Associate Manager, Category Management - Baskin-Robbins

Inspire; Canton (MA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 133,000; Full time

Job summary

Inspire seeks an Associate Category Management Manager to support Baskin-Robbins U.S. core and existing product lines for Cakes and Take Home.

The role partners with senior leaders to define objectives and strategies for the coming year and beyond, ensuring effective execution of launches and category tactics. The candidate will work across marketing, culinary, and operations to develop calendars, forecasts, and initiatives that drive sales and profitability while maintaining brand storytelling

Qualifications

• 4 year degree in marketing, business management or related field.
• Experience in marketing, brand strategy, category management or related expertise.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate strategy into actionable plans.

Responsibilities

• Execute product launches and category programs for Cakes and Take Home.
• Prepare readiness materials, planograms, testing, and communications for launches.
• Collaborate with digital and IT teams to support category on POS and digital channels.
• Draft pricing strategies and briefs based on performance and market trends.
• Ensure product positioning and storytelling across marketing assets.

Skills

Marketing strategy

Brand management

Category management

Cross-functional collaboration

Business acumen

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business or related field

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

Supports the category management for Baskin-Robbins U.S. core and existing product lines for Cakes and Take Home. This roles supports the execution of product launches, maintenance of category programs and tactics to drive sales and profit for an iconic brand. The Associate Category Management Manager collaborates with the Manager of Category Management and Director of Category Management and Culinary Innovation to define product marketing objectives and strategies for the upcoming year and beyond.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Participates in the execution of product launches and category programs for Cakes and Take Home categories
• Supports the successful execution of product launches and category programs through readiness materials, planograms, testing, communications and collaboration.
• Partners with digital and IT teams to support the category on digital channels and technology (POS).
• Draft category menu and pricing strategies and culinary and creative briefs based on ongoing performance, competition, macroeconomic trends, and consumer insights.
• Ensure the product positioning and story comes to life across all marketing assets and readiness materials.

• Partners with the Category Management Manager and Director to define product marketing objectives and strategies
• Work with Director to define and refine product and category strategies to meet brand business objectives.
• Support product focused programs to drive sales and traffic grounded in a compelling business case, including sales and profit forecasts and franchisee profitability evaluation.
• Assist with the development of the brand product calendar and ad-hoc projects, presentations and reports to support the Director of Category Management and Baskin-Robbins Marketing team.

• Collaborates with teams to support the business
• Become an expert of the categories in order to overcome challenges, define and execute opportunities for growth.
• Energize our team, agencies and system around marketing programs.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders such as Culinary Innovation, Brand Experience, Integrated Marketing Communications, Restaurant Excellence, Supply Chain, POS, Franchisees and others to develop and launch products.
• Collaborates with and provides constructive feedback to agency partners, co-brand partners and vendors to improve how product is executed for consumers.

Requirements

• 4 Year Degree in Marketing, Business Management or Related field
• 2+ Years working in marketing, brand strategy, category management or related expertise
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, multi-task, prioritize and be detail oriented.
• Experience with new product development preferred.
• Business acumen, including understanding of market trends, consumers, competitors and P&L fluency.
• Ability to think strategically and creatively.
• Ability to collect and synthesize information, making it relevant, understandable, and actionable for key stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, especially the ability to explain difficult concepts in applicable business terms. Strong ability to summarize strategies into (PowerPoint) presentations in clear and understandable message.
• Self-starter personality who can operate with some supervision.
• Ideal candidate has an inquisitive nature, a passion for learning and solving problems and a growth mindset.
• Passion for ice cream and cake!

Travel: 10-30% Periodically

Salary: $79,953 - $133,256 per year

The salary range above represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual placement within this range will vary based on various factors including but not limited to experience, education, training, and location.

Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,300 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide. We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company. We’re a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a staple—it’s an experience. At Inspire, that’s our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.