Manager Category Development

About the Role:

The Manager, Category Development is responsible for growing category and brand volume and increasing revenue through the development and delivery of industry-leading category insights for retailers and distributors. This role is accountable for developing compelling sell stories that are supported by data resources for insight-led presentations and forging internal and external relationships to win with distribution and assortment, category business reviews, space planning strategies, and innovation introductions that drive achievement of HUSA goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver relevant, localized category insights and trend analyses to customers and assigned HUSA Chain Accounts team.
• Drive the regional and channel strategies by developing and telling stories of value to demonstrate ‘Why Heineken USA’ that are supported by the integrated use of all data resources; develop this into presentations that engage and motivate the intended audience.
• Proactively identify insights and ensure sales and category teams are provided with compelling and consistent strategic direction that will increase distribution and achieve HUSA goals.
• Partner with distributors by providing relevant data and analytical support to empower data-centric storytelling to enhance their retail execution in support of both their success and the HUSA portfolio. 
• Deliver effective data storytelling to drive and support HUSA assortment and space planning strategies and capitalize on category and high-end volume opportunities. 
• Utilize insights to offer category validatorship to customers demonstrating category objectivity while driving customer trust and increased distribution.

• Support senior level stakeholders with strategic insights, delivered in a way they can use to directly share with retailers or distributors.
• Support development of the HUSA sales programs as needed, including delivery of post-promotion analyses.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team to identify shopper insights and opportunities.
• Create and share best practices across the department and company to improve overall company performance.
• Work with Revenue Management / Pricing at a regional level as necessary to develop strong strategies and presentations.
• Prepare for, attend, and participate as required in customer quarterly business reviews, promotional planning meetings, and joint business planning workshops.
• Participate in bi-weekly sales team meetings, monthly category team meetings, and monthly RVP/Regional Marketing Director meetings.
• Contribute as required to monthly regional score carding and innovation score carding.
• Work with distributors to develop and execute trainings for distributor personnel, including data analysis skills to increase distributor success in selling the HUSA portfolio.

 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:

• Experience supporting Albertson’s business preferred
• Experience using Nielsen, IRI, and SymphonyAI Retail preferred
• CPG/adult beverage industry experience preferred

This position is not available for visa sponsorship