Director, Category Leadership

The Kraft Heinz Company

2d • $190,300 - $237,900 • Remote

About The Position

The Director, Category Leadership is a transformational leader responsible for driving long-term category growth across physical stores, ecommerce, and omnichannel retail environments. This role combines advanced analytics, shopper insights, macro-space planning, inventory intelligence, and store-level performance insights to develop strategies that deliver sustainable growth for both retailers and the enterprise.
Reporting to the VP of Category Leadership & Shopper Insights, the Director leads a team of Associate Directors, Leads, Senior Advisors, and Advisors, serving as a strategic partner to internal teams and retail customers. This leader develops and executes a 1–3 year category growth strategy, leveraging real-time data, predictive analytics, and collaborative retailer partnerships to drive measurable outcomes across sales, profit, market share, and category productivity.
The Director acts as a trusted advisor to senior retailer leadership, delivering insights and strategic recommendations that improve category performance across in-store, digital shelf, and omnichannel fulfillment environments.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in CPG, retail, or category management leadership
• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams
• Strong experience leveraging advanced analytics, shopper insights, and data platforms to drive category strategy
• Experience with omnichannel retail, digital commerce, and store-level retail dynamics
• Knowledge of macro-space planning, assortment optimization, and category strategy development
• Experience utilizing inventory analytics and demand forecasting to improve availability and category productivity
• Strong financial acumen and ability to translate insights into business results
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills with the ability to influence senior retailer leadership

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior retailer leaders to develop long-term category growth strategies across store and e-commerce environments
• Lead joint category planning and strategic initiatives that drive profitable growth for both the retailer and the enterprise
• Identify retail solutions through deep understanding of shopper behavior, category trends, and store-level insights
• Serve as a strategic advisor to internal commercial teams on category performance, risks, and growth opportunities
• Develop and execute integrated category strategies across physical shelf, digital shelf, and omnichannel fulfillment models
• Optimize category performance across in-store merchandising, digital discoverability, and online shopper conversion
• Partner with Digital Commerce and Retail Media teams to ensure category insights inform digital merchandising and media strategies
• Leverage advanced analytics, AI-enabled insights, and real-time data platforms to inform category strategy
• Translate complex data—including shopper card data, syndicated data, digital shelf analytics, and store-level POS insights into actionable growth strategies
• Utilize predictive modeling and demand forecasting to guide store level assortment strategies
• Integrate inventory analytics and supply chain insights into category planning to ensure optimal product availability.
• Identify out-of-stock risks and collaborate with retailers and internal teams to improve on-shelf and digital fulfillment availability
• Use demand signals and sell-through data to improve inventory productivity and reduce lost sales
• Analyze store-level and regional performance to identify localized assortment and merchandising opportunities
• Partner with retailers to implement targeted category strategies that reflect shopper demand at the store level
• Ensure enterprise category strategies translate effectively into store-level execution
• Lead macro-space planning initiatives to optimize shelf allocation, assortment productivity, and category roles
• Develop data-driven assortment strategies that improve category productivity across physical and digital environments
• Lead and develop a high-performing category leadership team, fostering a culture of curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Serve as a player-coach, developing future category leadership talent across the organization
• Partner cross-functionally with Business Units, eCommerce, Insights, Supply Chain, and Marketing teams to drive category success

Benefits

• Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare, protection, and saving for the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs.
• Wellbeing: We offer events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle for our employees and their families.
• Physical - Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments
• Social - Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training
• Emotional – Employee Assistance Program , Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs
• Financial – 401k, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed