Category Insights Manager

Careers and Highline Warren•Naperville, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Category Insights Manager is responsible for delivering fact-based category analyses, insights, and recommendations that support customer-facing selling initiatives and internal decision making. This role partners closely with Sales, Marketing, and Category Leadership to translate data into clear, actionable insights that drive category growth. The Category Insights Manager operates with a strong execution mindset and serves as a key contributor, rather than the owner, of broader category strategy. This position focuses on execution, analysis and day-to-day customer and internal support.

Requirements

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights
Thrives in a fast-paced environment
Effectively manages multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines
Collaborative, team-oriented mindset
Strong organization and time-management skills
Solid business acumen with attention to detail
Initiative driven and action oriented
Bachelor’s degree required
4–7 years of experience in category management, insights, or commercial analytics (CPG or consumer goods preferred)
Proven experience supporting category insights, promotional analysis, and customer-facing materials
High proficiency in MS Excel and PowerPoint
Familiarity with syndicated data sources (e.g., Circana/Neilsen or similar)
Experience presenting insights to cross-functional partners or customer teams
Demonstrated success working in a matrixed organization.
Solid experience in presenting ideas and concepts to varying seniority levels within an organization.
Proven track record of tangible impact to top/bottom line.

Nice To Haves

MBA preferred but not required
Power BI experience strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Analyze customer, syndicated, and internal data to develop actionable category and shopper insights
Support category storytelling by consolidating trends, performance metrics, and fundamentals into clear insights and recommendations
Deliver objective, fact-based insights to support category growth opportunities, issue resolution, and performance improvement
Contribute analysis and insights for customer presentations, line reviews, and selling materials
Partner with Sales, customer presentations, and business reviews by providing category, competitive, and performance insights
Support selling initiatives through preparation of data, insights, and presentation materials
Participate in customer discussions as a category insights subject-matter contributor, with guidance from senior leadership
Collaborate with Marketing, Sales, and other internal teams to support category initiatives and business questions
Work with analytics, data, and BI resources to ensure accurate, timely, and consistent reporting
Contribute to cross-functional projects by providing analytical inputs and category insights
Manage assigned project timelines and deliverables to ensure on-time execution
Handle multiple analytical requests and priorities simultaneously while maintaining quality and accuracy
Perform ad hoc analysis as needed to support evolving business needs
Act as an Auto Retailer’s strategic category partner, leading category strategy, modular planning, and shelf optimization using objective, fact-based insights to drive mutual growth.
Serve as the primary steward of category performance, translating shopper, market, and POS data into actionable recommendations that influence assortment, pricing, promotion, and space decisions.