Category Space Manager

Aston Carter•St. Louis, MO

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Category Space Manager plays a key role in driving category growth within the beverage industry by combining space planning expertise with data-driven insights. This position works in a collaborative team environment, developing category analyses, identifying opportunities, and communicating clear recommendations to internal partners and external retail customers. The ideal candidate takes strong ownership of their work, consistently pushes for higher performance, and serves as a trusted category advisor to retail partners.

Requirements

Strong passion for the beverage industry.
Category management or sales experience within the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry.
Moderate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including the ability to manipulate and organize large data sets.
Moderate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, with the ability to organize and visually present clear storylines for presentations.
Strong familiarity with syndicated data, software, and measures such as IRI, Nielsen, EYC, or similar platforms.
Shelf management and planogram creation experience using tools such as JDA, Apollo, or comparable space planning software.
Ability to interpret and analyze large data sets, develop meaningful insights, and identify actionable opportunities.
Ability to translate analytical findings into concise, effective selling stories tailored to different audiences.
Confidence in presenting insights, opportunities, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders in a persuasive manner.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Positive attitude and a collaborative mindset.
Self-starter with a strong sense of ownership and the drive to deliver results.

Nice To Haves

Experience working directly with retailer buying teams to influence category strategies and assortment decisions.
Exp in space planning for beer or broader beverage departments in retail environments.
Demonstrated ability to create visually engaging presentations that clearly communicate complex data and insights.
Proven track record of building and sustaining strong relationships with internal teams and external customers.
Curiosity and a continuous improvement mindset, with a desire to innovate in category management and space planning.
Commitment to contributing to broader community and responsible business initiatives as part of a purpose-driven organization.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain strong relationships with retail partners as a trusted category advisor across all areas of the beverage business.
Develop impactful category analyses and consumer insights using a range of syndicated and non-syndicated data sources.
Synthesize findings from multiple data sources into clear, compelling selling stories presented in a visually engaging format using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Effectively educate internal teammates and external customers on category growth opportunities through clear, concise, and impactful communication.
Partner closely with the Sales team to engage external retailer buying teams in defined territories, with the goal of identifying and executing opportunities to grow the beverage category.
Use space planning software to design and optimize merchandising of the beer department in alignment with category and retailer strategies.
Allocate approximately 60–70% of time to space planning activities, including shelf management and planogram creation, to ensure optimal product placement and assortment.
Allocate approximately 30–40% of time to analytics and reporting, including data extraction, analysis, and performance tracking to support category recommendations.
Translate complex data and insights into concise, persuasive recommendations that support strategic decisions for both internal stakeholders and retail partners.
Confidently present insights, opportunities, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders in a persuasive and professional manner.