Global Snacks Category Manager

Kalsec • Kalamazoo, MI

5h

About The Position

Essential Job Responsibilities: Category Strategy, Portfolio & Go-to-Market Leadership Establish growth objectives, enable sales conversion, and monitor sales growth for Kalsec’s Savory Snacks category Work cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Business Unit leaders, and R&D to deliver category strategy Identify and explain market trends and competitive dynamics Analyze consumer behaviors and translate insights into category opportunities Map customer size, potential, strengths, and weaknesses Define priority customers and go-to-market approaches by region Identify portfolio synergies and gaps across Business Units Segment the portfolio using lifecycle management principles and share recommendations with Product Management Propose innovation and development opportunities aligned with market and customer needs Define regional priorities together with Business Unit Heads Develop and manage the innovation pipeline based on customer needs and claims Lead new product launches within the category and align regional execution plans Customer Engagement, Sales Enablement & Performance Management Serve as a strategic partner to key global and regional customers identified in the category plan Support Sales in building strong, long-term relationships with priority customers Identify customer-specific “hooks” and value propositions based on customer profiles Train Sales Managers through joint customer visits and targeted category training Monitor category performance through sales data, competitive intelligence, and customer feedback Provide in-depth performance analysis and dynamic reporting Deliver bi-annual performance updates versus the Business Plan Qualifications: Required Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, or a related field Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience within the Snacks category, across roles such as Sales, Marketing, R&D, or Category Management Strong understanding of the Snacks value chain, from ingredient sourcing to customer and consumer applications Established professional network within the Snacks industry Proven ability to translate complex technical and market information into clear, compelling value propositions Strong presentation skills and executive presence, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and customers Experience working with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce.com) and proficiency in Microsoft Office tools Desired Scientific background in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, or a related discipline MBA or advanced business degree Experience working in a global and/or cross-regional role Competency with data visualization and analytics tools such as Power BI Working Conditions: Role requires flexibility to collaborate across global time zones, including occasional work outside traditional business hours Approximately 5 days of travel per month to visit customers, attend meetings, or support regional initiatives

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, or a related field
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience within the Snacks category, across roles such as Sales, Marketing, R&D, or Category Management
• Strong understanding of the Snacks value chain, from ingredient sourcing to customer and consumer applications
• Established professional network within the Snacks industry
• Proven ability to translate complex technical and market information into clear, compelling value propositions
• Strong presentation skills and executive presence, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and customers
• Experience working with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce.com) and proficiency in Microsoft Office tools

Nice To Haves

• Scientific background in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, or a related discipline
• MBA or advanced business degree
• Experience working in a global and/or cross-regional role
• Competency with data visualization and analytics tools such as Power BI

Responsibilities

• Establish growth objectives, enable sales conversion, and monitor sales growth for Kalsec’s Savory Snacks category
• Work cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Business Unit leaders, and R&D to deliver category strategy
• Identify and explain market trends and competitive dynamics
• Analyze consumer behaviors and translate insights into category opportunities
• Map customer size, potential, strengths, and weaknesses
• Define priority customers and go-to-market approaches by region
• Identify portfolio synergies and gaps across Business Units
• Segment the portfolio using lifecycle management principles and share recommendations with Product Management
• Propose innovation and development opportunities aligned with market and customer needs
• Define regional priorities together with Business Unit Heads
• Develop and manage the innovation pipeline based on customer needs and claims
• Lead new product launches within the category and align regional execution plans
• Serve as a strategic partner to key global and regional customers identified in the category plan
• Support Sales in building strong, long-term relationships with priority customers
• Identify customer-specific “hooks” and value propositions based on customer profiles
• Train Sales Managers through joint customer visits and targeted category training
• Monitor category performance through sales data, competitive intelligence, and customer feedback
• Provide in-depth performance analysis and dynamic reporting
• Deliver bi-annual performance updates versus the Business Plan

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager