Manager, Category Analytics

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Ohio.

📋 Description

• Establish trust and influence with designated retailers while aiding Smucker’s sales teams in enhancing brand penetration, growth, and development across specified categories and JMS Brand activation.

• Spearhead the tailored development of retailer-specific growth opportunities and diagnostics grounded in retailer, shopper, and category dynamics.

• Assist sales teams with insights for Joint Business Plans (JBP), line reviews, and annual sales planning for customers.

• Identify and execute growth opportunities for categories and JMS.

• Deliver comprehensive expertise in category, retail, consumer, and shopper insights to bolster sales initiatives.

• Serve as a liaison to the HQ category leadership and strategy team.

• Oversee the creation and delivery of customer-specific Category Growth Drivers, strategies, initiatives, and tailored content.

• Direct 4P tactical solutions for assigned customers and categories, managing shelving and assortment and collaborating on pricing and promotions.

• Provide thought leadership to enhance Smucker’s voice and influence with assigned retailers.

• Champion category-first approaches during Customer Category Reviews, Assessments, Top to Top meetings, JBP, and QBR meetings.

• Influence retailer category strategies through account-specific insights, business analysis, and recommendations on distribution, promotion, pricing, and shelf placement.

• Create customer-ready narratives, visuals, and tools supported by insights and data-driven recommendations.

• Ground planning and execution in facts and performance; monitor results, promotional/innovation effectiveness, risks, and opportunities.

• Identify category and JMS opportunities and risks with a proactive approach.

• Utilize consumer, shopper, and category insights to craft fact-based strategic selling and retail activation.

• Support and drive omni-channel activation and integration into category deliverables and workflows.

• Collaborate with category advisor teams and sales to propel business growth.

• Understand the competitive landscape for JMS and its customers.

• Communicate insights and learnings to various internal and external audiences.

• Provide business analytics for categories and key customers.

• Engage in retailer meetings.

• Collaborate and influence across various Strategic Business Areas (SBAs).

• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Insights, Intelligence, Category Strategy, and other departments to identify opportunities and translate insights into actionable plans.

• Act as an expert on customer business analytics and resources, including Circana, panel, and customer-specific data.

• Identify needs for tool development and data support systems to enhance visibility and utilization of category insights.

• Serve as the liaison to JMS HQ Category Leadership.

• Contribute to the long-term business strategy for customers.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.

• 6+ years of experience in the Consumer-Packaged Goods industry.

• 3+ years of experience in Category Management or Shopper Insights.

• Proven track record of building relationships with customers and retailers.

• Experience analyzing shopper and consumer-based CPG information.

• Strong analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and storytelling experience.

• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally, particularly in customer and sales-oriented roles.

• Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.

• Proficient in utilizing Circana or Nielsen data, POS and panel data, shopper card, customer-specific data, etc.

• Experience with planogramming or planogram software (e.g., JDA ProSpace, EZPOG).

• Capability to develop and translate insights into actionable strategies, with exceptional storytelling skills using data.

• Strategic mindset to assist in building and executing effective plans.

• Strong business and financial acumen.

• Willingness to travel up to 20-25% of the time.

• MBA is a plus, but not required.

• Experience working cross-functionally in a headquarters environment is a plus, but not required.

🏝️ Benefits

• Support for employees' physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

• Commitment to equal opportunity employment.