Category Manager, Kroger

Since 1869 we've connected people through food they love. We’re proud to be stewards of amazing brands that people trust. Our portfolio includes the iconic Campbell’s brand, as well as Michael Angelo’s, noosa, Pace, Pacific Foods, Prego, Rao’s Homemade, Swanson, and V8. In our Snacks division, we have brands like Cape Cod, Goldfish, Kettle Brand, Lance, Late July, Pepperidge Farm, Snack Factory, and Snyder’s of Hanover. 

Here, you will make a difference every day. You will be supported to build a rewarding career with opportunities to grow, innovate and inspire. Make history with us.

Why Campbell’s…

• Benefits begin on day one and include medical, dental, short and long-term disability, AD&D, and life insurance (for individual, families, and domestic partners).
• Employees are eligible for our matching 401(k) plan and can enroll on the first day of employment with immediate vesting.
• Campbell’s offers unlimited sick time along with paid time off and holiday pay.
• If in WHQ – free access to the fitness center. Access to on-site day care (operated by Bright Horizons) and company store.
• Giving back to the communities where our employees work and live is very important to Campbell’s. Our “Campbell’s Cares” program matches employee donations and/or volunteer activity up to $1,500 annually.
• Campbell’s has a variety of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support employees.

General Summary:

As a member of the Campbell Snacks Category Management Team, the Category Manager, Kroger will be responsible for accelerating strategic and tactical thought leadership at Kroger. This person will be responsible for delivering team growth objectives, partner on category reviews, monthly performance tracking, and be the trusted advisor for Kroger. This individual will partner with key retailer decision makers aligning on priorities, insight needs and whitespace identification to drive Campbell Snacks strategic retailer partnerships forward. Proficiency in the use point-of-sale and analytical tools to create clear actionable category recommendations will be imperative to the success in this role.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Proactively develop collaborative relationships with our retail partners and be viewed as a trusted resource for category insights and objective growth opportunities.
• Actively advise Kroger on category and shopper centric opportunities to grow market share
• Develops category strategy and assists customer with integrated category strategy development.
• Provides strategic and tactical recommendations on the Distribution, Shelving, Merchandising and Pricing (DSMP) goals to improve overall category performance.
• Responsible for developing customer specific presentation with relevant consumer insights, competitive responses, and new item/category selling strategies.
• Actively lead and participate in preparation of line reviews and reoccurring customer category reviews, JBP plans, and Top to Top meetings.
• Lead comprehensive understanding of plan-o-gram insights and assortment to help identify and drive strategic sales opportunities and customer growth objectives.
• Owner of Kroger TDP forecasting
• Develops strong working relationships with category leadership, buyers, and cross functional departments.

Job Complexity:

• The Category Manager, Kroger will collaborate with buyers, insights teams, and senior leaders with the goal of driving strategic category direction. This role will require professionalism, executive presence, and the ability to balance Customer/Campbells responsibilities.
• Ability to lead the local category management team, building individuals skills and knowledge of both Kroger and Campbell Snacks.
• Works with cross-functional groups including the retailer, internal customer team(s), and World HQ resources.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• 5+ years’ experience in Category Management or data analytics role in the CPG industry
• 1+ years' Kroger experience
• 84.51 Stratum/OnDemand (Proficiency required)
• IRI and/or Nielsen syndicated data experience required (Proficiency required)
• Excel & PowerPoint expertise (Proficiency required)
• JDA Space Planning (JDA) software (Proficiency preferred)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Preferred:

• Category, Loyalty, & Shopper Knowledge
• Ability to develop a compelling story with data
• High degree of self-motivation and discipline
• Exceptional organization and communication skills (both written & verbal)
• Excel at math, analytics, and problem-solving
• Ability to work with a wide variety of individuals within the organization and maintain regular contact with all stakeholders
• Team oriented with the ability to work independently
• Initiative and ability to work with various individuals and groups inside and outside the company progressing towards a common goal

Working Conditions:

• This position will work from the Campbell Snacks local office three (3) days a week

• 8805 Governor’s Hill Drive, Suite 300, Cincinnati, OH 45249 (Moving 4 miles from current location starting 1/7/25)

• Collaborative relationships and team focused are vital to the success of this role
• Approximately 10% travel is required to the customer & team meetings
• This role reports directly into the Team Leader, Kroger
• Car allowance eligible

Compensation and Benefits:

The target base salary range for this full-time, salaried position is between 

$91,600-$131,700

Individual base pay depends on work location and additional factors such as experience, job-related skills, and relevant education or training. Total pay may include other forms of compensation. In addition, we offer competitive health, dental, 401k and wellness benefits beginning on the first day of employment. Please ask your Talent Acquisition Partner for more information about our total rewards package.

The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and qualified applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, including consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, protected veteran status, disability, age, religion, or any other classification protected by law.