Manager, Packaged Snacks

Wawa, Inc.

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Provide strategic leadership in attaining or exceeding corporate and strategic goals for the Packaged Snacks categories. The role is accountable for the strategy, performance, and growth of the Packaged Snacks portfolio, including salty snacks, candy, gum and mints, packaged cake, cookies and crackers, nuts, meat snacks, and nutritional, energy, and breakfast snacks. Define, develop, and implement, with key cross-functional stakeholders, the strategic business and marketing plans required to ensure controllable category and cross-category contribution to the long-range plan. Utilize servant leadership principles that will aid in partnership development and team building.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree preferred, Master’s Degree a plus
Five+ years of category management experience; Packaged Snacks, food retail, convenience retail, or consumer packaged goods experience preferred
Experience with direct P&L responsibility
Purchasing experience
Experience managing work groups
Proficient in Microsoft Office, Advanced Excel skills
Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
Analyze information and effectively propose solutions
Highly developed consultative, facilitation, project management and presentation skills
High degree of professionalism and confidentiality
Handle multiple priorities simultaneously
Work independently
Strong negotiation skills
Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams
Establish and maintain a working environment conducive to positive morale, individual style, quality, creativity, and teamwork

Responsibilities

Develop and execute category plans for the Packaged Snacks portfolio that are aligned with and support corporate goals and strategies. Use consumer research, shopper insights, and market trends to ensure that the “Voice of the Customer” is included in all plans. Ensure the annual category planning process drives continuous improvement, innovation, and profitable growth.
Define the role, strategies, tactics, and opportunities for Packaged Snacks categories, including salty snacks, candy, gum and mints, packaged cake, cookies and crackers, nuts, meat snacks, and nutritional, energy, and breakfast snacks. Optimize space, pricing, assortment, promotions, innovation, and merchandising by market to increase sales, margin, market share, category growth, and basket attachment while meeting current and future consumer demand. Ensure Category Planning Teams are aligned with category plans, pricing and promotional strategies, assortment decisions, and execution priorities.
Lead the project-planning cycle to ensure completion of key Packaged Snacks initiatives, including category resets, new product launches, seasonal programs, and promotional events. Develop, monitor, and reforecast financial plans and budgets that support the corporate financial plan. Establish category targets and hurdle rates for sales, units, gross profit, margin, market share, inventory productivity, vendor funding, and other quantitative and qualitative measures of performance.
Develop and nurture strategic alliances with Packaged Snacks manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers to identify synergies, accelerate innovation, promote mutual growth, maximize resources and vendor funding, ensure consumer focus, and capitalize on market opportunities. Work cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Logistics, and suppliers to improve service levels, inventory health, product availability, cost management, and continuity of supply.
Partner with the Marketing Research team and strategic vendor partners to conduct consumer, shopper, and occasion-based research needed to meet Packaged Snacks category objectives. Conduct competitive and market research to identify emerging flavors, formats, pack sizes, health and wellness trends, seasonal opportunities, and innovation that maximize, monitor, evaluate, and benchmark category plans and financial performance.
Work with Space Planning and other Category Teams to optimize Packaged Snacks space allocations, adjacencies, displays, impulse placement, assortment productivity, and category performance across store formats and markets.
Work with Advertising, Loyalty, Digital, and Retail Media teams to maximize the impact of funds and resources used to promote Packaged Snacks. Develop and execute advertising and promotional programs that drive trial, frequency, basket attachment, seasonal relevance, and profitable category growth while supporting corporate initiatives.
Work with the Marketing Analytical Center of Excellence and Finance to improve analytical tools that support Packaged Snacks category planning and execution across space, price, assortment, and promotion; evaluate direct product profitability, item and space productivity, promotional effectiveness, cost management and process improvement, and budgeting and reforecasting.
Develop reports and communicate Packaged Snacks performance, consumer and competitive trends, supply risks, issues, opportunities, and recommended actions.
Provide overall direction and support for team and monitor and assess individual work in accordance with high standards of excellence. Provide feedback, coaching, support, opportunities for development, complete performance appraisals, take corrective action when appropriate, and participate in hiring decisions.