Senior Manager, Strategic Growth & Insights

Mars•Bentonville, AR

About The Position

The Sr. Strategic Growth & Insights Manager – Walmart will serve as a strategic thought partner and insights leader for the Mars Petcare Walmart Customer Development team. This role is designed for a high-horsepower, commercially minded professional who can rapidly understand a business, unlock insight from complex data, identify growth opportunities and translate them into compelling narratives and actionable recommendations. Operating at the intersection of data, category, shopper behavior, omni-channel retail and customer strategy, this individual will be a right-hand strategic partner to Customer Directors across priority customer meetings, strategic planning, business reviews, innovation discussions and emerging growth opportunities. Leveraging retailer data platforms such as Walmart Luminate/Scintilla, along with relevant category, shopper, competitive and Mars performance data, this role will help Mars Petcare show up as a differentiated, insights-led strategic partner to Walmart across the full omni ecosystem, including brick-and-mortar, pickup and delivery, and Walmart.com.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex data and convert it into persuasive, easy-to-understand internal and customer-facing narratives.
Strong command of retail, syndicated, shopper and customer performance data; experience with retailer-specific platforms such as Walmart Luminate/Scintilla is a plus.
Deep understanding of CPG business drivers, including category growth, assortment, merchandising, pricing, promotion, innovation, shopper behavior and profitability.
Strong understanding of the omni-channel retail landscape, including physical stores, eCommerce, pickup and delivery, and the relationship between digital and in-store shopper experiences.
Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving capability, with the ability to isolate the biggest opportunities and mobilize action behind them.
Highly developed communication and presentation skills, with the confidence to influence across internal functions, senior leadership and customer stakeholders.
Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving customer environment.
Ability to collaborate across functions while maintaining an independent perspective and a high standard for analytical rigor.
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
Significant experience in CPG, category management, shopper insights, customer analytics, commercial strategy, retail analytics or a related field.
Demonstrated success using complex data to develop insight-led business recommendations and commercially compelling stories.
Experience supporting large retail customers or major customer teams preferred.
Experience with Walmart or Walmart-specific data platforms is a plus, but not required.
Direct sales experience is a plus, but the ideal candidate will bring deeper expertise in category, insights, analytics and strategic storytelling.
Experience with advanced analytics, data visualization, predictive analytics or related capabilities is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Experience with retailer-specific platforms such as Walmart Luminate/Scintilla is a plus.
Experience with Walmart or Walmart-specific data platforms is a plus, but not required.
Direct sales experience is a plus, but the ideal candidate will bring deeper expertise in category, insights, analytics and strategic storytelling.
Experience with advanced analytics, data visualization, predictive analytics or related capabilities is a plus.
Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic insights partner to Customer Directors, helping prepare for priority customer meetings, business reviews, Joint Business Planning discussions, line reviews, innovation presentations and strategic growth opportunities.
Analyze retailer, category, shopper, competitive, omni-channel and Mars performance data to identify the most important opportunities and risks facing the Walmart business.
Translate complex data into clear business narratives that articulate what is happening, why it matters, what opportunity exists and what Mars Petcare and Walmart should do next.
Become a power user of Walmart retail data platforms, including Luminate/Scintilla, and use those insights to influence customer strategies, selling stories and internal business decisions.
Partner with Customer Directors to develop compelling, customer-facing growth recommendations across assortment, merchandising, innovation, shopper engagement, price-pack architecture, digital shelf, availability and omni-channel performance.
Build insight-led narratives that strengthen Mars Petcare’s ability to position itself as a thought leader and strategic growth partner within the Walmart Pet category.
Develop integrated perspectives across Walmart’s omni-channel ecosystem, including brick-and-mortar, pickup and delivery, and Walmart.com, ensuring the business is evaluated through the lens of the total Walmart shopper experience.
Identify emerging shopper, category and retail trends and translate them into actionable implications for Mars Petcare portfolio growth and Walmart category leadership.
Conduct periodic business, category, brand and omni-channel performance reviews, delivering clear findings, recommendations and action plans to the Walmart team and relevant customer stakeholders.
Support opportunity sizing, scenario analysis and strategic investment recommendations in partnership with Customer Development, Finance and Revenue Growth Management.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Category Leadership, Shopper Insights, Digital Commerce, Marketing, Sales Planning, Finance, Revenue Growth Management and Supply Chain to develop aligned, insight-driven customer strategies.
Bring an independent, enterprise-minded point of view to the Walmart team by constructively challenging assumptions, raising the quality of strategic thinking and accelerating the movement from insight to action.