Job Description:
The Senior Category Manager is responsible for leading category strategy, shopper insights, and analytics across both traditional retail and digital commerce channels to drive category growth, strengthen customer partnerships, and support the Company’s commercial objectives.
Multiple openings are available across categories including Dry Dog, Wet Dog, Cat, and Care & Treats.
This role serves as a strategic advisor to Sales, Marketing, and retail customers by delivering data-driven recommendations that optimize assortment, shelving, pricing, promotion, and digital shelf performance.
The Senior Category Manager plays a critical role in translating consumer, shopper, and marketplace insights into actionable strategies that drive growth across omnichannel retail environments.
This position partners closely with customer teams, eCommerce, Revenue Growth Management, and Marketing to develop category leadership capabilities and support customer-centric business planning.
This role is based in Franklin, TN with regular in-office collaboration expected. Flexibility is a key enabler—empowering associates to make choices that support both business outcomes and personal needs, including occasional remote work.
What are your key responsibilities?
Category Strategy & Insights
Develop and execute category management strategies that drive growth for both the Company and retail customers across traditional and digital commerce channels
Analyze consumer, shopper, market, and competitive trends to identify category opportunities and risks
Deliver actionable recommendations related to assortment, shelving, merchandising, pricing, promotion, and category optimization
Lead category reviews, line reviews, and strategic business presentations for internal stakeholders and retail customers
Support innovation launches through category analysis, whitespace identification, and post-launch performance tracking
Digital Category Management & eCommerce
Partner with eCommerce and Digital Commerce teams to optimize digital shelf performance, search visibility, content effectiveness, and online assortment strategies
Analyze online shopper behavior, digital conversion metrics, search trends, and retailer-specific eCommerce performance data
Develop recommendations to improve online discoverability, conversion, ratings & reviews, and omnichannel shopper engagement
Support retailer media and digital merchandising initiatives to enhance category growth and brand visibility
Monitor emerging eCommerce and omnichannel retail trends to identify new growth opportunities
Data Analytics & Business Planning
Utilize syndicated data sources and retailer analytics platforms to generate insights and business recommendations
Build and maintain reporting tools, dashboards, scorecards, and performance analyses to support decision-making
Translate complex data into clear, concise business recommendations for both technical and non-technical audiences
Support annual business planning, joint business planning (JBP), and strategic customer planning processes
Measure effectiveness of promotional programs, assortment changes, and merchandising initiatives
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Revenue Growth Management, Consumer Insights, Supply Chain, and Finance teams to support commercial objectives
Collaborate with customer teams to develop fact-based selling stories and customer-specific growth strategies
Support field sales and customer teams with insights, presentations, and category expertise
Influence cross-functional stakeholders through strong analytical storytelling and strategic recommendations
Thought Leadership & Capability Building
Serve as a category expert and trusted advisor within the organization and with retail customers
Drive continuous improvement in category management processes, reporting capabilities, and analytical tools
Mentor and support development of junior category management team members as applicable
Stay current on category management best practices, retail trends, shopper behavior, and digital commerce evolution
Bachelor’s degree required, business, marketing, analytics, economics, or related field preferred
5–10 years of experience in Category Management, Shopper Insights, Sales Strategy, or related CPG commercial functions
Experience supporting major retail customers and omnichannel/eCommerce environments
Strong understanding of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry dynamics and retail execution
Demonstrated experience utilizing syndicated data and retailer analytics platforms
Advanced analytical, presentation, and communication skills
Experience with data visualization and reporting tools such as Power BI or Tableau preferred
Ability to manage multiple priorities and influence cross-functional stakeholders in a matrixed organization
Strong collaboration, problem-solving, and strategic thinking capabilities
Strong financial acumen, negotiation skills, and strategic planning capabilities
Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and lead within matrixed organizations
Excellent communication, executive presentation, and relationship management skills
Work with 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
A strong focus on 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
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree (business, marketing, analytics, economics, or related)
- 5-10 years experience in Category Management, Shopper Insights, Sales Strategy, or related CPG commercial functions
- Experience supporting major retail customers and omnichannel/eCommerce environments
- Strong understanding of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry dynamics and retail execution
- Demonstrated experience utilizing syndicated data and retailer analytics platforms
- Advanced analytical, presentation, and communication skills
- Experience with data visualization and reporting tools such as Power BI or Tableau
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and influence cross-functional stakeholders in a matrixed organization
- Strong collaboration, problem-solving, and strategic thinking capabilities
- Strong financial acumen, negotiation skills, and strategic planning capabilities
- Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and lead within matrixed organizations
- Excellent communication, executive presentation, and relationship management skills
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.
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