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
What are we looking for?
- 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
What can you expect from Mars?
- 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
