Director Category Management

Link Snacks; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 175,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401k participation

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

Link Snacks, a leader in the meat snack space, seeks a Director of Category Management to transform category insights into a strategic growth engine. You will lead a high-performing team of Category Managers and Analysts, elevating data usage, shopper insights, and customer partnerships to secure Category Captain, Advisor, or Validator roles with key accounts.

You will drive governance, develop Gold Standard planograms, and partner across Sales to uncover incremental growth opportunities,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Marketing, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in CPG Analytics, Category Management, Shopper Insights, or Sales.
• 5+ years of experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Proven experience serving as a Category Captain, Advisor, or Validator with key customers.
• Deep expertise in syndicated data (Nielsen/IRI), space management tools (e.g., ProSpace), and customer data platforms (e.g., Scintilla, 84.51).
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills with the ability to translate data into insights and actions.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functionally and externally without direct authority.
• Master’s degree (MBA or related field) preferred.
• Experience in snacks, meat snacks, beverages, or other high-velocity CPG categories preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead Category Captainships, Advisor, and Validator Relationships across priority customers.
• Develop customer-specific category strategies grounded in shopper, consumer, and market insights.
• Lead joint business planning inputs through category perspectives that shape assortment, shelving, pricing, and promotion decisions.
• Establish governance and best practices for engagement, ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery across all customer interactions.
• Partner with Sales to proactively identify opportunities to deepen influence and unlock incremental category growth.
• Define and institutionalize "Gold Standard" planogram principles balancing shopper needs and category growth.
• Lead development and deployment of data-driven shelving solutions using best-in-class space management tools.
• Ensure planograms are insight-led and aligned with strategic growth priorities.
• Drive continuous improvement through test-and-learn approaches and post-implementation performance tracking.
• Partner with Sales and customers to ensure execution compliance and maximize in-store impact.
• Serve as the voice of the category, translating data into actionable insights.
• Develop compelling narratives that influence customer decision-making.
• Identify emerging category and shopper trends to shape strategic recommendations.
• Elevate category management capabilities through tools, frameworks, and best practices.
• Represent the company in customer meetings, industry forums, and strategic discussions as a category expert.
• Lead synthesis of syndicated, shopper, and customer data into actionable insights.
• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, RGM, and Insights to align on category priorities.
• Build scalable reporting and analytics frameworks to improve speed and impact.
• Ensure insights translate into measurable actions driving performance.
• Develop team capabilities in advanced analytics, storytelling, and business acumen.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Marketing, or related field

MBA or related field preferred

Tools

Nielsen/IRI

ProSpace

Scintilla

84.51

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

• Compensation: USD 175,000 - USD 190,000 - yearly

Company Description

At Link Snacks, we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don't hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We're everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren't buzzwords, they're expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands— Jack Link's®, Lorissa's Kitchen®, Golden Island®, BiFi®, and Peperami® and KOOEE!® to name a few—there's nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.

Job Description

The Director of Category Management will lead the transformation of category management into a strategic growth engine for the organization and its customers. This role owns the development and delivery of best-in-class category insights, shelving strategies, and customer engagement models that drive mutually beneficial growth.

This leader will elevate how the organization leverages data, shopper insights, and category expertise to influence decisions, strengthen customer partnerships, and secure Category Captain, Advisor, or Validator roles across key accounts. Success in this role requires combining analytical rigor with compelling storytelling and strong cross-functional leadership.

The Director will build, develop, and lead a high-performing team of Category Managers and Analysts, setting the standard for insight quality, execution excellence, and customer impact.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead Category Captainships, Advisor, and Validator Relationships

• Own and expand Category Captain, Advisor, and Validator roles across priority customers, positioning the company as a trusted category authority.
• Develop customer-specific category strategies grounded in shopper, consumer, and market insights.
• Lead joint business planning inputs through category perspectives that shape assortment, shelving, pricing, and promotion decisions.
• Establish governance and best practices for engagement, ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery across all customer interactions.
• Partner with Sales to proactively identify opportunities to deepen influence and unlock incremental category growth.

Execute Gold Standard Plan-O-Grams

• Define and institutionalize "Gold Standard" planogram principles that balance shopper needs, category growth, and brand performance.
• Lead the development and deployment of data-driven shelving solutions using best-in-class space management tools.
• Ensure planograms are insight-led, customer-relevant, and aligned with strategic growth priorities.
• Drive continuous improvement through test-and-learn approaches and post-implementation performance tracking.
• Partner with Sales and customers to ensure execution compliance and maximize in-store impact.

Category and Customer Thought Leadership

• Serve as the voice of the category internally and externally, translating data into actionable, forward-looking insights.
• Develop compelling, insight-led narratives that influence customer decision-making and strengthen credibility.
• Identify emerging category, consumer, and shopper trends to shape strategic recommendations.
• Elevate the organization’s category management capabilities through tools, frameworks, and best practices.
• Represent the company in key customer meetings, industry forums, and strategic discussions as a category expert.

Analytics & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead the synthesis of syndicated, shopper, and customer data into clear, actionable insights.
• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, RGM, and Insights to align on category strategies and priorities.
• Build scalable reporting and analytics frameworks that improve speed, consistency, and impact.
• Ensure insights translate into measurable actions that drive category and business performance.
• Develop team capabilities in advanced analytics, storytelling, and business acumen.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Marketing, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in CPG Analytics, Category Management, Shopper Insights, or Sales.
• 5+ years of experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Proven experience serving as a Category Captain, Advisor, or Validator with key customers.
• Deep expertise in syndicated data (Nielsen/IRI), space management tools (e.g., ProSpace), and customer data platforms (e.g., Scintilla, 84.51).
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills with the ability to translate data into insights and actions.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functionally and externally without direct authority.
• Master’s degree (MBA or related field) preferred.
• Experience in snacks, meat snacks, beverages, or other high-velocity CPG categories preferred.

Additional Information

The salary range for this role is$175,000 - $190,000 (Annually). Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, and candidate skill set and experience. Base pay is just one component of Jack Link's Total Rewards package for Team Members. Other rewards may include annual incentive and program-specific awards. Jack Link's provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time off.

LINK SNACKS CORE VALUES:

Company values: Be Real, Speed Matters, Stewardship, Relationship Driven, Self-Discipline, and Show Awesome Character.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to be successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job the Team Member is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle,