Job Description

Reporting to the Vice President of Assortment, Space, and Planning Capabilities, the Sr. Principal Program Manager, Macro Space is charged with advancing Whole Foods Market’s macro space strategy by building and maintaining a cohesive workflow across a diverse set of complex inputs to create the best customer experience, unique to each store at scale. This role will work across a high-profile set of diverse stakeholders to drive alignment for the facilitation and execution of our store portfolio strategy across our fleet of stores. This work is cross-functional in nature, with key partnerships including Strategy & Business Development, Store Design, Analytics, Merchandising Presentation, Operations, Merchant Teams, Product, and Technology. The role requires a bias for action and total store approach that facilitates solutions in service to all categories within WFM’s assortment. This role will deliver near-term impact while supporting our long-term Growing with Purpose strategy in parallel.

*This role is based in Austin, TX, with an expectation of five days per week in the Store Support office*

Responsibilities:

• Lead merchandising enablement workstreams for macro space build as assigned.
• Own the creation of strategy, performance, and planning for macro space initiatives, and as assigned.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational excellence and deliver expected operating and financial results.
• Deliver actionable recommendations relating to the customer experience, business strategy, financial performance, and effective utilization of resources.
• Ensure alignment between projects and work streams related to merchandising presentation dependencies in product, technology, store operations and store development.
• Supports fixture installation strategy and execution across stakeholders.
• Earn trust, establish credibility, and build partnerships with leaders across the organization.

Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree and 8-10 years’ relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Expert knowledge in retail space planning. Grocery experience a plus.
• Previous experience aligning different stakeholders to execute deadline driven initiatives.
• Previous experience partnering with cross-functional WFM and Amazon teams.
• Previous experience presenting in front of senior executives.
• Proven experience in actively listening to and understanding diverse perspectives, effectively disagreeing, and devising solutions that benefit the business and all stakeholders involved.
• Extensive experience representing, verbally and in writing, complex decisions, tough trade-offs, and potential solutions clearly to leaders.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including executive presence.
• Proven experience synthesizing and dispersing information into effective strategies and innovative insights, translating complex ideas into simple, actionable recommendations.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, prioritize work, and deliver against timebound workstreams.
• Customer focused, operationally savvy, excellent communicator with strong business acumen, and the ability to influence without authority.
• Key success skills: Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Shared Fate with Self-Responsibility, Driving Execution, Inspiring Excellence, Be a Servant Leader, Establishing Strategic Direction.
• A passion for the Whole Foods Market mission, higher purpose, values, and leadership principles.
• Ability to travel up to 25%
• This role is based in Austin, TX, with an expectation of five days per week in the Store Support office.