Manager Category Development

About the Role: This role leads planning and development of the HEINEKEN USA portfolio within an assigned territory for Kroger. Collaborates cross-functionally with key internal stakeholders including Zone Directors, Market Managers, Sales Leaders, Brand Marketing, Category Development, Finance, and the Management Team. Externally, this position interacts with Kroger Category Managers, and distributor partners that are critical to our business success. The job requires previous account management experience, ability to understand and leverage syndicated data to influence customer decisions, and the ability to build and execute business plans that align with the strategic visions of both HEINEKEN USA and Kroger

About the Role: This role leads planning and development of the HEINEKEN USA portfolio within an assigned territory for Kroger. Collaborates cross-functionally with key internal stakeholders including Zone Directors, Market Managers, Sales Leaders, Brand Marketing, Category Development, Finance, and the Management Team. Externally, this position interacts with Kroger Category Managers, and distributor partners that are critical to our business success. The job requires previous account management experience, ability to understand and leverage syndicated data to influence customer decisions, and the ability to build and execute business plans that align with the strategic visions of both HEINEKEN USA and Kroger

Key Responsibilities:

• Delivering business objectives that focus on driving volume, revenue, and profit growth.
• Creating and executing vision of success for your territory that aligns with HEINEKEN USA and Kroger’s strategic goals.
• Using compelling data to gain distribution and feature activity that aligns with HEINEKEN USA and Kroger priorities.
• Setting key performance management indicators for success, communicating and monitoring progress vs. goals
• Collaborating with Customer Marketing to bring HEINEKEN USA promotional platforms to Kroger.
• Partnering with HEINEKEN USA field sales team and distributors to ensure effective execution.
• Independently looking for solutions and insights to drive the Kroger Heineken USA business.
• Comfortability in balancing multiple both sales stakeholders as well as multiple buyers
• Building reporting and dashboards to better inform team stakeholders on the performance of the business.

Basic Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• 3+ years category or shopper experience and/or regional and independent experience
• (customer facing)
• Must be a strong, confident, engaging self-starter with no fear of breaking down barriers.

and a determination to work hard and collaborate at the highest levels.

• Proficient in CPG industry insights tools, such as: AC Nielsen, IRI, Spectra, shopper

panel data, shopper loyalty data, JDA space planning, Shelf Architect space planning tool

• Capable of building strong collaborative relationships that allow for some risk-taking

while maintaining trust

• Strong financial and business acumen with the ability to quantify financial impacts on

assortment decisions and promotional performance

• Expertise in Excel including pivot tables, macros, vlookups.
• Strong proficiency in PowerPoint
• Ability to work in an agile environment.
• Ability to work cross-functionally across departments in the company.

Preferred Qualifications:

• CPG/Adult Beverage industry experience preferred.
• Experience working with Kroger or their Banners.
• Experience in using IRI/Circana
• Proficiency in PowerBi
• Experience in VIP Karma and iDig

Heineken USA is an equal opportunity employer. We believe the diversity of our people makes us as strong and unique as our brands. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, age or any other basis protected by law.

This position is not available for visa sponsorship.