Category Manager

ABOUT US AT KINDER'S:

We are a fast-growing company working hard to bring amazing flavor solutions to consumers that are as exciting and delicious as they are simple to use. Whether we are serving the emerging cook or seasoned pro, we are 100% committed to our mission of bringing awesome flavor to consumers wherever and whenever they are looking for it and in whatever form they want it in be it seasonings, sauces, gravies, marinades, or anything else we can dream up. We drive hard to be the most quality-obsessed, innovative company in any market we serve and while we have experienced tremendous growth over the last 5 years, we think we are just getting started. We love our consumers and are fired up to be part of their flavor journey, and we need more great people to help us continue to raise the bar for what consumers think is even possible in their own kitchens.

Today, we have over 100 products sold nationwide at retailers including Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Safeway and many more. While we have been around for over 75 years, we have experienced explosive growth in the last 5 years and are now a top 5 brand in the U.S. in multiple flavor categories including seasoning blends, BBQ sauce, and wing sauce. To keep our momentum rolling, we need more passionate flavor advocates and builders to come and join our team and help us reach every kitchen across the U.S. and maybe even the world.

How you will have an impact at Kinder’s: The Category Manager will lead sales analytics across key customer accounts and provide actionable insights to drive brand and category growth. They will work closely with the Sales team to develop strategies around assortment, marketing, customer presentations, and more. The ideal candidate will have very strong analytic skills and can craft effective stories with data. If you are passionate about driving growth through actionable insights, we want to hear from you! 

Key Responsibilities of this Role 

• Lead analytics for Kinder’s rapidly growing business. Advance internal reporting process to communicate Kinder’s opportunities with cross-functional partners. Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Brand to develop seasonal and regional strategy to maximize Kinder’s sales and category impact across customers.   
• Uncover insights, trends, shopper behaviors and competitive activity to guide tactics and strategy.
• Utilize variety of data sources to answer key business questions.
• Build comprehensive presentations with strong data visualization. Share insights, findings, and recommendations across Kinder’s organization, and externally in buyer meetings.
• Track and report sales performance of Kinder’s key initiatives, such as innovation launches or in-store marketing programs.
• Lead promotional effectiveness and marketing ROI analysis to optimize strategies and drive incremental sales. Collaborate with Customer Marketing, Sales, Finance, etc. to guide strategies.
• Lead advanced data analysis across categories and competition. Identify customer-specific insights to drive growth and strengthen partnership with our customers.
• High-visibility role in organization working directly with Kinder’s leadership.  

What You Bring to the Table 

Education / Experience:  

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, market research, or related field. 
• 5+ years of experience in category management, sales analytics, insights, or related field within the CPG industry.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to analyze complex data sets and derive actionable insights.
• Experience with syndicated data (e.g., Circana, NIQ, SPINS) and household panel data (e.g., Circana, Numerator).
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to distill complex information into clear and concise insights and tell stories with data.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in PowerPoint  

Personal Characteristics: 

• Strategic thinker with the ability to connect insights to business strategy and decision-making.
• Collaborative team player with strong leadership skills and the ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Business builder who owns and drives results.
• Growth mindset with an excitement to learn (and teach).
• Thrive in a dynamic, lean, and agile environment with proven record of completing projects on time in full through excellent cross functional team. management, leadership, communication and influence.
• Self-starter who takes initiative and speaks their mind.
• Excited to be part of a fast-moving team with the ability to be a leader and a follower.
• Enjoy making decisions and finding ways to say ‘yes’ as often as possible to impactful and important priorities. 

Things About the Way We Work 

• No two days here are the same.
• We try to be good team members and good communicators, but we don’t live by hierarchy and structure – everyone is a difference maker here.
• We make a lot of decisions in the face of incomplete information – our team embraces ambiguity and tries to make good decisions fast rather than great decisions slow.
• We believe our job is to take smart risk, not to eliminate risk.
• We believe in growing our skills and becoming a better company with more managerial expertise, but we are an entrepreneurial company at heart.
• We aren’t trying to be average – we want to do exceptional things, and we are willing to work hard to achieve them. 

Location & Travel 

This position will be based in our new regional office in Bentonville, AR. We strongly believe in the power of culture and community and have a hybrid work structure with 4 days in the office on a weekly basis to encourage collaboration and personal connections that will allow us to better serve our customers and consumer and to have more fun. Fridays are flex days with employees having the opportunity to choose to be either in the office or to work from home based on what makes most sense for them. 

Some travel will be required for this role on a periodic basis. Typically, this travel may include customer meetings or company events. Kinder’s headquarters is located in Walnut Creek, CA.