Director of Bakery Merchandising

Our mission is to make everyday eating extraordinary for our guests. We create a warm, welcoming, memorable experience with exceptional, personal service. We’re looking for a new team member who strives for excellence and brings positive energy, commitment, and a “can-do” attitude to work every day. We value teamwork and celebrate our successes as a team and will value your contribution!Added Benefits for choosing The Fresh Market Team:Team member discount up to 40%Health, Dental & Vision insurance available for individual, spouse, partner, and family.401K contribution and match for part-time and full-time team members.Personal time off and additional time off purchase plans availableAnd much more!The Fresh Market is looking for a Director, Bakery Merchandising at our Store Support Center (099) in Greensboro, NC. The Category Director is responsible for providing overall leadership and direction for The Fresh Market Bakery business to achieve profitable sales and program development. The Director drives implementation of best practices and achieve consistency for key processes related to product placement, pricing, promotion, procurement and vendor partnerships. The Director is responsible to manage the procurement and development of goods and commercial programs to attain service and quality standards.Plan and direct the company's merchandising programs and financial budgets for the department to develop programs which will result in achievement of targeted sales and margin.Direct and maintain accountability for all buying and pricing of products; regularly prepare and deliver reports on department performance, including pricing, promotion, sales, margin, new programs and products, and quality standardDevelop Own Brand strategies and the role this segment plays within each department; collaborate closely with the Own Brand team on product development to ensure quality and desired strategic objectives are achieved.Collaborate with Merchandise Operations to support execution of Pricing and Promotional Strategies, Space Planning execution and Distribution/Transportation expectations.Collaborate with Marketing and eCommerce to ensure product quality and value is messaged appropriately and consistently Partner and collaborate with Store Operations on merchandising strategies, execution expectations as well as evaluation to improve both upstream planning process and downstream execution standardsMonitor the competitive climate and develop strategies to maximize performanceStay abreast of emerging industry trends and foster innovationDetermine and direct promotion, and display plans.Perform frequent and regular store visits to monitor and adjust store strategiesSupport and assist in the development of the company communication standards to maximize business efficiencies and employee effectivenessWork collaboratively within The Fresh Market to optimize seasonal rotation, new and discontinued products, and customer engagement/loyalty initiativesBe a TFM brand ambassador within the Food Retail industry; strong partnership and collaboration with industry vendors and council organizationsSet a positive example for the desired culture and values of the organization.Hire, coach, train and develop merchandising staff to meet business growth needsSet clear performance expectations for direct reports and follow-up with timely performance evaluations; inspire, encourage, and lead staff to innovate in sourcing and finding ways to market both new and existing products to customersQUALIFICATIONSAt a minimum, what you’ll need:Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required7-10+ years of Category Management or related experiencePossesses strong merchandising, product and marketing skillsStrong ability to identify global issues and communicate within the organizationDemonstrate strong analytical, negotiating and problem-solving skillsAbility develop/maintain strong working relationship with peers and cross-functional teamsDemonstrates leadership and decision-making skillsDemonstrates strong listening, written and oral communication skillsWilling and able to travel for trade shows and store tripsFlexible and adaptive to changing prioritiesAble to organize and prioritize workload to meet deadlineTakes calculated risks to achieve resultsDevelops creative solutions to business issuesIdentifies emerging trends and shops competition and market regularlyDemonstrated skills with MS Office applicationsExperience managing distribution vendorsProject management skillsPreferred Qualifications:Demonstrated experience utilizing Nielsen and/or IRIExperience with MicroStrategyREASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: Consistent with applicable laws, TFM will make reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and team members, unless doing so would result in an undue hardship to TFM. This guiding principle applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring and job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy and related medical conditions, national origin, genetic information, uniformed service, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal or state law.The statements in this job description are provided to describe the general nature and level of work expected in this role. While these statements include the essential functions of the job, they are not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. As we work as a team, there may be times team members are needed to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities based on business needs.#LI-CL1 #LI-HYBRID

Created: 2026-03-11