Category Manager

MaryRuth's; Los Angeles (CA); Remote; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, dental insurance

401k with company match

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

MaryRuth's is seeking a Category Manager to join the Retail team and lead data-driven category stories for major accounts. You will monitor performance, identify trends, and provide recommendations to support product launches and growth.

The role combines advanced analytics with retail knowledge to serve as the analytics SME for the team. This is a remote, full-time position with a competitive compensation package.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4+ years in category management, category development, or shopper insights in CPG is required.
• Advanced, hands-on proficiency with leading syndicated data platforms (SPINS, NielsenIQ, Circana) with custom reporting.
• Experience with retailer-direct data platforms (Walmart Scintilla, Costco CRX, Target POL) is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day use of MaryRuth's syndicated data stack and act as the primary analytical resource for the Retail team.
• Build buyer-facing category stories for JBPs, line reviews, and QBRs with major accounts.
• Run competitive and white space analysis to track launches, trends, pricing, and promos.

Skills

Data analytics

Category management

PowerPoint

Excel

AI tools

Communication

Storytelling

Education

4+ years in category management

Tools

SPINS

NielsenIQ

Circana

Walmart Scintilla

Power BI

Job description

The Role

The MaryRuth’s Category Manager will join our growing Retail team, reporting to the Director, Category Management & Sales Planning. The Category Manager will bring deep analytical expertise and leverage this to develop comprehensive category stories for retail buyers, monitor various category performance and trends, and make data-driven recommendations to support successful product launches and sales. This role is highly technical and will combine that technical ability with retail and category knowledge to serve as the retail analytics SME and enable ongoing growth and expansion.

Compensation

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt, remote role with a salary range of $80,000 to $90,000 USD/year.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day use of MaryRuth's syndicated data stack (SPINS, NielsenIQ, Circana and Walmart Scintilla) and act as the primary analytical resource for the Retail team.
• Build buyer-facing category stories for joint business plans (JBPs), line reviews, and QBRs across top accounts such as Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Sprouts, Costco, and Sam's Club, including the category context, competitive read, and MaryRuth’s brand recommendation.
• Run competitive and white space analysis across VMS, tracking competitor launches, ingredient and format trends, pricing, and promotional activity; proactively flag and share threats and risks before the next review window.
• Diagnose category and brand performance issues to determine root cause and accurately distinguish causation from correlation across distribution, velocity, price, promotion and assortment.
• Own shelf and distribution analysis, distribution voids by account, assortment recommendations, planogram input, and category review preparation.
• Analyze new item launch performance against benchmarks and, as needed, recommend any corrective action for positioning, distribution, or promotion.
• Review and improve the quality of broker-supplied category outputs before they reach buyers.
• Maintain a master category presentation template and ensure consistency of data definitions, sources, and periods across all buyer-facing materials.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4+ years in category management, category development, or shopper insights in CPG is required.
• Advanced, hands-on proficiency with at least two of the major syndicated data platforms (SPINS, NielsenIQ, and Circana), including creating and building custom reports.
• Experience with retailer-direct data platforms (Walmart Luminate/Scintilla, Costco CRX, Target POL, or comparable) preferred.
• Demonstrated experience building and presenting category reviews to national retail buyers.
• Working knowledge of planogram principles, assortment optimization, and distribution void analysis.
• Advanced PowerPoint for data storytelling and intermediate to advanced Excel (e.g. pivot tables, V-lookups) required.
• Proficiency in using AI tools for analysis, drafting, and automation is required together with the judgement and specific knowledge to verify outputs and identify inaccurate figures.
• VMS or wellness category experience preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.
• This role involves sitting most of the time but may also involve moving for brief periods of time.

Benefits Summary

• Competitive compensation, commensurate with experience.
• Paid sick time.
• Paid holidays.
• Flexible paid time off.
• Paid volunteer time off.
• Medical, vision, and dental insurance.
• Flexible Spending Account - FSA.
• Company matched (4%) 401k.
• Eligibility for discretionary bonus.
• Employee and immediate-family discounts on all products (upon 60 & 90 days of employment).

The Culture at MaryRuth's

We are a fast-growing startup with a small, unified team that has a lot of fun and a big drive to change the world through our products. We are a health-conscious company with a focus on creating vegan and organic vitamins and supplements for everyone.

We believe our work benefits from the diverse perspectives of our employees. As such, MaryRuth's celebrates inclusion and is committed to equal opportunity employment.

MaryRuth’s is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity. We provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital or civil union status, veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or trafficking, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This commitment applies to all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruiting, hiring, placement, training, promotion, compensation, and termination. Where applicable, MaryRuth’s complies with local employment and labor laws in the jurisdictions in which it operates.

MaryRuth's is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please email [e-mail]

Travel

Travel (<5%) may be required on an as-needed basis with advance notice provided to the employee.