Director Category Management

Link Snacks•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

The Director of Category Management will transform category management into a strategic growth engine for the organization and its customers. The role owns the development and delivery of category insights, shelving strategies, and customer engagement models that drive mutual growth. The Director will use data, shopper insights, and category expertise to influence decisions, strengthen customer partnerships, and secure Category Captain, Advisor, or Validator roles across key accounts. This leader combines analytical rigor, compelling storytelling, and cross-functional leadership. The Director will build, develop, and lead a high-performing team of Category Managers and Analysts, setting standards for insight quality, execution excellence, and customer impact. The role leads category relationships and customer-specific strategies; establishes engagement governance and best practices; develops data-driven shelving solutions and planogram principles; and serves as an internal and external category thought leader. The Director also leads analytics and collaboration across Sales, Marketing, RGM, and Insights, building scalable reporting frameworks and ensuring insights translate into measurable actions. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Marketing, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in CPG Analytics, Category Management, Shopper Insights, or Sales.
5+ years of experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
Proven experience serving as a Category Captain, Advisor, or Validator with key customers.
Deep expertise in syndicated data, including Nielsen/IRI; space management tools, such as ProSpace; and customer data platforms, such as Scintilla and 84.51.
Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills, with the ability to translate data into insights and actions.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functionally and externally without direct authority.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MBA or related field).
Experience in snacks, meat snacks, beverages, or other high-velocity CPG categories.

Responsibilities

Lead and expand Category Captain, Advisor, and Validator relationships across priority customers, positioning the company as a trusted category authority.
Develop customer-specific category strategies grounded in shopper, consumer, and market insights.
Lead joint business planning inputs that shape assortment, shelving, pricing, and promotion decisions.
Establish engagement governance and best practices to ensure consistent, high-quality customer interactions.
Partner with Sales to identify opportunities to deepen influence and unlock incremental category growth.
Define and institutionalize Gold Standard planogram principles balancing shopper needs, category growth, and brand performance.
Lead the development and deployment of data-driven shelving solutions using space management tools.
Ensure planograms are insight-led, customer-relevant, and aligned with strategic growth priorities.
Drive continuous improvement through test-and-learn approaches and post-implementation performance tracking.
Partner with Sales and customers to ensure execution compliance and maximize in-store impact.
Serve as the voice of the category internally and externally, translating data into actionable, forward-looking insights.
Develop insight-led narratives to influence customer decisions and strengthen credibility.
Identify emerging category, consumer, and shopper trends to shape strategic recommendations.
Elevate category management capabilities through tools, frameworks, and best practices.
Represent the company in key customer meetings, industry forums, and strategic discussions as a category expert.
Lead synthesis of syndicated, shopper, and customer data into clear, actionable insights.
Partner with Sales, Marketing, RGM, and Insights to align category strategies and priorities.
Build scalable reporting and analytics frameworks that improve speed, consistency, and impact.
Ensure insights translate into measurable actions that drive category and business performance.
Develop team capabilities in advanced analytics, storytelling, and business acumen.
Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team of Category Managers and Analysts.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.