Category Insights and Analytics Sr Manager

Advantage Solutions•Berwyn, IL

About The Position

Category Insights & Analytics Senior Manager The Category Analytics & Insights Sr. Manager is responsible for leading a team of Category Insights Sr Analysts and Category Insights Analysts supporting multiple clients, across customers and/or regions. An essential part of this role is training and mentoring 5-10 category professionals to achieve high-quality results for clients and Advantage sales teams. As a manager, you will coach and direct the team on how to leverage various data sets (i.e. Shopper Sights, Circana, NIQ, Numerator, Retailer, etc.). into compelling, data-driven selling stories. The manager will prioritize and manage project schedule by monitoring project progress, coordinating activities, and resolving problems. Moreover, the Category Analytics & Insights Sr. Manager will collaborate with Advantage’s client team leader and the client’s category leadership to execute sales objectives, future go-to-market (GTM) strategies and support DSMP execution. They are responsible for anticipating future requirements, navigating challenges, and identifying opportunities with clients. The Sr Manager will consistently seek to enhance processes and strategies, ensuring overall success and satisfaction for clients. The Company is one of North America’s leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management, and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics, and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today.

Requirements

5+ years in category management, shopper insights, or retail analytics or (not financial/data-only analytics) within the CPG industry
2 years of leading people or mentoring others.
Strong presentation skills and comfort with executive-level interactions.
Familiarity with Circana or Nielsen tools.
Strong Excel and PowerPoint experience.
Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, analytics, or related field required
5-8+ years of experience in category management, shopper insights, business intelligence, strategy, or combination within the CPG, FMCG, retail, and/or consulting industries.
3+ years of people management experience leading teams of 5 or more members.
Strong leadership and team management skills – ability to lead, coach, mentor, and develop people
Ability to collaborate with client, customer, and internal sales partners to influence business decisions with fact-based insights.
Understanding and application of principles and practices of category leadership (assortment, pricing, promotion, shelving, and shopper)
Communicate complex quantitative analysis in a clear, precise, and actionable manner / strong presentation skills
Strong analytics, interpretive, & problem-solving skills – data into actionable insights

Nice To Haves

Professional Category Management Certification a plus (i.e. CMA, CKMG, TPG, Delta Associates, etc.)
Professional Category Management Certification a plus (i.e. CMA, CKMG, TPG, Delta Associates, etc.)

Responsibilities

Associate Development: Strong leadership and team management skills – ability to lead, coach, mentor, and develop people of 5 to 10 team members.
Ensure project deliverables meet the quality standards of Advantage
Ensure proper workload distribution across each client’s assigned resources.
Cross‑Functional Partnership: Fully integrated with the client’s category management team and Advantage client team leader.
Collaborate with clients to accomplish business objectives through understanding customer goals, strategies, and ability to influence customer business decisions with fact-based insights.
Communicate quantitative analysis in a clear, precise, and actionable manner to client’s upper management
Leverages thought leadership insights to provide recommendations that enable Advantage to be viewed as a Trusted Advisor.
Project Management: Prioritize and manage project schedule by monitoring project progress, coordinating activities, and resolving problems
Thought Leadership: Identifies, develops, and presents insight-driven thought leadership to clients, customers, and internal stakeholders.
Leverages insights to provide recommendations that inform strategic direction enabling Advantage to build strong, value-added relationships.
Data Analysis & Insights Ability: Understanding of how to utilize tools: Circana, POS, Panel Data, Kantar, Cleveland.
Translate data into clear insights and stories for recommendations (distribution, promotions, pricing, shelf placement).
Associate Development: Provide coaching, training, and direction to associates to achieve professional objectives. Ensure project deliverables meet the quality standards of our partners.
Client/Customer Management: Engage with assigned clients/customers and internal stakeholders to build strong, value added relationships. Leverages insights to provide recommendations that inform strategic direction enabling Advantage to be viewed as the “Trusted Advisor”. Utilizes syndicated, panel, client, and geodemographic data along with market research to proactively identify mutually beneficial, actionable, and quantifiable solutions.
Thought Leadership: Identifies, develops, and presents insight-driven thought leadership to clients, customers, and internal stakeholders. Presentations will demonstrate both data and story-telling mastery and effectively integrate category, consumer, and shopper insights with a quantifiable action plan. Be a Strategic Thought Partner, driving insights to action through deep analytics of the category, macro-trends, competitive landscape, pricing, promotion, assortment, space management, and shopper trends.
Peer Collaboration: Consult with cross-functional teams on the development of business-building strategies and tactics informed by demands of the everyday business.
Strategic Collaboration: Establish trust and rapport with internal and external partners to accomplish business objectives through understanding of customer goals, strategies, and capabilities.