or if limited prior experience - quickly learn to be an expert in Excel) Ability to communicate to management & key stakeholders with poise and credibility Ability to communicate effectively and succinctly, both verbally and in writing via Microsoft PowerPoint Ability to manage and prioritize multiple assignments and meet tight deadlines Ability to develop effective working relationships with Merchandising Directors & other stakeholders Ability to work independently and adapt to changing work priorities The candidate selected for this position will be a creative, out-of-the-box thinker who is intellectually curious with a demonstrated interest in learning. This person will also need to be a self-motivated, entrepreneurial, high-energy individual who can easily function in a high demand, performance-driven environment.Required Qualifications 1+ years of analytical and problem-solving skills 1+ years of experience using Microsoft Excel and PowerPointCOVID RequirementsCOVID-19 Vaccination RequirementCVS Health requires certain colleagues to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (including any booster shots if required), where allowable under the law, unless they are approved for a reasonable accommodation based on disability, medical condition, religious belief, or other legally recognized reasons that prevents them from being vaccinated. You are required to have received at least one COVID-19 shot prior to your first day of employment and to provide proof of your vaccination status or apply for a reasonable accommodation within the first 10 days of your employment. Please note that in some states and roles, you may be required to provide proof of full vaccination or an approved reasonable accommodation before you can begin to actively work.Preferred Qualifications Merchandising experience - understanding of retail merchandising basics (i.e., category management), and merchandising organizational structures and processesEducation Education: Four-year college degree or equivalent experience; some advanced training in Finance, Economics, Mathematics and/or other quantitative analytical degree a plusBusiness OverviewBring your heart to CVS HealthEvery one of us at CVS Health shares a single, clear purpose: Bringing our heart to every moment of your health. This purpose guides our commitment to deliver enhanced human-centric health care for a rapidly changing world. Anchored in our brand - with heart at its center - our purpose sends a personal message that how we deliver our services is just as important as what we deliver.Our Heart At Work Behaviors support this purpose. We want everyone who works at CVS Health to feel empowered by the role they play in transforming our culture and accelerating our ability to innovate and deliver solutions to make health care more personal, convenient and affordable. We strive to promote and sustain a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging every day. CVS Health is an affirmative action employer, and is an equal opportunity employer, as are the physician-owned businesses for which CVS Health provides management services. We do not discriminate in recruiting, hiring, promotion, or any other personnel action based on race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Created: 2025-11-15