Category Analyst

We are seeking a data-driven, curious, and collaborative Category Analyst to join our Sales team. This role is responsible for analyzing sales, pricing, and product trends to support the growth and optimization of our product categories. The Category Analyst will work closely with cross-functional teams—including merchandising, marketing, and supply chain—to deliver actionable insights and guide strategic decision-making. This position reports to the Senior Director of Sales Operations.

Key responsibilities include the monthly delivery of actionable tracking reports, covering areas such as:

• New item performance, including incrementality and volume transfer
• Market share analysis
• Modular testing and strategy evaluation
• Pricing and promotion performance
• ROM (Return on Marketing) performance

The Category Analyst is also responsible for competitive and market intelligence, including:

• Share and price gap reporting
• In-store market visits to assess competitive retailer strategies and tactics
• Identifying market gap opportunities for partner retailers
• Conducting POS and panel analyses to evaluate performance dynamics

This role supports the Sales team as a subject matter expert, synthesizing learnings from various data sources into clear, impactful, and visually compelling recommendations. A strong customer service mindset and effective relationship management—both internally and externally—are essential. The Category Analyst should be comfortable working autonomously, leveraging available resources to achieve goals.

The ideal candidate is not afraid to challenge the status quo, embraces technology, contributes creative ideas, and exercises good judgment in identifying which ideas will drive results. They are proactive, collaborative, and passionate about using insights to make a meaningful impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Build Learning Agendas with Our Customers: Use your curiosity and problem-solving mindset to uncover shopper and consumer insights that lead to smart, customized retail solutions.
• Create Insightful, Fact-Based Reports: Build clear, data-backed reports and presentations that help us grow categories and make the case for strategic product placement decisions.
• Turn Data into Action: Dive into category, shopper, and market data to uncover what’s working, what’s not, and where we can grow—then turn those insights into real business strategies.
• Lead and Support Key Projects: Use your project management skills to drive and support customer initiatives focused on category growth.
• Collaborate Across Teams: Work closely with cross-functional partners to build retail strategies that make sense for our business and our customers.
• Provide Category Reviews and Business Insights: Help conduct reviews that analyze assortment, pricing, promotion, and shelf presentation—and recommend what to do next. You’ll use tools like IRI, SPINS, and internal data to back it all up.
• Deliver Monthly Tracking Reports: Share monthly updates that go beyond the numbers—answering the “so what?” with clear next steps. Topics may include new item performance, market share, modular tests, pricing/promos, and ROM (Return on Marketing).
• Keep an Eye on the Competition: Track what others are doing through price and share gap analysis, POS and panel data, and in-store visits to spot tactics that give a competitive edge.
• Tell the Story: Pull together insights from different data sources and turn them into simple, visually compelling, and unbiased recommendations that drive results.
• Be a Go-To Partner: Build strong relationships across the company and with external partners. Be resourceful, take initiative, and know how to find the tools and info you need to get things done.
• Think Differently: Challenge how things have always been done, embrace new tech, bring creative ideas to the table, and help make our processes even better.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Marketing, Data Analytics, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience as a CPG Sales Analyst, with a strong emphasis on business analytics, interpreting consumer data, and translating insights into action. Must have experience in retail and/or manufacturer environments, including shelf reviews and category management (assortment and customer insight analytics).
• Experience working with syndicated data, space management tools and customer/shopper data. Knowledge of SPINS and Satori is a PLUS.
• Pattern of initiative & proven problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Solid analytical and technical skills in MS Office, and internal sales tools
• Ability to work in a team environment on a variety of complex projects.
• Ability to develop insights-driven presentations drawing from all available sources
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Excel. Power BI knowledge is a plus.
• Identifies and leverages relevant data to diagnose situations and identify potential solutions
• Effectively and independently conduct data mining utilizing CPG math concepts and tools.
• Well-developed interpersonal, organizational skills and analytical skills.
• Independently manages project plans and assumes responsibility for tracking, communication, and timing.
• Recognize problems and issues and identify the info needed to diagnose.
• Execute strategic objectives and provide input as needed to keep priorities on track.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills.

Salary: $70,000-85,000 annually

Location: Remote or Hybrid (if in the SLC area)

Position Type: Full-time

Benefits: 

• Paid time off (flexible)
• Paid holidays
• Insurance: Health, dental & vision
• 401(k) + Company match
• Eligible for company bonus plan
• Free product allowance