Manager, Category Leadership

The J.M. Smucker Company; Orrville (OH); Remote; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food and beverage company is seeking a Manager, Category Leadership to enhance their Category Leadership capabilities within the Sweet Baked Snacks category. The ideal candidate will leverage insights and analytics for strategic selling and lead category growth initiatives. A minimum of 6 years in the CPG industry and significant experience in category management are required for this role, which may involve up to 35% travel.

Benefits

Support for employee well-being

Opportunities for growth

Strong community culture

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years in Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry.
• Minimum 5 years in Category Management/Leadership function.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and storytelling capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of Category Growth Drivers and strategies.
• Provide strategic guidance in internal and external meetings.
• Leverage insights and analytics for strategic selling.

Skills

Analytical skills

Relationship building

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Strategic mindset

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

IRI

Nielsen

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Your Opportunity as the Manager, Category Leadership

This role leads the advancement of JM Smucker's Category Leadership capabilities within the Sweet Baked Snacks category, driving both Smucker and category growth. The position is responsible for developing and delivering category-specific and retailer-oriented insights and materials that influence strategy across multiple functions. As the go-to category expert, this position will provide deep expertise in category dynamics, retail environments, consumer behavior, and shopper insights to guide decision-making and unlock opportunities.

Location: Working Remote USA

In this role you will:

• Lead development of Category Growth Drivers, strategies, and compelling category stories.
• Champion 4P Guiding Principles across planning and execution.
• Provide thought leadership, elevating JM Smucker's voice and category influence.
• Drive a category first approach in customer and internal engagements.
• Leverage insights and analytics to drive fact-based strategic selling and retail activation.
• Identify opportunities and risks to inform category and JMS strategy.
• Cross-functional collaboration (e.g., brand planning, innovation, portfolio optimization).
• Engage in insight workstreams and provide business analytics to support decision-making.
• Lead omni-channel activation and ensure integration across category deliverables.
• Define tool and data needs to enhance category insight visibility.
• Active participation and/or lead in retailer calls.

Customer & Team Engagement

• Serve as the category lead and expert in customer interactions, partnering with sales and field teams to develop growth-driving solutions for the category and JMS.
• Provide strategic category guidance in internal and external meetings, guiding decisions and actions.
• Share retailer and field insights with marketing and cross-functional partners to inform broader strategies.

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree
• 6+ years in Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry
• 5+ years in Category Management/Leadership function
• Convenience Store experience preferred
• Proven ability to build strong relationships with customers and retailers
• Experience analyzing retail sales and scan data
• Skilled in interpreting shopper and consumer data and insights to inform strategy
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and storytelling capabilities
• Cross-functional collaboration experience
• Experience in planogram strategy and oversight
• Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in IRI or Nielsen
• Proficient in Excel and PowerPoint
• Ability to translate insights into actionable strategies
• Strategic mindset with experience in building and executing effective plans
• Business and financial acumen
• Ability to travel up to 35%

Learn more about working at Smucker:

• Helping our Employees Thrive
• Delivering on Our Purpose
• Our Continued Commitment to Ensuring a Workplace for All