Director of Category Management

Jack Link's Protein Snacks•Minneapolis, MN

4h•$175,000 - $190,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Category Management will lead the transformation of category management into a strategic growth engine for the organization and its customers. This role owns the development and delivery of best-in-class category insights, shelving strategies, and customer engagement models that drive mutually beneficial growth. This leader will elevate how the organization leverages data, shopper insights, and category expertise to influence decisions, strengthen customer partnerships, and secure Category Captain, Advisor, or Validator roles across key accounts. Success in this role requires combining analytical rigor with compelling storytelling and strong cross-functional leadership. The Director will build, develop, and lead a high-performing team of Category Managers and Analysts, setting the standard for insight quality, execution excellence, and customer impact.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Marketing, or 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 (Nielsen/IRI), space management tools (e.g., ProSpace), and customer data platforms (e.g., Scintilla, 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) preferred.
Experience in snacks, meat snacks, beverages, or other high-velocity CPG categories preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead Category Captainships, Advisor, and Validator Relationships: Own and expand Category Captain, Advisor, and Validator roles 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 through category perspectives that shape assortment, shelving, pricing, and promotion decisions.
Establish governance and best practices for engagement, ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery across all customer interactions.
Partner with Sales to proactively identify opportunities to deepen influence and unlock incremental category growth.
Execute Gold Standard Plan-O-Grams: Define and institutionalize “Gold Standard” planogram principles that balance shopper needs, category growth, and brand performance.
Lead the development and deployment of data-driven shelving solutions using best-in-class 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.
Category and Customer Thought Leadership: Serve as the voice of the category internally and externally, translating data into actionable, forward-looking insights.
Develop compelling, insight-led narratives that influence customer decision-making and strengthen credibility.
Identify emerging category, consumer, and shopper trends to shape strategic recommendations.
Elevate the organization’s 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.
Analytics & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Lead the synthesis of syndicated, shopper, and customer data into clear, actionable insights.
Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, RGM, and Insights to align on 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.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.