Associate Manager, Category Leadership, Meijer & Wakefern

How you will make history here...
As a member of the Meals and Beverage team, the Associate Manager Category Leadership will support two key accounts, Meijer and Wakefern, leveraging data and information systems including Circana (IRI), Numerator, Mintel, and customer specific tools such as dunnhumby to create clear direction to deliver growth and efficiency improvements. Primarily responsible for delivering shelving and distribution recommendations to Meijer & Wakefern, the Associate Manager Category Leadership will focus on the Meals and Beverage portfolio including soup & broth, pasta sauce, salsa, and shelf stable juice.  Inclusive of brands like Pacific, Campbell’s Chunky, Rao’s, Swanson, V8, and Pace. You’ll work collaboratively with Shopper Insights, Customer Sales Leads, Headquarter Category Strategy and Sales Planning to achieve Campbell and customer objectives.

Primary Responsibilities

• Analyze & interpret sales and consumer data to identify trends impacting our categories, brands, and items, and build stories to convey findings and solutions to our customers.

• Develop shelving and distribution strategies to meet consumer needs & behaviors.

• Develop close, trust and acumen-based relationships with internal cross functional partners that support business objectives and enhance executional excellence. 

• Enhance Category Leadership Team skills elevation goals by sharing best practices and skills with peers and elevating your own skills through similar exchanges. 

• Become the trusted partner for Meijer & Wakefern by understanding their strategies, ways of operating, and expectations to deliver category insights and shelving/distribution recommendations.

• Responsible for developing customer specific presentations of relevant consumer insights, competitive responses, and new item/category selling strategies.

•  Manages Category specific customer calls - e.g. category reviews, business updates, new item presentations, and plan-o-gram work.

• Works closely with Campbell’s sales teams to provide analytical support for key strategy changes (i.e. Annual Planning).

• Responsible for influencing & executing multiple POG versions across both customers to support category advisership status. 

Complexity And Scope

• Requires skill in leadership and influencing, professionalism, executive presence, prioritization, data analysis, PowerPoint presentation development, critical thinking, story-telling, collaboration & communication. 

• Works with peers and cross-functional groups including the customer, customer team, and World HQ resources.

• Provides Value added analysis resulting in a recommendation for implementation.

What you bring to the table (Must Have)

Bachelor’s Degree
4+ years CPG/analytical experience

Strongly Preferred Experience

• Data & Information systems proficiency (including Circana & dunnhumby)

• Experience building Plan-O-Grams in JDA/Blue Yonder

• Experience working for and/or calling on Meijer and/or Wakefern and with a CPG manufacturer

• Prior Category Leadership / Category Management / Analytics experience

• Experience analyzing category and consumer trends

• PowerPoint & Excel

Education & Experience Preferred (not Required)

• Strategic Insights (Kantar, Mintel)

• Software/Technical Skills: Circana IRI, Circana Panel Data, JDA/Blue Yonder Space Planning, Gateway, Power BI

• Category, Loyalty, & Shopper Knowledge

• Strong Communication Skills (Listening & Expressing)

• Problem Solving & Strong Analytical Ability with Excellent Attention to Detail

% OF TRAVEL REQUIRED FOR THE POSITION: ~20% travel may be required for customer, team, and internal meetings; shifting seasonally. 

LOCATION: This is a remote role located within 3hrs. of Grand Rapids Michigan