Category Manager

At Jack Link’s, we feed the journey. We take pride in rolling up our sleeves and getting things done together. Fueled by creativity, passion, and a commitment to doing things the right way, we tackle the hard stuff first and focus on real progress, bold moves, and no excuses. We create opportunities, celebrate wins, own our misses, and push forward as a team, knowing our strength comes from supporting one another and having fun along the way. We cultivate a workplace where passion meets purpose and our Team Members are inspired, recognized, and rewarded for their contributions. 

If you’re ready to make a difference and build something meaningful, we want you! 

Jack Link's Protein Snacks is a global leader in snacking and the No. 1 meat snack manufacturer worldwide. Headquartered in Minong, Wisconsin, Jack Link’s is strategically positioned with production, distribution, and support centers in key locations throughout North America, Brazil, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. This global network allows Jack Link's to deliver a wide variety of high-quality, great tasting protein snacks to consumers around the world. The company’s portfolio of brands includes Jack Link’s®, Lorissa’s Kitchen®, Wild River®, Golden Island®, Country Fresh Meats®, BiFi®, Peperami® , Mariani and Local Legends Meat Snacks.

The Category Manager (CM) will play a key role in assisting the Walmart category advisor team and fostering a robust partnership with Walmart by providing merchandising strategies and decision-making support that drive business growth. You will perform in-depth analysis and synthesis of data from multiple sources to assess product performance, optimize assortment planning, and conduct store clustering through the modular process, all while using effective communication and influence to drive action.

The duties and responsibilities of this position shall consist of, but not be limited to, the following:

• Develop sustainable and strong category partnerships by providing strategic analytical recommendations that promote total Category & Brand growth.
• Build comprehensive knowledge of the products, attributes, strategies, tactics, and competitive trends in the marketplace for the Meat Snacks category both in store and online.
• Develop, optimize and maintain planograms for shopability, space to sales, and capacity utilizing JDA Space Planning and other applicable tools and research.
• Provide ad-hoc category management reporting and interpretation, trend analysis, customized reports, and special project work directly to internal / external leaders, as necessary.
• Develop and communicate complex information and implications both verbally, in interactions with senior customer leaders, and in written presentations, utilizing "storytelling techniques" to communicate a clear, compelling, and cohesive shopper story.
• Keeps abreast of developments and best practices in Category Management, pursue the knowledge needed to improve departmental capabilities and professional agility.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as necessary.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Management, Accounting, Data Analytics, or a related field or equivalent experience
• 2+ years of Walmart Category Advisor experience within the CPG industry
• CMA (Category Management Association) certification a plus
• Advanced analytical skills utilizing Walmart Scintilla
• Experience with Modular Planning, Development via JDA Prospace
• Advanced experience Excel, Access, & Power BI
• Experience with Syndicated data such as NielsenIQ, and other data resources (Numerator, Kantar etc.)
• Demonstrated ability to build indispensable, collaborative partnerships with retail customers and internal business partners across functional teams.
• Strong story telling experience converting data into insights.
• Excellent leadership, creative problem solving, and project management skills.
• Exceptional communication skills – verbal, written & presentation.
• Strong planning/organizing skills; the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Working knowledge of retail merchandising and in store execution tactics

The annual range for this role is $101,700 - $139,810 (Annual). Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, and candidate skill set and experience. Base pay is just one component of Jack Link’s Total Rewards package for Team Members. Other rewards may include annual incentive and program-specific awards. Jack Link’s provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time off.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:
Jack Link’s provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic that is protected by federal, state or local law.

E-VERIFY:
Jack Link’s is participant in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees.  For information about the E-Verify program, please visit:  http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employees

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.