Category Marketing Manager

Maple Leaf Foods Inc.; Mississauga; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Category Marketing Manager to drive growth strategies and lead innovation in a dynamic environment. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance brand positioning and optimize pricing strategies. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketing, demonstrating critical thinking and leadership skills. Join a company committed to sustainability and community impact, where you can thrive in a high-performance culture that values diversity and inclusion. If you're passionate about making a difference in the food industry, this is the opportunity for you.

Benefits

Health and Wellness benefits

Defined Contribution Pension Plan

Learning and development opportunities

Tuition reimbursement program

Paid volunteer days

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and proven results in a CPG environment required.
• Must possess strong analytical and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies for brand growth.
• Lead commercialization of new product innovations.
• Analyze market trends and provide actionable insights.

Skills

Critical Thinking

Commercial Acumen

Project Management

Data Analysis

Leadership

Team Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Job description

The Opportunity:

As one of the only CPG companies to be headquartered in Canada, a marketing career at Maple Leaf offers you a unique opportunity to develop strategies and act as the general manager of a business, rather than work at a satellite office. The Category Marketing Manager owns developing and executing growth strategies anchored in deep understanding of 3Cs (Consumer/Customer, Competitors, Company) and 4 Ps (Product, Price, Promotion, Placement) inclusive of 1–3-year innovation pipeline. You will partner effectively with experts in Revenue Growth Management and Brand; Responsible for briefing the agency and creative territory selection. This position needs to balance creative skills with critical thinking, project management, and performance measurement. The successful candidate will be someone who wants to build a career in CPG marketing and brings a passion for getting things done.

Any MLF team member interested in being considered for this role are encouraged to apply online by December 17. Applications received beyond that date are not guaranteed consideration.

Snapshot of a Day-in-the-Life:

• Develop and execute category strategies that capitalize on our brand positions to drive channel growth and share gains.
• Develop consumer-centric innovation to address consumer pain points, and lead the commercialization of new product innovations, working with cross-functional stakeholders including product development, finance, revenue management, operations, packaging, graphics, & purchasing to ensure successful, on-time launches.
• Initiate category specific brand management and communication in collaboration with Brand team.
• Partner with Revenue Management lead to ensure price and promotional strategies are optimized.
• Work closely with Sales to understand and execute against specific customer strategies or tactics to build category growth and branded share.
• Consistently leverage data and develop insights from Nielsen and internal data sources to provide category share and financial reporting and analysis for the category, including weekly, monthly, and annual rhythms as well as ad hoc analyses.
• Analyze brands, market, and competitive trends and recommend suitable actions.
• Participate in MLF’s annual budgeting and five-year planning process.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s Degree plus track record of results within a CPG environment.
• Must be proactive and performance driven, have a bias for action and be able to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment with the ability to adapt easily to changing market dynamics.
• Experience managing a large complex business with a proven success in market with brand management.
• A strong team player, mentor and coach to cross-functional team members with well-developed “people interaction” skill set.
• Competency requirements:
• Commercial Acumen and P&L Management– Solid understanding of key drivers of the P&L with ability to recommend changes required to move the business forward.
• Critical Thinking and Insights– Able to analyze and draw conclusions and insights from internal & external data sources demonstrated through building, tracking, and course correcting business plans to achieve targets.
• Agility and Effectiveness– Able to stay focused on driving key business priorities in a dynamic business environment.
• Sales Knowledge and Connectivity– Demonstrate understanding of customer strategies and motivations and applies accordingly to marketing planning process & initiative execution.
• Leadership and Influence– Skilled in mobilizing and motivating cross functional teams to achieve commercial objectives.
• Strategic Leadership– Demonstrate big picture thinking with an ability to clearly articulate a strategic direction, justified with sound fact-based rationale. Sells ideas and recommendations through to management convincingly.

What We Offer at Maple Leaf Foods:

• Being part of a high-performance, people-focused company that has an inspiring and unique vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth, and a deep commitment to sustainable protein across North America.
• An inclusive company culture and a work environment that keeps our people safe, rewards excellence, and empowers everyone to learn and contribute their best.
• A hybrid work model that embraces remote work for eligible roles, helping team members achieve work-life balance—combining the best of both spending time working remotely, benefitting from focus time, and purposeful collaboration in the office setting.
• Competitive Health and Wellness benefits that offer flexibility to meet your individual or family needs, including programs focused on improving mental health and wellbeing. These benefits start on your first day of employment.
• Defined Contribution Pension Plan with company matching that starts on your first day of employment.
• Learning and development opportunities, including workshops, ‘speaker series’ events, and resources that allow you to develop your skills and progress your career.
• Comprehensive tuition reimbursement program that supports continuous learning and development of our team members through investment in eligible degrees, diplomas, professional certification, or trades programs.
• Supporting our deep commitment to community impact, we offer up to two paid days annually to volunteer at a cause of your choice.

About Us:

We’re a carbon neutral food company on a purposeful journey to Raise the Good in Food through better nutrition, safer food and workplaces, more humane animal care, and environmental sustainability efforts that protect our planet. We care about our communities and commit to reducing food insecurity in Canada. Join us on the journey. Let’s build a better future, together.

We’re passionate about food. For more than 100 years, we’ve made delicious, healthy protein that Canadians love under iconic national and regional brands, like Maple Leaf, Schneiders, and Greenfield Natural Meat Co. We’re on a journey to become the most sustainable protein company – not just in Canada – but on earth.

• We are carbon neutral.
• We are one of the only food companies in Canada to set science-based targets.

A diverse and inclusive work environment

Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision and living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values. We believe in building, investing in, recognizing, and rewarding remarkable people who value an inclusive workplace, embrace all forms of diversity, and commit to including every voice in our collaborative environment. We’re so much stronger when we know we’re accepted and valued for who we are and what we each bring to the workplace.

We embrace a strong, values-based culture

Our eight Leadership Values are our north star. They guide the decisions we make for all our stakeholders: our consumers, our customers, our people, our communities, our shareholders, and the environment.

• Doing What’s Right
• Shared Value
• High Performance
• Diverse and Inclusive Teams
• Disciplined Decision Making
• Our Accountability
• Intense Curiosity
• Transparency and Humility

We thank all applicants for their interest in exploring employment opportunities with Maple Leaf Foods; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Applicants may be subject to a background check and must meet the security criteria designated for the position.

Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision, living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values, and delivering winning results. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment and assessment process and when hired; please contact our Talent Attraction Team at [e-mail].

Disclaimer: Please note that salaries posted on sites other than the MLF Careers Page are not a reflection of Maple Leaf Foods and are an estimated salary range provided by that particular job board. Maple Leaf Foods offers competitive wages and an attractive total rewards package, which will be discussed during an interview with our Talent Team.

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