Lead, Category & Portfolio Strategy

Come join us•Van Nuys, CA

About The Position

Munchkin, Inc. is seeking a Lead, Category & Portfolio Strategy to lead enterprise-wide ownership of our product portfolio and innovation roadmap. This role oversees a 300–500+ SKU portfolio and leads a team of Category Managers, Directors, and supporting team members. P&L accountability sits with Category Managers and Directors, while supporting team members are responsible for key performance drivers and execution. The VP will define what we build, why we build it, and when it comes to market—ensuring all innovation is aligned to category strategy, consumer insight, and financial performance. This is a highly strategic leadership role with significant cross-functional visibility, partnering closely with Sales, Brand Marketing, the VP of eCommerce & Digital Growth, and the Executive leadership team to align product strategy with commercial objectives.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in CPG category management or portfolio strategy with direct leadership of 8-10 category managers/directors
Experience leading or managing a large-scale SKU portfolio (300+ SKUs)
Proven success in SKU rationalization and portfolio optimization
Strong track record of margin expansion and profitable growth
Deep P&L ownership experience
Experience operating in omni-channel environments (retail + digital)
Demonstrated ability to lead and influence at the executive level
A strategic, enterprise thinker with strong business acumen
Decisive and comfortable making trade-offs and prioritization calls
Financially rigorous and results-oriented
Skilled at influencing and aligning senior stakeholders across functions
Experienced in driving organizational change and operating model evolution

Nice To Haves

International experience is a plus

Responsibilities

Portfolio & Roadmap Leadership Own the enterprise product portfolio strategy and multi-year roadmap
Define category priorities, investment allocation, and launch sequencing
Lead SKU rationalization efforts to simplify the portfolio and improve productivity
Ensure all innovation aligns with clear strategic and financial objectives
Innovation Governance Evaluate, approve, and prioritize product concepts based on: Strategic fit Portfolio role Financial return and margin expectations
Establish and lead stage-gate processes to ensure disciplined decision-making
Prevent low-value or duplicative product development
Category Leadership Lead and develop a team of category owners will full P&L accountability
Drive a shift toward performance-based category management
Establish clear KPIs across revenue, margin, and portfolio productivity
Cross-Functional Leadership Partner closely with Sales, the VP of eCommerce & Digital Growth, and the C-suite to align category strategies with revenue and channel priorities
Collaborate with Product Development to guide product direction and ensure alignment with portfolio strategy
Work with Brand Marketing to ensure positioning and go-to-market plans support category objectives
Partner with PMO to ensure initiatives are effectively planned and delivered on time
Partner with Category Managers and Sales to support retail sell-in (strategy, planograms, pricing, decks), with Category Managers owning product strategy presentation in line reviews
Financial & Business Impact Drive margin expansion and profitable growth across categories
Embed financial discipline into early-stage product decisions
Improve return on innovation and overall portfolio performance