Job Information
Illinois Employer Category Manager in Mt. Prospect, Illinois
This job was posted by https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov : For more information, please see: https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov/jobs/11850002
Mizkan America, Inc.
Job Title: Category Manager
Based in Mount Prospect, IL, Mizkan America is a subsidiary of the Mizkan Group, a global,
family-owned company that has been Bringing Flavor to Life for more than 220 years. As one
of the leading makers of vinegars, condiments and sauces in the United States, Mizkan America
maintains 12 manufacturing facilities that serve the retail, food service, specialty-Asian, and
food-ingredient trade channels. We are committed to following our two core principles:
continuously challenging the status quo and delivering only the finest products for our
customers. Our leadership seeks out, embraces, and implements ideas for improvement from
all of its employees. Transparency and accountability are two key factors that drive our
companys overall management approach.
We are looking for people who are seeking to deliver their best so that we can deliver ours.
Above all, were dedicated to maximizing the potential of our greatest assetsour team
members. Thats reflected in our ongoing commitment to recruit, develop, reward and retain
our talented, multicultural workforce. We hope to see you as part of our teams future success!
SUMMARY: The Category Manager will function as the Category expert by providing best in
class category, shopper insights & actionable go-to-market recommendations for a diverse set of
retail customers. This person will oversee analyzing various data sources, identifying insights &
recommending solutions that drive profitable category growth. The Category Manager will work
cross-functionally to influence Mizkans comprehensive Category Growth Strategies focused on
shopper centricity, enabling sales growth & market share gains. This position works as a
strategic thought leader, imparting knowledge of the category & shopper to drive profitable
business results.
Those who reside within 50 miles of one of our locations, may be required to follow the in-office
or hybrid policy of that location.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & REQUIREMENTS:
Function as the subject matter expert across Pasta Sauce, Vinegar & Asian Categories by
providing thought leadership guidance to internal stakeholders & external customer
decision makers.
Serve as the expert on the use of syndicated & customer loyalty data to aid sales team
members, brokers & business segment leads into making well informed decisions from
actionable insights.
Generate weekly, monthly & ad hoc reporting to supply insights, identify opportunities,
channel shifting & associated trends & deliver solutions that drive profitable category
growth.
Work in alignment with Sales Team partners to influence the line review process with
shopper insights & fact-based data to make proposals on optimal assortments & POG
strategies to drive category & share growth.
Provide insights, suggestions & perspective on multi-channel purchasing behaviors (in-
store, omni, OGP, etc.)
Develop consistent formats/presentation & analysis of syndicated data, KPI scorecards,
customer category & shopper research & competitive activity to formulate strategies &
plans for sales growth.
Take ownership of monthly executive summaries & take part in company calls sharing in-
market performance, key insights, opportunities, & recommendations for all growth
channels customers.
Lead development of critical transition to data visualization from static reporting
formats.
Continue to elevate Mizkan as a top CPG partner & an objective Category first thought
leader.
Takes ownership of self-development, proactively seeking continuous improvement,
coaching, & development.
Live out Mizkan Americas Two Principles of Conti nuously Challenging the Status Quo &
Offering Consumers Only the Finest Products.
Travel: \25% of the time
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, & QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor\'s degree or equivalent degree in a field of study related to the job.
8-10+ years category management, sales, data analytics & shopper insights experience.
Advanced knowledge working with Panel/Numerator, shopper insights, customer data,
scan-based syndicated tools (Nielsen or Circana), & proficiency in JDA/Apollo.
Proven advanced abilities to use Microsoft Suite of tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.)
effectively.
Clear understanding of key stakeholders, internally & externally, & what information
motivates them to effectively work across teams & customers.
Strong storytelling skill