Job Description:

The Category Manager for Mars Food & Nutrition Canada is imperative to driving distribution, shelving, and mutually profitable growth strategies and initiatives for Mars and National Retailer partners alike. With a category-first mindset, this position is responsible for delivering actionable insights through robust reporting and analysis in order to identify issues and opportunities to develop strategic recommendations rooted in shopper behavior and advanced data analytics.

The selected candidate will collaborate closely with Sales and Category team members, leading the creation of compelling selling stories, planogram recommendations, and analytical tools that support annual planning, line reviews, and ongoing business needs. This role also contributes to the Demand Management Review process each period by providing consumption analysis and insights as well as distribution and shelving reviews as needed based on retailer reset timing.

What are we looking for?

• University Degree or College Diploma.
• 5+ years of experience and 3+ years of experience in Category Management and Space Management within the CPG Industry.
• Strong working knowledge of syndicated scan and panel data (Nielsen and Numerator) experience.
• Experience with Walmart Retail Link is highly preferred (Scintilla would be an asset).
• Strong working knowledge of Blue Yonder JDA Space Planning software (Apollo and/or Spaceman are options as well), experience and familiarity with Kantar Rich Mix is helpful.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), experience with Power BI is helpful.
• Experience with Walmart Category Advisor role and responsibilities is a plus.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Develop deep expertise in Rice and Pantry Ready Meals categories, including category leadership principles and key Retailer objectives, to proactively influence internal strategies and external retail execution. Leverage this knowledge to make data-driven recommendations that align with both Mars and Retailer goals that drive category growth.
• Lead and deliver accurate and insightful reporting and analysis that highlights business trends, issues, and opportunities by leveraging expert-level knowledge of industry and channel dynamics, retailer strategies, category performance, and shopper behavior.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Category, Sales, and Marketing team members to identify sales growth opportunities and deliver effective, insight driven business solutions. Apply consumer segmentation, brand positioning, relevant research, and category trends to develop strategies that drive performance and align with shopper needs.
• Enhance team capabilities by contributing to the development and delivery of compelling fact-based and insights-led selling an storytelling skills that include actionable and profit driven recommendations for distribution, shelving, merchandising, pricing and promotion.
• Lead assortment and shelf strategy planning, including planogram design, analytics, and post-execution reporting to measure the effectiveness and identify future optimization opportunities.
• Strengthen Retailer collaboration by delivering superior category insights and analysis, building strategic alliances with key decision makers at specific retailers. Iimplement category leadership principles with Retail partners that drive mutual, sustainable category growth.
• Responsible for contributing to the Demand Management Review process each period by providing regular consumption analysis and insights as well as distribution and shelving reviews as needed based on retailer reset timing, additionally supporting other sales productivity initiatives and reporting as required.
• Studies and analyses may include, but are not limited to, the use of Nielsen syndicated and panel data, Numerator panel and insights data, Retail Link/Scintilla data, purchase and basket studies, new item evaluation, and pricing studies, Kantar Rich Mix assortment analysis, and others. Each scenario requires a detailed approach for organizing and completing such analysis specific to the Retailer based on needs and opportunities.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

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