Associate Category Manager - Canada

Vita Coco; Remote; CAD 85,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading beverage company is seeking an Associate Category Manager in Toronto. This role is essential for driving growth in the Canadian retail landscape by developing category strategies and insights. You will analyze data, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and maintain expertise on beverage trends. Candidates should have 3-5 years of experience in the CPG industry and a relevant Bachelor's degree. The expected salary is between $85,000 and $90,000 CAD, commensurate with experience.

Benefits

Health benefits

Competitive salary

Promotions and training opportunities

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of CPG industry experience, preferably in category management.
• Excellent understanding of beverage trends and strategy.
• Experience with data analysis and insights.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of the Canadian Category Playbook.
• Analyze data to inform category strategy.
• Collaborate with sales and marketing teams.

Skills

CPG industry experience

Analytical skills

Presentation skills

Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Strong mastery of panel data sources

Time management skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in a business-related field

Tools

JDA or other space planning software

Circana

Nielsen

Job description

The Vita Coco Company, created in 2004 by Co-CEO Michael Kirban and Ira Liran, produces the leading brand of coconut water in the United States with a growing presence around the world.

In 2021, The Vita Coco Company became a publicly traded, Public Benefit Corporation. With a growing portfolio of natural products, The Vita Coco Company has identified its public benefit purpose as creating ethical, sustainable products that uplift communities and do right by our planet by harnessing and protecting nature’s resources.

In 2022, The Vita Coco Company was certified as a B Corporation™ furthering the Company’s commitment toward operating its business as a force for good, while delivering better-for-you products.

Vita Coco is headquartered in New York City with international offices in London and Singapore. The Company is Nasdaq-listed under ticker symbol COCO.

What You’ll Do:

The Associate Category Manager – Canada will play an instrumental role in accelerating Vita Coco’s growth across the Canadian retail landscape. You are a curious, proactive, and business-minded storyteller who knows how to turn data into clear narratives and actionable strategies.

As our Canadian market expert, you will develop a deep understanding of the beverage category across regions, channels, and retailers, and you’ll serve as a trusted advisor to both internal partners and external customers. You will also lead the development of the Canadian Category Playbook, an essential guide to category drivers, assortment principles, shelving strategy, shopper insights, and growth opportunities.

You will also own the identification, scoping, and onboarding of new Canadian data and insights partners, enabling the organization to bring a richer view of the Canadian shopper to life.

This role will report to the Senior Category Manager – Large Format and will be a remote role based in the Toronto area.

How You’ll Do It:

Storytelling

• Bring a storytelling mindset, elevating insights beyond “what happened” to “why it matters” and “what we should do next”
• Tailor content and recommendations to audiences across Sales, Marketing, and retailers
• Craft compelling presentations that simplify complexity and guide stakeholders toward action
• Navigate ambiguity with confidence, connecting dots across multiple data sources

Market Expertise

• Maintain an informed pulse on the Canadian beverage landscape
• Serve as the internal expert on the coconut water and natural + functional beverage categories
• Share insights across teams to shape strategy and engagement
• Identify growth opportunities using shopper, trade, and competitive insights

Category Playbook Development

• Build and evolve the Canadian Category Playbook
• Translate insights into category principles that guide decision-making
• Partner with Sales to integrate the playbook into JBP and sell‑ins
• Keep the playbook fresh with ongoing learnings

Data & Insights Enablement

• Scope and evaluate new data partners
• Lead onboarding and integration of new datasets
• Build scalable reporting tools to improve visibility into Canadian performance
• Champion data integrity and analytics best practices

Relationships

• Partner closely with the Canada Sales team and broker counterparts
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Marketing, Innovation, Consumer Insights, and other cross‑functional partners
• Serve as a trusted advisor to retailers
• Manage multiple stakeholders and shifting priorities

Analysis

• Maintain a strong pulse on business performance
• Synthesize multiple data sources into actionable recommendations
• Analyze shelving, assortment, pricing, and merchandising to identify growth opportunities
• Lead special analytical projects, with the opportunity to take on U.S. projects as business needs warrant

What You’ll Bring to Vita Coco:

• 3-5 years of CPG industry experience, with category management, business insights, or shopper insights experience preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in a business‑related field required
• Significant experience with scanning data sources, such as Circana, Nielsen, and/or retailer‑specific data sources
• Strong mastery of panel data sources, such as Numerator and/or retailer‑specific data sources
• Experience with JDA or other space planning software
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• A natural curiosity for and expertise in natural + functional beverage trends and strategy
• A continuous improvement mindset rooted in a genuine desire to understand what’s working and what’s not
• Proactivity and the desire to go above and beyond to achieve results
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously

Note – occasional travel for retailer and internal meetings required.

At The Vita Coco Company, compensation decisions are dependent upon a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to: skill set, experience, education, training, licensure and certifications, knowledge and abilities of the applicant, alignment with market data, and other business and organizational needs. A reasonable estimate of the current pay range for this position is $85,000 - $90,000 CAD.

The Vita Coco Company is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation (including transgender status, gender identity or expression), physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, AIDS/HIV status, military service, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. The Company is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy in regard to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.