Category Manager

Summary

Leads the Retail team’s category management efforts for the dry potato category (and other dry categories) across grocery, club, mass, and alternate channels (excluding foodservice).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Develop a category management discipline within Company for the retail channel. Develop all customer facing category management material and serve and the key syndicated and consumer data lead/interface with key strategic retail customers.

2. Work closely with the sales team to provide category management expertise to key accounts to help optimize performance within the dehydrated potato category. Build Company’s reputation within the retail channel as a category leader.

3. Serve as the go to source for key syndicated data (IRI/other) insights to enable the sales team to deliver superior category growth for key retailers.

4. Primary strategic account focus to include (Wal*Mart, Kroger, SuperValu, Safeway, Food Lion, Target, Publix and others).

5. Educate the sales team on category management “best practices”.

Must maintain the highest standards of ethics and integrity while embodying the tenets of “What We Stand For” and “The Basic Principles.”

Must maintain the highest standards of data management by creating consistent, reliable data which will ensure accuracy and in turn, maximize the use of data and confidence in decision making.

Other duties may be assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from four-year college or university; minimum of 10 years industry experience, including at least 5 years in category management.

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Excel Spreadsheet software, PowerPoint, Word Processing software, and Database software (familiarity with Space Management software).

Other Skills and Abilities

· Formal knowledge of category management best practices (identifying category role, strategies, tactics, shelving optimization, consumer targeting, etc).

· Strong presentation development and skills/extensive customer interface experience/comfortable in front of customers.

Other Qualifications

Travel at least 50% of the time.

Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to 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 employee is regularly required to sit; talk or hear; and use hands to touch, handle, or feel. The employee is regularly required to sit; stand; walk; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. No specific vision abilities required by this job.

Work Environment The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.