Senior Analyst, Category Advisory

The J.M. Smucker Co.•Bentonville, AR

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Key member of the Walmart Coffee Category Advisory Team, delivering actionable analytics, category insights, and operational excellence that strengthen Walmart’s category decisions and support category growth. Independently owns recurring category reporting and foundational advisory operations, including store lists, trait changes, and other store-level information affecting assortment and modular execution. Applies category knowledge, analytical rigor, and business acumen to identify business issues, diagnose performance, and develop fact-based recommendations. Contributes to category strategy development, modular design, and customer-facing advisory discussions while providing reporting, analytical, and execution support.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
2+ years of Consumer Packaged Goods, retail analytics, category management, or related field.
Experience using customer POS and/or syndicated sales data to analyze business performance.
Experience independently managing recurring reporting or operational deliverables.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to explain performance drivers and identify business applications.
High attention to detail, including the ability to validate data, investigate discrepancies, and resolve issues.
Ability to independently manage recurring processes and assigned projects while balancing changing priorities.
Ability to translate data and analysis into clear, concise findings and communicate effectively with customer and internal stakeholders.
Proficiency with spreadsheet and analytical tools, with the ability to learn and apply reporting, automation, and modular systems.
Strong organizational and collaboration skills, including effective management of deadlines, dependencies, and handoffs.
Sound judgement regarding when to act independently, seek alignment, or escalate an issue.

Nice To Haves

Walmart experience
Experience supporting assortment decision-making, modular development, or retail execution

Responsibilities

Independently manage recurring Coffee category reporting, including data validation, performance analysis, insight generation, and timely distribution to Walmart and internal stakeholders; support reporting for Cones & Toppings, Milk Modifiers, and Hot Cocoa advisory.
Analyze sales, market share, assortment, competitive activity and shopper behavior to explain category performance and identify growth opportunities across stores and digital.
Track the performance of assortment and shelf resets, translating results into clear findings that inform future category decisions.
Support store clustering, assortment, and space analyses in partnership with advisory team members.
Support the design, execution, and synthesis of in-store and digital shopper research, translating findings into actionable category opportunities.
Own the store list, maintaining accurate store traits, reconciling modular footage, and attributing information that determines store-level assortment and layout.
Coordinate store and assortment updates with Walmart and advisory team members, proactively resolving discrepancies and identifying areas of opportunity.
Participate in seasonal modular strategy development and execution, using automation and objective category-centric judgement to support category growth and customer needs.
Present analysis and findings in merchant engagements, helping ensure recommendations are grounded in data and shopper insights.
Champion automation, documentation, and process improvement that increase efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness across the Walmart Category Advisory organization.
Continuously develop expertise in category management, shopper behavior, modular development, assortment optimization, and advisory best practices.
Share tools, learnings and best practices that strengthen team capabilities and improve organizational effectiveness.
Demonstrate increasing ownership and influence by connecting analytical findings to strategic category opportunities and customer-focused recommendations.