Whole Foods Market is seeking a dynamic leader to lead our bakery category merchant team in Austin, TX.

Are you a data-driven leader with a passion for building high-performing teams? Join our team as and drive team development, operational excellence, and business results.

In this role, you'll lead a team of category merchants, influence your team's roadmap, and help drive innovation and execution in our categories. You'll collaborate cross-functionally to execute category strategies, develop talent, and ensure operational excellence through data-rich decision making and customer-centric execution.

Key job responsibilities

Responsibilities:

• Take ownership of team delivery and operational performance
• Establish the right team structure to respond to customer needs and business goals while meeting SLAs and delivering high-quality results
• Lead and develop a team of category merchants, providing tactical management while building strategic leadership capabilities
• Lead your team to deliver results, manage difficult problems, and mitigate risks before they become roadblocks
• Make trade-offs between time, quality, and resources to meet business objectives
• Facilitate career growth conversations, provide constructive feedback, and align individual goals with organizational objectives
• Create customized onboarding plans for new team members
• Attract, hire, and retain a team of high performing merchants.
• Dive into details, ask the right questions, and drive the right customer outcomes
• Maintain solid understanding of design approaches, technologies, products, and processes utilized by your team
• Work closely with stakeholders across diverse functions to ensure smooth execution of team goals
• Communicate clearly and concisely in verbal and written formats
• Identify and optimize workflows and best practices for operational excellence
• Prioritize root cause resolution and process improvements
• Create an inclusive team environment where every employee feels valued, trusted, connected, and informed
• Evaluate employee performance against expectations and navigate challenging conversations with empathy and professionalism
• Present decisions to senior leaders
• Foster shared understanding to meet business needs and reach consensus on approach

Skills:

• Proven ability to manage teams and deliver results in areas with defined strategy
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and ability to influence outcomes in a complex, fast-paced environment
• Proficient in analyzing business trends, assessing underlying drivers of results, and making data-driven decisions
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Adept at learning new tools and systems
• Creative mindset with a knack for solving problems and managing ambiguity
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to different audiences
• Strong listening, empathy, and partnership skills to work cross-functionally and build trust

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, or 4+ years of management experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing and managing a high-performing team
• Experience analyzing metrics to drive business improvements
• Experience presenting to senior leadership
• Experience in project/program management, supply chain, and/or inventory management

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, TX, Austin - 92,900.00 - 162,500.00 USD annually