What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sr. Category Manager, Kroger position at Post Consumer Brands?
Business Unit Overview
Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, PEBBLES®, Grape-Nuts® and Malt-O-Meal® cereal, and Peter Pan® peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish®, Kibbles ‘n Bits® and 9Lives® dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.
Brand
Post Consumer Brands recently acquired several iconic pet food brands, venturing into a new market while remaining true to our purpose to provide delicious and accessible food that our consumers love. We’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio, and right now, we’re growing and need passionate, driven individuals with diverse perspectives to help us reach greater heights. That’s where you come in. Join a team where your voice is not only heard but valued. Make a real impact on brands enjoyed by millions of people and their pets.
At Post Consumer Brands, we take pride in our longstanding legacy of making one of every five breakfast cereals families eat daily. Today, we’re just as focused on our future as we expand our grocery business with different shelf-stable foods, including snacks and peanut butter. We are committed to providing accessible and delicious food for families, and we’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio. As we soar to new heights, we need creative, determined individuals from all walks of life to join our team, where your unique perspective and ideas are acknowledged and valued. Be a part of a company that empowers you to make a difference that’s evident on grocery store shelves and families’ tables across North America.
Location Description
Post Consumer Brands in Cincinnati is a small, but mighty, team handling the company's relationship with Kroger, one of our largest industry retail partners. The Post office is just a short walk from Kroger's headquarters and the reason we've set-up base in Cincinnati. Working and living in Cincinnati, you are also close to a growing food and drink scene, several sports stadiums, and historic charm. The Post Consumer Brands office in Cincinnati supports several charitable efforts, including local foodbanks and education programs.
Responsibilities
Joining the PCB Kroger Team as a Senior Category Manager offers a unique opportunity to lead and shape the category strategy for a leading brand in the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. This role is crucial in driving category growth and establishing long-term partnerships with key retailers. You will have the chance to leverage your expertise in category management to influence major business decisions and drive profitable growth. Our supportive and innovative environment provides ample opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
Key Performance Objectives (KPOs)
The Senior Category Manager will work in a hybrid environment, coming into our central, downtown Cincinnati, OH office, 3 times per week. PCB provides parking.
The role involves close collaboration with the sales team, brand partners, and key retailers. Our company culture is team-oriented, innovative, and supportive, fostering an environment where employees are encouraged to share ideas and take initiative. Occasional travel will be required.
The candidate will use tools such as Kroger-specific data (Dunnhumby/8451), Space Planning (JDA), Syndicated Data (Nielsen/IRI, Spectra, Panel Data), and Microsoft Office Suite for data analysis and presentation.
Growth Opportunities
Achieving the KPOs will position the candidate for career advancement within the company. Success in this role demonstrates strategic thinking, effective execution, and the ability to drive profitable growth, making the candidate a strong contender for higher-level positions in category management, sales strategy, or field sales.
Process of Success
Qualifications
Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, PEBBLES®, Grape-Nuts® and Malt-O-Meal® cereal, and Peter Pan® peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish®, Kibbles ‘n Bits® and 9Lives® dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.
Brand
Post Consumer Brands recently acquired several iconic pet food brands, venturing into a new market while remaining true to our purpose to provide delicious and accessible food that our consumers love. We’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio, and right now, we’re growing and need passionate, driven individuals with diverse perspectives to help us reach greater heights. That’s where you come in. Join a team where your voice is not only heard but valued. Make a real impact on brands enjoyed by millions of people and their pets.
At Post Consumer Brands, we take pride in our longstanding legacy of making one of every five breakfast cereals families eat daily. Today, we’re just as focused on our future as we expand our grocery business with different shelf-stable foods, including snacks and peanut butter. We are committed to providing accessible and delicious food for families, and we’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio. As we soar to new heights, we need creative, determined individuals from all walks of life to join our team, where your unique perspective and ideas are acknowledged and valued. Be a part of a company that empowers you to make a difference that’s evident on grocery store shelves and families’ tables across North America.
