Category Advisor

Confidential; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential is seeking a Category Advisor to act as a strategic partner for a national retail account. You will leverage shopper insights, data analysis, space planning, and assortment strategy to accelerate category growth and strengthen the customer relationship.

The role blends analytics, strategy, and hands-on retail execution, including leading planogramming, assortment decisions, and performance evaluations across multiple stores and teams.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a business or category management role.
• Background in category management, advisory sales, product management, or consumer insights.
• Familiarity with retailer space planning, assortment planning, and modular development.
• Strong understanding of marketing, sales, shopper insights, and planning.
• Hands-on experience with JDA Space Planning (Blue Yonder).
• Ability to turn data into stories for leadership.

Responsibilities

• Bring best-in-class category management practices to the partnership using shopper insights to grow the business.
• Analyze competitive assortments, pricing, and merchandising; translate findings into recommendations.
• Build retailer-specific category plans grounded in data-driven analysis.
• Lead modular review process end-to-end including updates and execution.
• Maintain and update the layout center's modular set.
• Co-own assortment decisions and lead planogramming work.
• Evaluate promotional performance and recommend optimizations.
• Support ad hoc analysis, reporting, store resets, and meetings at retailer's request.
• Participate in store resets to refine modular update process.
• Act as a category expert driving innovation and performance improvements.
• Keep stakeholders informed on shopper insights and opportunities.

Skills

Category management

Data storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Advanced Excel

PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing, business administration, analytics, or a related field

Tools

JDA Space Planning (Blue Yonder)

PowerPoint

Excel

Word

Job description

Category Advisor – National Retail Partnerships

About the Role

We're looking for a Category Advisor to serve as a strategic, objective partner to one of our key national retail accounts. In this role, you'll work directly with the retailer's merchandising and buying teams, using shopper insights, data analysis, space planning, and assortment strategy to help accelerate category growth.

What You'll Do

This position blends analytics, strategy, and hands-on retail execution:

• Bring best-in-class category management practices to the partnership, using consumer and shopper insights to grow the business and strengthen customer retention.
• Analyze competitive assortments, pricing, and merchandising approaches, translating findings into clear recommendations.
• Build retailer-specific category plans grounded in unbiased, data-driven analysis.
• Lead the modular review process end-to-end — analysis, updates, drawing, and execution.
• Maintain and update the layout center's modular set.
• Co-own assortment decisions and lead planogramming work.
• Evaluate promotional performance and recommend optimizations.
• Support ad hoc analysis, reporting, store resets, and meetings at the retailer's request.
• Take part in store resets to help refine the modular update process.
• Act as a category expert, driving innovation and performance improvements.
• Keep stakeholders informed on shopper insights and emerging opportunities.
• During slower points in the retail planning cycle, contribute to broader strategic insights, analytics, and growth initiatives with actionable business intelligence.

What You Bring

Experience

• 3+ years in a business or category management role.
• Background in category management, category advisory sales, product management, or consumer insights — ideally within retail or CPG.
• Familiarity with retailer space planning, assortment planning, and modular development.
• Solid grasp of marketing, sales, shopper insights, corporate and retailer strategy, operations, and planning.
• Hands-on experience with JDA Space Planning (Blue Yonder).
• A track record of turning data into stories that resonate with leadership.
• CPG, durable goods, or related retail industry experience is a plus.

Education & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business administration, analytics, or a related field.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with confident presentation skills.
• A knack for turning information into actionable insight.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Comfortable leading and collaborating across cross-functional teams.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities at once.
• Skilled at influencing both internal and external stakeholders through clear, persuasive communication.

Technical Requirements

• Proficiency in JDA Space Planning, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.

Certifications

• None required.

Physical Requirements

This role involves regular sitting, hand use, and verbal communication, with occasional standing, walking, reaching, and lifting up to 50 lbs. Close and color vision are required.