Associate Category Management Manager, LCL

Colgate-Palmolive; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the consumer products sector is seeking an Associate Category Management Manager to enhance collaboration with Loblaw. This role emphasizes strategic growth via data analysis and effective category management practices while requiring 7+ years of industry experience and proficiency with various sales technologies.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in consumer product sales or brand management.
• 3+ years in Category Management using syndicated data.
• Experience in sales or advisory role with LCL.

Responsibilities

• Conduct planogram reviews and support ad hoc analysis.
• Develop presentations for new innovations and key issues.
• Evaluate Colgate and competitor promotions for effectiveness.

Skills

Data Analysis

Category Management

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Market Dynamics Understanding

Education

HBA, BBA, B. Comm / MBA or equivalent

Tools

JDA Space Planning

Microsoft Office Suite

Google Sheets

Nielsen Discover Platform

Nielsen Homescan

Numerator

Job description

The Associate Category Management Manager will support Colgate's relationship with Loblaw's. In this role, you will act as an external consultant to LCL as an advisor and internal consultant to Colgate. You will identify opportunities that deliver category and customer growth through fact-based recommendations, assess data trends, analyze LDIA data (POS & consumer), Numerator, shopper/insights data, and syndicated/point-of-sale data to identify key customer opportunities for growth and areas of risk. This role requires a solid understanding of Category Management processes and practices to collaborate effectively with both customers and internal teams in areas such as product assortment, shelf merchandising, promotional, and pricing strategies. The ideal candidate is an energetic, entrepreneurial, proactive individual who can resolve complex problems, understand market dynamics, and employ sound decision-making skills.

What you'll do :

• Complete weekly reports, projects, and ad hoc business issues required by the buyer. Conduct planogram reviews (post POG reviews, vendor submissions/recommendations, POG build, etc.)
• Support the LCL team internally at Colgate by performing ad hoc analysis, proactive reporting, and identifying business issues that need addressing
• Act as the category expert for LCL by delivering best practice presentations that identify market opportunities and trends
• Develop customer presentations for new innovations, key business issues, and planogram recommendations for Q1 & Q3
• Establish strong, multi-level relationships with assigned customers based on mutual trust and integrity
• Communicate and reinforce brand strategies and priorities to the team
• Align brand strategies with customer strategies for mutual benefit and support new product initiatives accordingly
• Support category management growth using the latest sales technologies, including shelf management tools, point-of-sale systems, and Nielsen applications, emphasizing fact-based selling
• Demonstrate expertise in category management and assortment decisions, identifying opportunities for high-performing items and addressing distribution issues to drive growth
• Use shelf management software and category expertise to recommend shelf placements for new and existing products to secure beneficial distribution
• Coordinate "Fair Share of Shelf" initiatives and develop planograms using appropriate software
• Evaluate the effectiveness of Colgate and competitor promotions through post-analysis and provide internal recommendations
• Interpret shopper and consumer research to develop category solutions with customers
• Participate in team building and sharing best practices to enhance team effectiveness
• Collaborate across all customer development functions to grow the business
• Monitor and scorecard the execution of 5P activities in line with objectives and guidelines

Required qualifications :

• HBA, BBA, B. Comm / MBA or equivalent
• Experience working with LCL in a sales or advisory role
• 7+ years of experience in consumer product sales, brand management, or related sales/marketing fields
• 3+ years in Category Management using syndicated data sources (Nielsen, IRI/Circana, Retail Link, LDIA, etc.)
• Proficient in JDA Space Planning, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Sheets, Nielsen Discover Platform, Nielsen Homescan, and Numerator
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to achieve results
• Comfortable working in a hybrid environment (3 days/week in the office)