Category Development Manager

Red Bull•Santa Monica, CA

4h•$92,000 - $138,000

About The Position

The Category Manager directly supports the Director of Category Development in creating consumer- and customer-focused strategies, tactics, and category-based solutions. This individual will conduct high-quality analysis and synthesize multiple data sources to generate insights and actionable recommendations, while using strong communication and influencing skills to drive action across national small-format customers. The ideal candidate will have sound business judgment, excellent communication skills, and proven experience in the following areas: assortment planning, negotiation, pricing strategy, online product presentation, sales, and building productive working relationships. This role is able to sit in the following locations: Dallas, TX – Chicago, IL – Pleasanton, CA – Santa Monica, CA – Denver, CO, New York, NY – Atlanta, GA

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Management, Accounting, Data Analytics, or a related field is preferred.
A minimum of 3–5 years of experience in consumer goods, retail, or syndicated data, with a focus on category management, sales, business analytics, and/or shopper insights.
Extensive experience interpreting, using, and applying syndicated data, customer card/POS data, and panel data to drive internal and external success through sales and share growth (e.g., Nielsen, Circana, NPD, Numerator, 84.51, dunnhumby, SPINS, Stratum, Spectra/demographics, SPS OneScreen, Symphony Retail AI/EYC).
Ability to translate complex data into clear, straightforward narratives.
Demonstrated ability to build essential, collaborative partnerships with retail customers and internal business partners across functional teams.
High proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation communication skills.
Strong planning and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Working knowledge of retail merchandising and in-store execution tactics.

Nice To Haves

CPCM (Certified Professional Category Manager) certification and/or a master’s degree is preferred.
Preferred experience in sales and/or analytical sales support, including leading face-to-face discussions and initiatives.
Preferred experience managing relationships with third-party agencies, including brokers and data and insight providers.
Strong preference for experience in beverages and DSD (Direct Store Delivery).
Additional analytical experience and competencies (e.g., Tableau, Microsoft Access, Power BI, ProSpace, SQL, VBA, Alteryx) are preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain business relationships with external retail partners that position RBNA as the indispensable partner for all category management needs.
Build a comprehensive understanding of products, attributes, strategies, tactics, and competitive trends in the marketplace for assigned categories, both online and offline.
Oversee the development and execution of online and offline assortment and merchandising optimization, new product introductions, seasonal programs, and pricing and promotional planning and evaluation.
Use data from multiple sources to create impactful analyses and selling stories that identify risks, opportunities, and performance gaps (e.g., distribution, assortment mix, incrementality, size, shelving, placement).
Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to recognize and anticipate issues and opportunities, elevating analyses beyond simple reporting and translating insights into retail actions.
Work effectively with Sales, Marketing, Shopper Marketing, Shopper & Consumer Insights, Brand, eCommerce, and other Category Leadership resources to establish, lead, and maintain performance management, including streamlining reporting cadences, conducting macro assessments, and analyzing opportunity gaps.
Guide the implementation of Red Bull Category Management resources to provide solutions that support strategic plans for assigned Customer Teams.
Implement category development programs by leading discussions with retailers to focus on category growth opportunities.
Support the customer business planning process by aligning category initiatives with overall strategic business goals.
Convert insights into actions by executing, analyzing, and evaluating category plans, and identifying key opportunities for Red Bull and its retail partners to capitalize on.
Present Red Bull’s category credentials to key retailers in a clear and compelling manner.
Develop a strong, authoritative understanding of the Energy category and the broader beverage market.
Provide leading-edge category management solutions by effectively using and interpreting IRI and Nielsen syndicated scan data, household panel data, market demographic information, customer point-of-sale and loyalty data, as well as the systems used to generate this information for category reviews.
Create, refine, and deliver regular category reviews, plans, and strategies in collaboration with retail partners.
Analyze business performance and provide insights on sales, pricing, and opportunity gaps to drive incremental volume.
Manage planogram development and the in-store roundtable process for retailers that are considered best-in-class within the category.
Deliver analysis on new item introductions and their performance.
Provide analysis of the new product and package mix.
Develop analyses that highlight merchandising effectiveness, including the impact of displays and promotions.
Maintain and develop regular internal and retailer‑specific scorecards and trackers.
Provide ad hoc category management reports, trend analyses, customized reports, and special project support directly to internal and external leaders as needed.
Stay current with developments and best practices in category management and actively pursue the knowledge required to enhance departmental capabilities and professional agility.