Associate Lead, Category Leadership - Modular Execution & Analytics

Your Opportunity as the Associate Lead, Category Leadership – Modular Execution & Analytics

This role serves as a critical member of the category advisor team working directly with Walmart in support of developing winning category strategies and modular execution. Key responsibilities include leading the development of modular shelf automation functions, analytics, & reporting. This role will be the go-to category expert responsible for providing the team and customer with industry leading business intelligence tools, reporting, and space automation capabilities.  This role works closely with HQ Category Leadership and Insights as well as many of our cross-functional partners to create holistic analyses of the Category landscape to drive winning category growth strategies in support of our Walmart category advisorships.

Location: Bentonville, AR

Work Arrangements: Hybrid - onsite a minimum of 9 days a month primarily during core weeks as determined by the Company; maybe more as business need requires

In this role you will:

• Advance the teams development of space management automation capabilities (Shelf IQ) to drive efficiencies and accuracy in planogram activation

• Foster collaborative relationships with the buyer, planner, modular development, and replenishment teams at Walmart

• Build influential category growth strategies by gathering and analyzing category, consumer, and market data from multiple sources (e.g., Luminate, IRI, Retail Link, shopper insights, sales data)

• Develop actionable insights and strategic category initiatives to drive category growth with Walmart

• Deliver flawless modular output

• Develop holistic omni-channel category strategies by leveraging the tools, insights, and analytics from internal, industry, and retailer-specific sources

• Be the omni-channel insights leader by integrating the digital shelf, omni-insights and capabilities to drive the right assortment and space to drive overall category growth with Walmart

• Provide thought leadership to the organization on category trends

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree

• 4+ years’ analytical experience with Category Management discipline (preferably an advisorship), supporting sales, or marketing

• Previous experience with Walmart as a customer

• Experience implementing space automation software & capabilities, Shelf IQ a plus

• Experience using JDA (Space planning)

• Advanced in using MS Office Suite (Excel, Powerpoint, and related software applications)

• Proficient in using Syndicated (IRI, Nielsen) and Panel Data

• Proficient in Walmart Retail Link and Scintilla Data

• Support, develop and execute customer, shopper and channel reporting and analysis to enable the successful execution of Retail strategies

• Demonstrates the ability to think outside the normal boundaries to develop new solutions that enhance category leadership capabilities

• Strong communication skills (verbal and written)

• Proactively contributes thought-leadership on industry trends

• Strong customer management and project management skills

• Ability to travel up to 15%

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role (not required):

• Previous category management/advisor experience

• ShelfIQ experience

• Experience with 3rd Party data analysis (NPD, Mintel, Kantar)

• Programming experience

• Proficient with data visualization software (Tableau, Spotfire)

Learn more about working at Smucker:

• Helping our Employees Thrive

• Delivering on Our Purpose 

• Our Continued Commitment to Ensuring a Workplace for All 

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