Category Manager Sr Team Leader

Category Manager Senior Team Leader

At our Company, we grow People, Brands, and Businesses! We are seeking a dynamic Senior Category ManagerTeam Leader to be an emerging leader who can leverage their knowledge and skills to mentor and guide a team of Category Managers, Category Leadership Associates, and Category Analysts to deliver winning solutions for our clients and customers.  As an established expert in the application of all Category Management processes, this associate will utilize their technical expertise, strong foundational knowledge of the industry, and data (syndicated and shopper) driven insight creation to create value for our clients and customers while building the skills of their team.  The Senior Category ManagerTeam Leader will be able to prioritize business requests to meet deadlines and drive optimal ROI while fostering a culture of continuous professional development, leading by example. 

If you are looking to make a difference as a part of a great team, come, stay, grow and lead with the Analytics, Insights and Intelligence team at the Company! Apply Today!

What we offer:

• Full-Time Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life)
• 401(k) with company match
• Training and Career Development
• Generous Paid Time-Off

Responsibilities:

• Engage with assigned clients/customers and internal stakeholders to understand and prioritize strategies and objectives and building strong, value-added relationships.
• Track and guide our RAVE process across direct reports, working to reinforce the importance of value creation measurement with clients/customers.
• Manage and mentor a small group of Category Managers, Category Leadership Associates, and Category Analysts in the principles and practices of Category Management.
• Continually identify, develop, and present engaging, insight-driven though leadership and analysis to clients, customers, and internal stakeholders.
• Be a Strategic Though Partner, driving insights into action through the deep analytics of the category, macro-trends, competitive landscape, pricing, promotion, assortment, space management, and shopper trends.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Math, Statistics, or Economic fields or equivalent job-related experience required
• 3-5 years of experience in Category Management role within the CPG industry
• Intellectually curious, eager to problem solve, and a quick learner
• Demonstrated ability to work with large data sets; an appetite for numbers and analytics
• Demonstrated ability to effectively prioritize business requests

Job Will Remain Open Until Filled

The Company is one of North America’s leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today.

The Senior Category ManagerTeam Leader is an emerging leader who can leverage their knowledge and skills to mentor and guide a team of Category Managers, Category Leadership Associates, and Category Analysts to deliver winning solutions for our clients and customers.  As an established expert in the application of all Category Management processes, this associate will utilize their technical expertise, strong foundational knowledge of the industry, and data (syndicated and shopper) driven insight creation to create value for our clients and customers while building the skills of their team.  The Senior Category ManagerTeam Leader will be able to prioritize business requests to meet deadlines and drive optimal ROI while fostering a culture of continuous professional development, leading by example.  The Company differentiates ourselves from our competition through the flexibility and talent of our Ai2 team….be a part of it!

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

Client/Customer Leadership and Management

• Engage with assigned clients/customers and internal stakeholders to understand and prioritize strategies and objectives and building strong, value-added relationships
• Utilizes syndicated scan, panel, and geodemographic data along with client and market research to proactively identify mutually beneficial, actionable, and quantifiable solutions that meet today’s business needs
• Track and guide our RAVE process across direct reports, working to reinforce the importance of value creation measurement with clients/customers

Associate Development

• Manage and mentor a small group of Category Managers, Category Leadership Associates, and Category Analysts in the principles and practices of Category Management
• Evaluates available resources to create efficiencies in team structure and work streams that allow associates to be nimble, more easily adapt to changing trends or opportunities, and promotes personal development while being focused on ROI

Thought Leadership

• Continually identify, develop, and present engaging, insight-driven though leadership and analysis to clients, customers, and internal stakeholders.  Presentations will demonstrate both data and story-telling mastery and effectively integrate category, consumer, and shopper insights with a quantifiable action plan.
• Be a Strategic Though Partner, driving insights to action through deep analytics of the category, macro-trends, competitive landscape, pricing, promotion, assortment, space management, and shopper trends
• Champion democratization of data and self-service reporting across internal client and/or customer sales teams
• Resource for strategic, enterprise driven analytics and insight work

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct Reports
- Hires, retains, trains, coaches, guides, directs, and develops direct reports using company-wide processes, tools and resources

Indirect Reports
- May delegate work of others and provide guidance, direction and mentoring to indirect reports

Travel and/or Driving Requirements

- Travel is an essential duty and function of this job. Driving is not an essential duty or function of this job. 
- Travel up to 30% 

Minimum Qualifications

The following are the minimum job-related qualifications which an individual needs in order to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the job

Education Level: (Required)  Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
 
Field of Study/Area of Experience:  Marketing, math, statistics, or economic fields
- 3-5 years of experience in Category Management role within the CPG industry

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Intellectually curious, eager to problem solve, and a quick learner
• Well-organized and strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Demonstrated ability to work with large data sets; appetite for numbers and analytics
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively as part of a team; a hunger for “winning together”
• Ability to confidently work with client, customer, and internal leadership
• Demonstrated ability to effectively prioritize business requests
• Creativity…. with a passion for building visually compelling presentations
• Good communication – written and oral – skills and strong interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated forward-looking, strategic thinking ability
• Microsoft Office experience: Mastery of Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• Syndicated Data experience: Mastery of IRI, Nielsen, and other relevant platforms preferred
• Deep experience with application of shopper panel data and geodemographic data sets
• Complete understanding and application of principles and practices of Category Management (analysis of assortment, pricing, promotion, shelving, shopper) with tangible value creation from projects
• Passion for development of self and others
• Demonstrated ability to manage, lead, mentor, and inspire

Environmental & Physical Requirements

Office / Sedentary Requirements
Incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of the job.  Work is performed primarily in an office environment. Typically requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time (66%+ each day), ability to hear the telephone, ability to enter data on a computer and may also require the ability to lift up to 10 pounds. 

Additional Information Regarding The Company Job Duties and Job Descriptions

Job duties include additional responsibilities as assigned by one’s supervisor or other manager related to the position/department. This job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position. The Company reserves the right at any time with or without notice to alter or change job responsibilities, reassign or transfer job position or assign additional job responsibilities, subject to applicable law.  The Company shall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable a qualified applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment as required by the law.

Any estimate, schedule, or guideline provided to associates in this job description or elsewhere in connection with their jobs is only intended to help describe job duties and for planning purposes.  Regardless of any such estimate, schedule, or guideline, associates must always record all time worked for our company (which includes but is not limited to on-site work time in an assigned store, office, or other work location; required waiting time; administrative time; and work-related travel time).

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of associates so classified.

The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity in all employment practices without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental disability, or any other category protected by law. As part of this commitment, the Company shall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable an applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment as required by the law.