Sr. Manager, Category & Commercial Strategy

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream•Brooklyn, NY

15h•Remote

About The Position

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, established in 2008, is seeking a full-time Senior Manager, Category & Commercial Strategy. This role is a significant opportunity for an experienced individual to collaborate closely with the growing team as the company enters its next phase of accelerated growth across both retail brick-and-mortar and CPG sectors. The ideal candidate is data-driven, CPG savvy, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and has a passion for ice cream. The Senior Manager, Category & Commercial Strategy will serve as the commercial architect, bridging strategy and execution across category, pricing, and in-market activation to ensure success at the shelf. This position involves developing and implementing best-in-class category, pricing, promotion, and merchandising strategies to drive velocity, profitable growth, and retailer alignment across all channels of trade. The role requires cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Customers to achieve success both on-shelf and online. This position is fully remote and can be based anywhere in the United States, with a strong preference for candidates located in markets where Van Leeuwen has retail outlets (CA, CO, TX, IL, FL, GA, NC, TN, PA, NJ, NYC, CT or MA).

Requirements

6 to 10+ years in Category management (CPG) and Trade marketing / shopper marketing.
Experience with Frozen or perimeter categories, distributor environments (UNFI, KeHE), and high-growth emerging brands.
Experience in pricing & promo strategy (NRM-lite capability) and turning data and insights into a selling story.
Proven record of crafting comprehensive storytelling to be used in retailer sell-in.
Comfortable with imperfect data environments, building resources and tools from scratch and ability to pivot and adjust quickly.
Ability to sustain high accuracy and work performance.
Technical aptitude and ability to quickly learn new applications.
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively, self-prioritizing work load in a fast paced, team-oriented work environment.
Strong comprehension and problem-solving skills.
Must be comfortable working in-store scoop shifts as needed, while adhering to DOH guidelines.

Nice To Haves

Candidates based in markets where VL has retail outlets (CA, CO, TX, IL, FL, GA, NC, TN, PA, NJ, NYC, CT or MA).

Responsibilities

Define how Van Leeuwen shows up within frozen dessert.
Provide a clear POV versus competitors (premium vs ultra-premium vs better for you) and retailer-facing category decks that earn distribution.
Define Category roles: Dairy Pints, Non-Dairy Pints, Novelties.
Assortment architecture by channel (Natural, Food, Mass, Club).
Shelf strategy (SKU count, segmentation, price tiers).
White space identification (flavor, format, pack size).
Execute repeatable playbooks across channels of trade.
Establish consistent pricing ladder across customers, reduce margin leakage and a clear good/better/best promo strategy.
Define how our brand shows up on shelf physically and digitally.
Everyday pricing (EDLP guardrails by channel) and Promo architecture.
Depth, Frequency & Mechanics focused on Trade spend guardrails + ROI expectations.
Establish and execute shelving and merchandising standards.
Develop and own innovation launch playbooks and Seasonal/ LTO calendars.
Ensure our strategy translates into real-world execution and optimize trade investments.
Distribution tracking and reset readiness support.
New item sell-in tools (data driven decks).
Trade Calendar tracking.
Post Promotionnel Analyses – Lift, ROI, Incrementality.

Benefits

$115,000.00 - $140,000.00 annual compensation depending on experience, paid weekly
Eligible for annual 10% bonus
Employee Scoop Card (Enjoy Ice Cream from any of our scoop shops nationwide)
Medical, Dental + Vision Insurance with 70% Employer Contribution
401k with up to 4% Employer Match
Cell Phone Reimbursement Plan
Wellness Reimbursement Plan
Flexible Time Off - No accrual required
Paid Sick Time
Yearly Performance Reviews