Director, Sourcing – Wine, Beer & Spirits

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued – as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country's largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well®.

At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong. 

Loblaw is a leader in the retail industry across Canada. With a team of approximately 200,000 colleagues, we welcome Canadians into our stores and online, serving them with a passionate focus on our purpose: helping Canadians to Live Life Well®.

Reporting to the Sr. Director, Liquor, Nicotine and Cannabis, the Director, Sourcing – Wine, Beer & Spirits will play a key leadership role in shaping our sourcing strategy, supplier partnerships and assortment across the business.

This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded sourcing leader who is passionate about the world of wine, spirits and beer. You will lead strategic supplier relationships and negotiations, identify emerging products and trends, develop new sourcing opportunities, and help us bring differentiated products and exceptional value to our customers.

We’re looking for someone who is naturally curious about the category and loves discovering what’s next. You may already have deep experience in wine, spirits and beer, or you may bring outstanding sourcing and commercial expertise along with a genuine desire to deepen your category knowledge. Either way, you understand that great sourcing is about more than negotiating cost – it’s about finding the right products, building strong partnerships and creating an assortment customers are excited to discover.

If you thrive on building relationships, negotiating great outcomes, spotting opportunities others may have missed and turning market insights into commercial results, we’d love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

• Lead the strategic sourcing vision and roadmap for wine, spirits and beer, identifying opportunities to strengthen our assortment, improve competitiveness and deliver exceptional quality and value for our customers.
• Lead senior-level commercial negotiations and develop strategic partnerships with producers, suppliers, agents and other industry partners in Canada and internationally.
• Seek out new, differentiated and emerging products, staying closely connected to consumer preferences, category trends, innovation and developments across global beverage markets.
• Develop sourcing strategies that balance customer needs, product quality, innovation, differentiation, cost, margin, inventory productivity and long-term category growth.
• Own the financial outcomes associated with sourcing strategy, including product cost, inventory productivity and contribution to overall category P&L performance.
• Partner closely with category, merchandising and banner leadership to translate sourcing opportunities into compelling assortments and customer propositions.
• Build and maintain a deep understanding of the competitive landscape, including assortment, pricing, product trends, supplier capabilities and global sourcing best practices.
• Develop strong relationships with external partners, including regulatory bodies and key industry associations, and maintain a thorough understanding of the regulatory environments in which we operate.
• Collaborate across Loblaw, including merchandising, operations, promotions, supply chain, loyalty, e-commerce, marketing and media, to bring sourcing strategies and programs to life.
• Coach, mentor and develop a high-performing team, fostering curiosity, commercial thinking, accountability and a passion for the category.

What You'll Need

• Post-secondary education or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. Post-graduate education and/or professional designations are an asset.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, merchandising, category management, business development or commercial leadership, ideally within retail, consumer packaged goods, hospitality or the beverage alcohol industry.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex commercial negotiations and developing productive, senior-level supplier relationships.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with forecasting, modelling, margin management and P&L performance.
• Experience using market intelligence, financial analysis, consumer insights and competitive information to identify opportunities and inform strategic decisions.
• A curious, customer-focused mindset and an instinct for identifying great products, emerging trends and new commercial opportunities.
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to engage, collaborate and influence senior stakeholders across multiple functions and divisions.
• Ability to think strategically while also being comfortable rolling up your sleeves to turn ideas and sourcing opportunities into results.
• A collaborative leadership style with demonstrated ability to coach, mentor and develop talent.
• Ability to navigate complexity, ambiguity and multiple regulatory environments while maintaining a strong sense of ownership and urgency.

A Definite Plus

Experience, education or professional training in wine, spirits and/or beer would be a significant asset. This could include direct industry experience, supplier or producer experience, formal beverage education, or recognized certifications such as the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET).

A genuine interest in the category matters to us. Whether you can already discuss regions, varietals, production methods and emerging spirits trends with confidence, or you have built your expertise through years in the industry, that knowledge will help you make an immediate impact in this role.

Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars – Environment, Sourcing and Community – and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values – Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence – guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits – these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

If you are unsure whether your experience matches every requirement above, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for varied perspectives which include diverse experiences that we can add to our team.

We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.

Please Note:
Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.

Hiring Range / Échelle salariale à l’embauche :
$120,000.00 - $154,000.00 / 120.000,00$ - 154.000,00$ (per year / par an)
A candidate’s experience and knowledge as well as the geographical region in which the position is located may be factored into the pay a candidate receives for this position. This posting is for an existing vacancy. The Company uses artificial intelligence for the purpose of screening, assessing and/or selecting applicants for this position. / L’expérience et les connaissances d’un candidat ainsi que la région géographique dans laquelle le poste est situé peuvent être prises en compte dans la rémunération qu’un candidat reçoit pour ce poste. Cette offre d’emploi concerne un poste vacant existant. L’entreprise utilise l’intelligence artificielle dans le but de filtrer, d’évaluer et/ou de sélectionner les candidats à ce poste.

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