Job Description:
The Associate Category Manager is accountable for the understanding and analysis of the Confectionery category and providing objective, strategic and tactical category insights and advice to the customer. You will be actively involved in identifying opportunities for the customer, including sales performance, promotional activities, item assortment and shelving strategy and execution. You will also provide best-in-class examples and insights from the global category community and other available assets.
You will be responsible for external communication with Key Retailers, where Mars Snacking is an Advisor, leading ad hoc requests, weekly reporting, monthly/quarterly strategy reviews, MOD planning and creation, and insight generation using the current tools and other resources available. You will report into the Team Lead.
What are we looking for?
- University degree in Business or a related field.
- Minimum 3 years CPG industry experience with knowledge of grocery/drug/mass channels and with category management experience.
- Excellent analytical skills and the ability to interpret data from a mix of data sources, translate insights into relevant strategies and tactics (actions/initiatives) and execute with our customers in a clear, simple and engaging way.
- Ability to build effective relations and influence decisions, having the confidence to lead and use data to reinforce your opinions.
- In-store and/or Customer experience and understanding of how to develop engaging and actionable category solutions for the customer.
- Advanced Excel skills and PowerPoint skills.
- Shelf Management software (JDA ProSpace or similar) knowledge. Nielsen data analysis and Nielsen Answers experience.
- Retail Link experience an asset.
- Category Advisorship experience an asset.
Customer Relationship Management
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with key customers where we have advisor status.
- Monitor performance and address issues promptly to maintain high standards.
- Establish reputation as a thought leader with the customer. The Advantage Survey ranking on Category Management and Thought Leadership will be a critical KPI for the Team Lead.
Category Analysis & Planogram Planning
- Conducting ongoing analysis of the confectionery category and support in deriving insights from the analysis.
- Develop recommendations to support category growth.
- Leverage local and global insights and best practices to provide actionable strategies for the customer.
- Conduct assortment analysis to provide recommendations on items not carried by the retailer that perform well in the marketplace.
- Oversee the updating of planograms. Assist in developing planograms for various store formats and sizes to drive shelf quality and availability excellence.
Strategic Planning and Execution
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure activities support business needs.
- Ensure compliance with customer policies, industry regulations, and quality standards.
- Work with over 140,000 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.
#LI-Hybrid
#LI-SL1
The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between the below range CAD 86,444.00 - CAD 113,458.00. Please note: This job posting is for an existing vacancy. AI is used as a supporting tool in our recruitment process.Skills Required
- University degree in Business or a related field
- Minimum 3 years of CPG industry experience
- Knowledge of grocery, drug, and mass retail channels
- Category management experience
- Excellent analytical skills and ability to interpret multiple data sources
- Ability to translate insights into strategies, tactics, and customer actions
- Ability to build relationships and influence decisions
- In-store and/or customer experience with actionable category solutions
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
- Microsoft PowerPoint skills
- Knowledge of shelf-management software such as JDA ProSpace
- Nielsen data analysis and Nielsen Answers experience
- Retail Link experience
- Category advisorship experience
Mars Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Mars and has not been reviewed or approved by Mars.
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Healthcare Strength — The benefits package is positioned as comprehensive, with broad medical coverage and additional protections like life insurance and short- and long-term disability. Mental health support is emphasized, including free mental health services and wellbeing programming under initiatives such as Mars Be Well.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is highlighted as market-leading in the U.S., with an example of 18 weeks fully paid for both parents. Additional family-related leave types such as sick time for caregiving and bereavement leave are also described as part of the overall package.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings are described as strong, including 401(k) matching (with a 6% match cited) and pension plans in some cases. The broader package also references retirement savings options and contributions aligned to local market practice, supporting long-term financial security.
Mars Insights
What We Do
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us. Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and petcare products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, ORBIT®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, SKITTLES®, WHISKAS®, COCOAVIA®, and 5™; and take care of half of the world’s pets through our pet health services AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, Pet Partners™, and VCA™. We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive.
