About Wakefern Food Corp.
From a small, local cooperative that began with eight grocery store owners, Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. Founded in 1946, the cooperative comprises nearly 50 members who today independently own and operate 365 supermarkets under the ShopRite, The Fresh Grocer, Price Rite Marketplace, Fairway Market, Gourmet Garage, Dearborn Market and Di Bruno Bros. banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Employing an innovative approach to wholesale business services, Wakefern focuses on helping the independent retailer compete in a big business world. Providing the tools entrepreneurs need to stay a step ahead of the competition, Wakefern’s co-operative members benefit from the company’s extensive portfolio of services, including innovative technology, private label development, and best-in-class procurement practices.
College Partner Opportunity
Wakefern Food Corp. is seeking a Sports Marketing College Partner for January 2025 through July 2025.
In this position, the student will gain exposure to both the Marketing and Procurement sides of the food industry. The position will be project-based depending on business needs at the time, but will offer a great overview to the various facets of the food industry.
Marketing
The college partner's main focus will be on the marketing/program management for our Customer Marketing Division. This team partners heavily with our sales planning, procurement, and advertising teams to assist in carrying out our selling plan. They are responsible for carrying our brand message and offerings to potential customers through digital touchpoints, identifying new segments of potential customers building strategies to reach them and monetizing our selling plan with our vendor partners.
General Support
- Vendor workbook management
- Breaking down the vendor workbooks to insert into respective folders
- Identify missing or incorrect components from vendor workbooks and communicate to the Shopper Marketer for further action
- Maintaining the vendor contact list
- Pulling all information together from cross functional partners to finalize recaps (data analysis, email, digital coupon, recipe shelf, landing page, social, retail media, demo, OPD, shelf signage)
- Assist with proof of performance for manufacturers
Wakefern Marketing Planner Support
- Manage the Wakefern Marketing Planner on behalf of the shopper marketing team
- Create new events, edit existing events, manage and pull participation and vendor workbooks, troubleshoot issues with Inmar, and provide active feedback on enhancements for the tool
Premium Shelf Signage
- Work with Concord to secure the signage and the quote
- Distribute the installation instructions for the Surge Team
Landing Page Assets
- Inserting UPC’s into Landing Page Digital Submission workbook
- Submitting landing page assets through Monday.com
Recipe Shelf Assets
- Submits all recipe workbooks and images
- Notifies Social Media if submission is incorrect
Coupon building
- Once Analyst provides Target list, this role will build digital offers
- When target list and digital offer are complete, this role will email Inmar team and relevant Shopper Marketer with all details
- Maintains and distributes coupon tracker to Shopper Marketers
Additional Functions
Analytical Support
- Assist the shopper marketer and the analyst in creating a recap story for every campaign
- Building recap decks, making recommendations based on the data, and providing the analyst with all information needed
Own Brand Support
- Assist the Own Brand Center of Excellence including the Director, Product Managers and support division staff on Product Linking project
- Use excel, internal reporting and Store Brand Source System as way to capture national brand equivalents to more than 4,000 private label products
- Update internal report to include item attributes, such as ingredients, size and price
- Participate in retail store walks to become familiar with private label items and their national brand equivalent
Procurement Division Support (Replenishment)
- Provide direct replenishment support to a product division
- Execute purchasing objectives, communicate with vendors to insure timely and accurate delivery of product, including the scheduling of purchase orders
- Analyze business and financial reports, communicate findings to division leadership
- Coordinate the shuttling of product between warehouse to maintain inventory levels
- Attend division committee meetings, present as necessary
Procurement Division Support (Category Management)
- Shadow a Category Manager to understand the importance of go to market strategy including; pricing, shelf placement, marketing and promotion strategy
- Gain an understanding of the financial impact of items to the business; including key metrics such as gross profit, unit growth and sales
- Actively participate in vendor meetings with Category Managers as a way to develop negotiation skills
- Prepare a category review presentation, present at committee alongside a Category Manager
Procurement Division Support (Pricing)
- Analyze competition, product position and profitability and make recommendations for pricing changes based on analysis
- Research and provide fact based guidance to the category management teams in selecting pricing strategies that result in increased sales, profit and market share
- Provide analytical support associated with special projects and leadership requests
- Evaluate retail prices across industry channels to maintain competitive market positions while maximizing profitability
In addition, the college partner will have the opportunity to experience committee meetings, vendor negotiations, and divisional meetings. They will also be exposed to all aspects of Marketing, including: design, production and legal compliance, along with the development and execution of sales-driving private label brand marketing programs.
The right candidate for this opportunity is an excellent multi-tasker, highly organized and a self-starter who can keep a schedule and be aggressive with meeting deadlines and following a strict timeline. This is a great opportunity for a person with a Business, Food Marketing, or similar major to gain hands-on experience working with a highly successful company.
Required Skills and Abilities:
- High-level creative thinking and the confidence to use it
- Experience in creating supporting material – a plus (e.g. Adobe InDesign, eLearning material, Video Editing)
- Strong MS Office skills (Excel, Word and PowerPoint required)
- Strong interpersonal, analytical and customer service skills with the ability to multitask and manage time effectively
- Excellent communication skills (written, verbal and presentation)
- Ability to exhibit proper business etiquette when dealing with all levels of the organization
- Successful completion of a substance abuse test and background check required
- Valid driver's license and flexibility with regard to travel required
- Previous work experience in a retail environment is beneficial
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO A DIVERSE WORKFORCE, WHICH REFLECTS THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE
