Category Management Director

Summary

Join Olipop as their Director of Category Management and play a strategic role in driving category growth. Leverage data-driven insights, shopper trends, and retail strategies to develop and execute category leadership initiatives. Strengthen partnerships with key retailers, enhance the shopper experience, and drive sales growth. Collaborate cross-functionally with sales, marketing, insights, and finance teams. Lead and mentor a team of category managers/analysts, fostering a high-performance culture. This role requires a strong background in category management within the CPG industry and proven leadership experience. Olipop values humility, aspiration, commitment, and integrity.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in Category Management, Sales Strategy, or Insights within the CPG industry with at least 3 years in a leadership position
• Strong background in working with retail partners (e.g., grocery, mass, club, convenience, e-commerce)
• Expertise in syndicated data sources (SPINS, NIQ, Circana, Numerator) and retailer-specific data platforms (Luminate, 84.51)
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and data visualization tools
• Ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable business recommendations
• Strong storytelling and presentation skills to influence both internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate cross-functionally across multiple teams
• Strategic thinker with a passion for consumer insights, retail trends, and category growth
• Proven track record of delivering impactful insights that influence business outcomes
• Experience managing cross-functional teams and large-scale projects
• Strong problem-solving abilities with a strategic mindset
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Deeply passionate about Olipop, and inspired by what we represent. Has the desire and hunger to make an impact
• Enthusiastic and comfortable working in an early stage company. Ability to think rapidly in a growing and changing environment
• Ability to take initiative and work autonomously – you can run with something from beginning to end
• Works well with ambiguity and asks the right questions to get at the solution
• Strong planning, organization and project management skills, along with excellent interpersonal, written/oral communication and presentation skills
• Proficient in Google Suite and Microsoft Suite

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive category management strategy to drive category and brand growth
• Serve as the category thought leader, influencing internal teams and external retail partners with data-driven recommendations
• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) for category success and track performance against objectives
• Act as a strategic partner to retailers, delivering actionable category insights, shelving recommendations, and pricing strategies to optimize performance
• Build strong relationships with key retail partners to secure category captaincy or advisory roles where applicable
• Work with merchandising, pricing, and shopper marketing teams to align on category growth initiatives
• Lead category analytics, leveraging syndicated data (e.g., SPINS, NIQ, Circana, Numerator) and retailer POS data to uncover growth opportunities
• Conduct deep-dive analyses on consumer, shopper, and market trends to provide compelling category stories
• Leverage data visualization tools to create impactful reporting and presentations
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Innovation, and Finance to integrate category insights into go-to-market strategies
• Provide guidance on assortment optimization, pricing strategy, and promotional planning
• Work closely with the business insights and analytics team to refine methodologies for measuring category performance
• Lead and mentor a team of category managers/analysts, fostering a high-performance and insights-driven culture
• Develop best practices in category management, data storytelling, and retailer engagement

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with team collaboration tools such as Slack and Zoom

Benefits

$150,000 - $175,000 base salary + bonus