Director, Category Leadership, U.S. Retail

 

 

 

Position Title: Director, Category Leadership, U.S. Retail 

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time ​

Position Location: Oakbrook Terrace 

Requisition ID: 26050 

 

 

JOB PURPOSE:

 

To enable McCain to be the trusted Category Partner in two of the biggest categories in Frozen Food unlocking mutual growth. Reporting to the Vice President Category Leadership, the Director Category Leadership, US Retail will be responsible for leading the Category Management function for McCain’s US Retail team.  This is a new team for McCain, with a goal of rapidly growing our branded retail business through increased distribution, penetration and activation in frozen potatoes and appetizer products.  You will bring your experience in Category Management and Leadership in US Retail, your curiosity to understand customers to help them grow, combined with your creative strategic ideas and a love of building high performing teams to make McCain the Category Partner of Choice in frozen potatoes and appetizers for our priority retail customers.

 

Key Responsibilities:

 

• Strategic Category Planning and Thought-Leadership to our Customers: Develop and implement comprehensive category management strategies aligned with our customer’s growth objectives and category opportunities.  Analyze market trends, consumer behavior, and competitor activities to identify growth opportunities.  Drive innovation and differentiation in frozen potatoes and appetizers to ensure McCain is viewed as the category leader.
• Strategic customer prioritization and development: work with our Sales team to prioritize customers for deep engagement, growth planning and joint business plans.  Own key Category Management relationships with priority customers.
• Develop and own category growth stories: Scale category growth stories to the market and work with Account Managers to be comfortable to deliver these messages, to grow the category and our customers’ businesses.
• Data Analysis and Insights: Lead relationships with our major US Retail data partners and utilize data analytics to assess category performance, identify trends, and recommend actionable insights.  Lead the team in leveraging data to optimize assortment, pricing, and promotional strategies.  Stay at the leading edge of how data and insights can drive McCain’s competitive advantage as Category Leader.
• Merchandising and Assortment Optimization: Develop McCain’s capability to develop and execute merchandising plans to enhance in-store visibility and maximize sales.  Work with the team to optimize product assortment based on consumer preferences, market trends, and sales data.
• Shopper Marketing Strategy and Execution:  Develop and execute shopper marketing strategies and activation to drive consumer engagement and loyalty, aligned with our Marketing teams. 
• Team Leadership and Development: Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing category management team.  Foster a collaborative and innovative work environment that encourages professional growth and development.  Create the business case to invest and grow the Category Management team, tied to the achievement of business goals.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams to ensure seamless execution of category strategies. 

 

Qualifications:

 

• At least 10 years of experience in Category Management in the CPG industry in the US, ideally in progressive roles demonstrating increasing accountability in scope for customer relationships and growth strategies and a track record of successful strategic planning and execution.
• At least 5 years experience in people management roles
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in data analysis tools and market research.  Preference for IRI / Circana and/or Numerator experience
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to inspire and lead a cross-functional team
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Self-starter, independent worker with passion for building new teams and capabilities
• Knowledge of the US retail landscape and consumer behavior.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field; MBA preferred.

 

If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for driving category growth with an investment-focused strategic business plan, we would be excited for you to apply for the position of Director of Category Leadership for US Retail.  Join us in shaping the future of consumer packaged goods and contributing to the success of our innovative and forward-thinking organization.

 

 

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