Category Strategy Manager

CONAGRA•Chicago, IL

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Director of Category Strategy, you will lead the development and execution of category growth platforms for our Snacks, Sweet Treats, and Baking portfolio. You will integrate shopper, customer, and brand insights to guide category strategy and influence customer decisions. You will partner closely with field sales, Category Leadership, and brand teams to translate insights into actionable plans that drive sustainable growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
5+ years of related consumer packaged goods industry experience, including category management, sales or a combination of sales and syndicated data roles.
Strong working knowledge of Circana, Nielsen, syndicated data, space management, category management tools, visualization tools, spreadsheets and databases.
Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills with experience influencing customers and cross‑functional partners.
Demonstrated expertise integrating and interpreting data to support category and customer decisions.
Proven problem‑solving skills with a focus on identifying growth opportunities and developing practical solutions.
Strong collaboration skills and experience working effectively in a highly matrixed environment.
Demonstrated flexibility and responsiveness to changing business priorities and customer needs.
Strong time management and prioritization skills across multiple initiatives.
Leadership capability with experience guiding work through others.
Action‑oriented, results‑focused mindset.
Strategic, proactive self‑starter who anticipates needs and acts with minimal direction.
Commitment to fostering a positive, inclusive culture.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and implementation of category growth platforms across your assigned portfolio in partnership with the Director of Category Strategy.
Integrate shopper insights, customer analytics, and brand insights to inform category strategies and guide Category Leadership and field sales execution.
Own and advance category strategies across assigned categories, supporting innovation launches and customer‑specific growth opportunities.
Partner with field sales and Category Leadership to support joint business planning through actionable insights, analysis, and category recommendations.
Conduct category business reviews that highlight performance, trends, key business drivers, and incremental growth opportunities.
Identify, standardize, and commercialize best practices from field Category Leadership teams into scalable national growth opportunities.
Serve as a strategic partner to brand teams by proactively delivering value‑added category and customer work.
Develop category strategies, tools, and playbooks that can be efficiently customized for priority customers using scalable resources.
Interface regularly with customer teams, delivering category tools and analysis that support customer decision‑making.
Act as the subject matter expert for Category Leadership tools across assigned categories, including Circana Scan & Panel, Circana Always-on Assortment, NIQ, 84.51, and JDA Space planning
Build strong working relationships with cross‑functional partners across business development, demand and behavioral science, brand, category, and sales teams.
Establish merchandising standards aligned with brand strategies and customer needs.
Monitor category and industry trends, translating insights into clear points of view that inform internal and external growth plans.
Manage multiple workstreams, setting priorities, providing timelines, and ensuring delivery against commitments.
Lead and develop one direct report.