Location Description
Post Consumer Brands in Cincinnati is a small, but mighty, team handling the company's relationship with Kroger, one of our largest industry retail partners. The Post office is just a short walk from Kroger's headquarters and the reason we've set-up base in Cincinnati. Working and living in Cincinnati, you are also close to a growing food and drink scene, several sports stadiums, and historic charm. The Post Consumer Brands office in Cincinnati supports several charitable efforts, including local foodbanks and education programs.
Responsibilities
Joining the PCB Kroger Team as a Senior Category Manager offers a unique opportunity to lead and shape the category strategy for a leading brand in the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. This role is crucial in driving category growth and establishing long-term partnerships with key retailers. You will have the chance to leverage your expertise in category management to influence major business decisions and drive profitable growth. Our supportive and innovative environment provides ample opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
Key Performance Objectives (KPOs)
- Develop and Execute Category Strategy: Within the first six months, the successful candidate will develop a comprehensive category strategy tailored to specific retailers. This involves understanding retailer needs, leveraging consumer and category insights, and gaining cooperation from all relevant stakeholders. Success will be measured by the establishment of a long-term category partnership with the retailer and achieving category growth ahead of the market.
- Drive Category Growth through Insights and Recommendations: By the end of the first year, the candidate will provide actionable category management insights and recommendations in areas such as product assortment, placement, pricing, and promotion. The effectiveness of these efforts will be evaluated through increased category sales and retailer recognition of Post as the cereal experts.
- Manage Customer Category Review Process: The candidate will be responsible for managing the customer category review process, including presenting shelf recommendations and developing planograms (POGs) that drive category growth. This task should be completed within the first nine months, with success measured by the acceptance and implementation of these recommendations by the retailer.
- Align with Sales Team to Maximize Opportunities: Within the first six months, the candidate will align with the PCB Sales Team to identify and close the biggest opportunities for customer growth. This includes participating in Joint Business Planning meetings and presenting recommendations for category growth. Success will be measured by the successful execution of these plans and the achievement of sales targets.
- Develop Customized Selling Tools and Stories: By the end of the first year, the candidate will develop customized, fact-based selling tools and stories that support Post growth initiatives and demonstrate how these initiatives drive overall category growth. The success of this objective will be assessed through the effectiveness of these tools in driving sales and enhancing retailer relationships.
- Balancing the diverse objectives and expectations of retailers while developing a cohesive category strategy.
- Ensuring timely execution of category management plans amidst tight deadlines and budget constraints.
- Continuously optimizing category strategies based on real-time data and feedback, requiring agility and adaptability.
- Maintaining clear and effective communication across multiple teams and stakeholders to ensure alignment and collaboration.
The Senior Category Manager will work in a hybrid environment, coming into our central, downtown Cincinnati, OH office, 3 times per week. PCB provides parking.
The role involves close collaboration with the sales team, brand partners, and key retailers. Our company culture is team-oriented, innovative, and supportive, fostering an environment where employees are encouraged to share ideas and take initiative. Occasional travel will be required.
The candidate will use tools such as Kroger-specific data (Dunnhumby/8451), Space Planning (JDA), Syndicated Data (Nielsen/IRI, Spectra, Panel Data), and Microsoft Office Suite for data analysis and presentation.
Growth Opportunities
Achieving the KPOs will position the candidate for career advancement within the company. Success in this role demonstrates strategic thinking, effective execution, and the ability to drive profitable growth, making the candidate a strong contender for higher-level positions in category management, sales strategy, or field sales.
Process of Success
- First 30 Days: Learn about the company’s category management strategies, meet key stakeholders, and understand current category plans and retailer relationships.
- 60 Days: Develop a short-term action plan, start collaborating with the sales team and retailers, and begin gathering consumer and category insights.
- 90 Days: Implement the initial category strategy, start tracking performance, and make initial optimizations based on early data.
- 6 Months: Present the first set of category recommendations, ensure alignment with the sales team, and begin managing the customer category review process.
- 1 Year: Complete the development of customized selling tools, optimize category strategies based on insights, and achieve the predefined KPOs.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree
- 7-10 years of experience in CPG industry
- 3-5 years in Category Management
- 3 years of Kroger data experience (Dunnhumby/8451, etc.)
- People management experience preferred, not required
