Manager Category Development (West)

About the Role

The Manager of Category Development will spearhead growth in category and brand volume along with boosting revenue by creating and presenting top-tier category insights tailored for retailers and distributors. This role demands crafting convincing sales narratives based on robust data to enhance distribution and assortment, conducting category business reviews, planning space strategies, and supporting the introduction of innovations to meet company objectives.

This position works closely with Account Managers to focus on the West Chain Account sector, especially ABSCO. The manager will also design and maintain analytical tools, scorecards, and sales materials that transform data into impactful insight-driven presentations aimed at increasing volume, distribution, and assortment.

Additionally, this role partners with cross-functional teams such as Revenue Management and Consumer & Market Insights to align category development efforts with overall commercial targets. Candidates should demonstrate strong financial and commercial insight, be able to measure the impact of assortment and promotional decisions, and show a willingness to take calculated risks while fostering strong team relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide localized, relevant category insights and trend analyses to customers and the HUSA Chain Accounts team.
• Formulate regional and channel strategies by crafting compelling value stories that showcase "Why Heineken USA" backed by comprehensive data sources.
• Identify key insights proactively and guide sales and category teams with consistent strategic directions to expand distribution and fulfill organizational goals.
• Collaborate with distributors, offering data-driven analytical support to enable effective retail execution that benefits both distributor success and the HUSA portfolio.
• Deliver compelling data narratives to support assortment and space planning strategies, leveraging category and premium volume opportunities.
• Use insights to act as a category validator, fostering customer trust and driving expanded distribution.
• Support senior leadership with strategic insights that enable direct communication with retailers and distributors.
• Assist in the development of HUSA sales programs, including post-promotion analysis.
• Partner with Marketing to uncover shopper insights and new opportunities.
• Share best practices throughout the organization to enhance overall performance.
• Work with Revenue Management and Pricing teams regionally to build strong strategies and presentations.
• Prepare for and participate in customer business reviews, promotional planning, and collaborative business planning sessions.
• Attend bi-weekly sales meetings, monthly category and regional marketing meetings, and contribute to scorecarding initiatives.
• Collaborate with distributors on training distributor staff in data analysis to improve sales effectiveness of the HUSA portfolio.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor's degree is mandatory.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in category or shopper insights, or customer-facing roles within regional or independent markets.
• Experience working specifically with Albertsons Company is required.
• Must be a self-motivated and confident individual who excels at overcoming obstacles and collaborating at senior levels.
• Proficiency with CPG industry analytic tools such as Nielsen, Circana/IRI, Spectra, Numerator, shopper panel data, shopper loyalty data, and JDA Space Planning.
• Ability to build trusting collaborative relationships that tolerate risk-taking.
• Strong financial and business acumen, capable of quantifying the impact of assortment and promotions.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
• Comfortable working in agile and cross-functional team environments.
• Applicants must be at least 21 years old at the time of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the CPG or adult beverage industries is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary between $125,000 and $145,000 plus annual bonuses.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Matching 401(k) retirement plan.
• 20 days of paid vacation plus unlimited wellness days.
• $200 monthly beverage allowance.

Company Values

• Connect
• Shape
• Develop
• Deliver

Equal Opportunity and Legal Statements

The company is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, age, or other legally protected attributes. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.