Category Advisor

Next Phase Enterprises; Bentonville (AR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401(k) profit sharing

Vacation

Holidays

Floating Holidays

Company-paid LTD and life insurance

Sick leave

Job summary

Next Phase Enterprises seeks a seasoned Category Development professional to lead Walmart Seasonal Bakery initiatives. You will drive shopper-focused category strategy, present data-driven insights, and shape modular drawings and space allocations for seasonal destinations.

The role requires extensive experience with category management, data analysis, and strong collaboration with Walmart buyers and internal teams. Travel 10–20% may be required.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a CPG Category Development role with modular systems and planograms
• Experience analyzing data across category management insights (POS, household data)
• Customer-facing Category Management experience preferred (Advisor/Captain)
• Knowledge of Walmart Scintilla or 8451 Stratum shopper data platforms preferred
• Strong storytelling and data visualization skills, reports to stakeholders
• Excellent Excel/PowerPoint skills; pivot tables, slicers, formulas; Tableau/Power BI a plus
• Ability to travel 10-20%
• Bachelor's Degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key, customer-facing contact for Walmart Merchant with category guidance
• Create shopper- and category-centric presentations to support category objectives
• Develop a long-term vision for Seasonal Bakery solutions to drive growth
• Provide category and shopper recommendations based on trends and analytics
• Lead modular drawing space allocation and outcomes for Seasonal Bakery
• Maintain and evolve merchandising standards for in-line and seasonal destinations
• Collaborate with Director of Category Management and mentor junior team members
• Leverage third-party research to inform strategy and competitive advantage

Skills

Category Development

Modular systems

Planogram management

Data analysis

Storytelling with data

Excel

PowerPoint

Tableau/Power BI

Space planning software

Walmart systems knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Tableau/Power BI

Blue Yonder / JDA

Job description

Incentive Pay

Quarterly performance bonus

Benefits Summary

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k) profit sharing
• Vacation
• Holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Company-paid LTD and life insurance
• Sick leave

Overview

In this role, you will be responsible for cultivating and strengthening the relationship with the Walmart Merchant and managing the end-to-end Modular-drawing process for Seasonal Bakery — including holiday and event-driven baking, decorating, and dessert occasions such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Holidays, Valentine's Day, Easter, and Summer/July 4th. This position reports directly to the Senior Category Advisor. This individual will assist in providing best-in-class category leadership to Walmart's Seasonal Bakery business. The successful candidate will have advanced working knowledge of the resources and tools required to execute Walmart's modular and seasonal reset process, create/present/assist in category strategy reviews, and manage complex ad hoc analysis requests — providing strategic and ongoing holistic category and shopper recommendations to the Walmart Buyer.

Responsibilities

Buyer Relationship

• Serve as a key, customer-facing contact for the Walmart Merchant, providing category expertise and strategic guidance for the Seasonal Bakery business
• Create and lead shopper- and category-centric presentations, founded in research and data analysis, that support Walmart's category performance objectives
• Develop and champion a long-term vision for Seasonal Bakery solutions that enhance convenience, drive incremental purchases tied to key holidays and events, and improve overall trip conversion
• Provide strategic and ongoing holistic category and shopper recommendations to the Walmart Buyer, accounting for consumer and market trends, assortment, space, merchandising, and seasonal timing/reset calendars
• Bring a customer service and start-up mindset, eager to elevate the entire Seasonal Bakery category utilizing a shopper-first approach
• Assist the Director of Category Management in providing best-in-class category leadership, as well as helping upskill junior team members

Analytics & Insights

• Utilize category management principles, shopper insights, and space analytics to identify opportunities to expand Seasonal Bakery's presence, increase Walmart's share of total bakery/dessert sales, and improve overall category performance
• Analyze shopper behavior, store execution, and space productivity metrics to create best-in-class merchandising frameworks that enhance ease of shop and maximize return on retail space
• Identify emerging shopper, category, and retail trends — including shifts in holiday timing, private label growth, and health/dietary trends — to inform future growth strategies and create competitive advantages for Walmart and Next Phase's manufacturer partners
• Anticipate evolving competitive dynamics and proactively develop strategies that increase category productivity while supporting sustainable, year-round growth of the Seasonal Bakery segment
• Leverage shopper and consumer insights to identify key shopper groups and occasions within the channel to inform Walmart's Seasonal Bakery growth strategies
• Apply third-party research resources (including Scintilla Customer Perception, Numerator, Mintel, Kantar, etc.) to inform and direct strategy for Walmart and the Seasonal Bakery category

Modular Drawing

• Lead the design and optimization of space allocation frameworks for Walmart's Seasonal Bakery business, driving data-driven space and modular strategies that maximize category productivity, enhance shopper experience, and support sustainable growth across total bakery and seasonal dessert destinations
• Manage the end-to-end modular-drawing process, including assortment, modular, and space allocation strategies that optimize productivity across in-line and seasonal (endcap/feature) Bakery destinations
• Own the evolution of Seasonal Bakery merchandising standards — in-line, endcap, and seasonal feature placements — by developing scalable space solutions that improve visibility, availability, and purchase conversion
• Influence future assortment and modular/reset strategies to expand Seasonal Bakery's footprint, increase Walmart's market share of total bakery, and optimize productivity across seasonal destinations
• Shape the future design, placement, and execution standards for Seasonal Bakery category destinations, including holiday resets, that elevate the shopper experience and drive profitable growth

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a CPG Category Development role, including managing highly complex modular systems and thousands of planograms annually, ideally including seasonal/holiday reset cycles
• Experience analyzing data across a variety of category management insight areas, including price and promotion optimization, assortment rationalization, new item performance, basket affinity analysis, cross shop, source of volume, switching, etc.
• Customer-facing Category Management experience (Category Advisor/Captain experience strongly preferred)
• Strong knowledge of core data sets, including point-of-sale (Nielsen/Circana/SPINS) and household data (Nielsen/Circana/SPINS/Numerator)
• Experience with retailer-specific shopper data platforms (Walmart Scintilla or 8451 Stratum preferred)
• Robust storytelling skills and ability to visualize data in a compelling manner (portfolio of examples preferred)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to deliver clear and concise information to both internal and external stakeholders
• Strong presentation skills and ability to influence and persuade others
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint skills, including pivot tables, slicers, and formulas to automate and add value to reporting; Tableau/Power BI a plus
• Advanced Blue Yonder / JDA Space Planning and Automation Software skills for modular and planogram management
• Strong working knowledge of Walmart systems and tools, including Retail Link (POS, inventory, and replenishment data), Scintilla (Walmart's advanced supplier analytics platform, including Customer Perception and Store Assortment & Space Analytics.
• Outstanding organizational, presentation, and follow-up skills; self-starter, detail-oriented, highly organized, with the ability to multitask and work in a team-oriented environment
• Bachelor's Degree preferred
• Ability to travel 10-20%

Hiring Process

Our process may include application review, interviews, assessments, reference checks, and a conditional offer.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status.

Accommodation Statement

Applicants needing accommodation during the hiring process may contact human resources @ [e-mail].

Work Authorization

Employment is contingent upon the ability to work lawfully in the United States and completion of employment eligibility verification after hire.

Background Check / Drug Testing

Employment offers may be contingent upon job-related screening, where permitted by law.

At Will Employment

Employment with FoodStory Brands is at-will, meaning either the employee or the company may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

This job postings not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the role. The company reserves the right to modify this description at any time.