Category Management Specialist

Specialist, Category Management serves as a category expert across multiple consumer packaged goods categories, supporting business growth through category insights, portfolio management, innovation development, and customer-facing recommendations. This role leverages syndicated data, consumer research, market trends, and competitive intelligence to identify opportunities, develop compelling selling stories, and support strategic decision-making. The position offers broad exposure to Sales, Marketing, R&D, Regulatory, Finance, and Operations, providing a strong development path toward future leadership roles within Category Management.

• Utilize syndicated data, market research, category insights, and market analysis to develop and update Sales Materials and support New Product Development
• Launch new consumer market research surveys to support and inform category insights
• Utilize Data Tools and Insights to become a Category Expert
• Support category sales, margin, and profitability objectives through portfolio analysis, SKU optimization recommendations, and innovation planning.
• Leverage Cross-Functional Teams to create selling slides for project approval meetings
• Manage Customer Correspondence Letters for any new portfolio enhancements
• Help keep category portfolio up-to-date based on market audits, product life cycle, syndicated data, consumer trends and online research
• Support product conversions, reformulations, packaging updates, and assortment optimization initiatives.
• Maintain category portfolio documentation, competitive tracking tools, and innovation pipelines.
• Assist with Stage Gate and new product approval processes.

• Utilize research tools and consumer trends to develop Category Insights to inform short-term and Long-Term new product pipeline opportunities
• Manage new product label claim development with Cross-Functional Teams
• Help prepare Customer Presentations and make category assortment recommendations
• Evaluate emerging consumer trends and whitespace opportunities to support innovation strategy.
• Develop consumer-focused product claims and product concepts in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Support customer category presentations, conversion activities, and new item launches.
• Partner with R&D, Packaging Development and Sales teams to bring new products to market.

n/a

Bachelor’s degree required in Business, Marketing or Communications

0-4 years of experience in Category Management, Marketing, Consumer Insights, Product Development, Business Analytics, Sales Support, or related Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) experience. Internship experience in CPG, retail analytics, market research, or category management is highly valued.

• Strong business acumen, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify opportunities from data and market insights.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams.
• Strong communication, presentation, and data storytelling skills with the ability to translate insights into actionable recommendations for internal teams and customers.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently and proactively drive projects.
• Intellectual curiosity and passion for uncovering consumer, shopper, and market insights.
• Ability to utilize quantitative, qualitative, and syndicated research tools to identify consumer trends and category opportunities.

• Skilled at Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint and Excel
• Experience with syndicated data platforms (Circana, NielsenIQ, SPINS, Numerator, etc.) preferred
• Experience with Tableau, Power BI, or similar visualization tools preferred
• Advanced Excel skills preferred (Pivot Tables, data analysis, reporting)
• Monthly category performance reports and competitive updates
• Customer-specific selling presentations and assortment recommendations
• Innovation concept summaries and new product opportunity assessments
• Consumer research survey development, analysis, and reporting
• Market audits, product benchmarking, and competitive intelligence updates
• Category review presentations and SKU optimization recommendations
• Weekly project support presentations and support materials for internal meetings
• Product claims documentation and commercialization support materials
• Ongoing assortment, pricing, and category trend analyses

• Develop expertise across assigned product categories and become a trusted internal resource for category trends and insights.
• Identify opportunities for portfolio optimization, innovation, and business growth through data-driven analysis.
• Contribute to the development and commercialization of new product opportunities.
• Support customer presentations with compelling category insights,…