Associate Category Manager

Summary

Join Vital Farms as an Associate Category Manager and leverage your sales expertise and analytical skills to build compelling selling stories and optimize distribution, pricing, and shelving. You will work with key customers in the Grocery Channel, providing insights and recommendations to improve business results. This remote position requires strong analytical abilities, experience with syndicated and retailer data, and excellent communication skills. You will collaborate with various teams, including sales and business development, to drive growth and communicate insights effectively. Vital Farms offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including a fast-paced, energetic remote environment and opportunities for professional development.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Business or a related field of study
• 5+ years of professional experience in Category Management/ Sales within Consumer Packaged Goods/Food & Beverage industry; Category Management experience preferred
• Ability for 30% travel for customer appointments, team meetings and other business needs
• This is a remote position. Candidate must be located within a commutable distance to a major metropolitan airport. Preferably located in any major Central or West Coast metroplex city
• Experience with Syndicated Data (Circana/Nielsen), retailer data (SymphonyAI shopper data /Target POL/ Dunnhumby/etc.) as well as Shopper Panel Data (Numerator)
• Strong customer collaboration and selling skills. Strong thought leadership and influencing skills
• Demonstrated analytical and critical thinking skills; ability to identify root causes - link strategies and objectives to develop compelling stories and recommended actions
• Ability to create concise, easy-to-read selling materials based on findings
• Knowledge of how to identify category opportunity gaps with key retailers & develop support story
• Working understanding of the planogram (POG) creation process, including JDA BlueYonder

Responsibilities

• Work with your manager to influence and drive category strategy in the Grocery Channel
• Lead category management insights for key customers and the Grocery Channel, analyzing business issues, providing business insights and recommendations in the areas of assortment, shelving, pricing, and promotion to improve business results
• Responsible for identifying opportunities for growth, improvement, and optimization; transform ideas into actionable recommendations
• Be an organizational and retailer “Voice of Choice” go-to for category and strategic insights
• Leverage robust consumer, shopper, and category insights to identify and maximize growth opportunities for the category. Elevate strategic partnerships with Grocery Channel retailers using category management solutions & insights
• Provide insights to drive superior category results, while embedding Vital Farms as part of the strategic category solution
• Work collaboratively with your leader to provide category management leadership to Vital Farms business including weekly / monthly sales & category reporting, trend analysis, item ranking reporting, category review & reset process, shopper panel reporting, and special analysis
• Create and co-lead business reviews on retailer trends, market trends, category trends, consumer insights, and marketplace innovation
• Partner with Vital Farms Sales and Business Development teams to develop insights and presentations directed toward generating increased sales and communicating insights. Must be able to create effective data visualizations to clearly communicate relevant facts and insights
• Influence annual planning at the customer level, through partnership with Business Development and Sales Leaders, by providing actionable category insights and solutions that support category leadership objectives for customer, company, and category
• Lead insights work related to understanding competitors that play in the egg, butter, and overall pasture-raised space. Identify key markets, retailers, and opportunities relevant to business objectives
• Works well with colleagues, fostering a highly productive team that thrives in an environment of teamwork
• Actively works to share best practices throughout the organization

Preferred Qualifications

• First, you bring a passion for ethically-sourced, nutritious food, and purpose-driven brands
• You’re no hero – You know the power of teamwork and celebrate the work of others before your own
• You give a sh*t – You believe in acting like an owner and making Vital Farms a place to be proud of
• You raise the standards – You know growth can be hard, but you strive to improve yourself and others each day
• You can walk in someone else’s boots – You seek to understand other’s viewpoints and think that you get to better answers by sitting on the same side of the table
• You don’t walk on eggshells – You’re not afraid to leave the bullsh*t behind and have honest conversations

Benefits

• A fast-paced, energetic, remote environment with passionate people who are leading a movement to bring ethically produced food to the table
• Competitive pay and benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Paid Parental Leave, just to name a few)
• Generous retirement contributions: 401(k) + 3% Contribution from Day 1
• Annual bonus and equity grant (subject to business results and company approval)
• Free eggs and butter, along with friends and family discounts
• Fun team SWAG that will make you the talk of the town
• Professional development opportunities and an amazing team dedicated to your growth