Associate Manager, Category Leadership - H-E-B

About the Role

Turn Shopper Insights into Category Growth at H-E-B. As Associate Manager, Category Leadership – H-E-B, you’ll serve as a strategic category partner to one of the most influential and distinctive retailers in the Texas market. In this highly collaborative, customer-facing role, you’ll transform shopper insights, category trends, and performance analytics into compelling recommendations that shape assortment, pricing, shelving, placement, promotion, and merchandising strategies. You’ll identify opportunities others may not see, build fact-based stories that influence customer decisions, and help translate insights into marketplace action that delivers growth for H-E-B, the category, and SC Johnson. You’ll work closely with H-E-B partners and collaborate across SC Johnson Sales, Brand, and Customer Marketing teams to develop category solutions grounded in a deep understanding of the shopper and the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and plan category leadership solutions that deliver profitable sales growth for H-E-B, including shopper and category insights across products/assortment (everyday/new products/promoted/seasonal), placement and everyday shelving and merchandising, pricing (everyday, seasonal, and promotional), promotions and seasonal merchandising.
• Leverage SC Johnson Category Leadership toolbox such as Circana Scan Data, Nielsen Data, Customer point-of-sale, and One Pulse among other internal/external tools to develop compelling category narratives.
• Synthesize category and shopper insights into clear, persuasive stories that lead to actionable customer recommendations.
• Manage and deliver against the responsibilities of the Category Captaincy/Advisory process in partnership with the customer.
• Influence the customer by identifying specific opportunities, assisting with any research and leading projects to deliver category leadership solutions benefiting both customer and category.
• Influence Annual Account Business Planning at the customer through full partnering with sales team by providing actionable category insights and solutions that support category leadership objectives for customer, company and category.
• Identify specific research opportunities (shopper, consumer, etc.) to bring new learning to category leadership solutions.
• Execute all agreed-to category leadership solutions with the customer to include success measures and detailed follow-through.
• Evaluate/monitor all customer category leadership solutions, turn analysis into recommended action and continually improve to be more effective and efficient for category and customer.
• Leverage insights and resources through the utilization of a broad range of data sources, market research findings, tools, analyses, and technology to continually bring new shopper ideas to customer.

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of relevant business experience OR advanced degree and a minimum of 3+ years of relevant business experience.
• Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship.
• Experience in Category Management preferred.

Preferred Experiences and Skills

• 1 year of business analytics experience.
• Experience working with syndicated data software Nielsen and JDA and advanced analytics around promotional/non-promotional and pricing strategy.
• Mobility preferred for career growth.
• Background in consumer-packaged goods and/or retail.
• Microsoft Office programs specifically Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills required for building internal and external relationships and working on a high-performance team.
• Ability to build a story/narrative out of large amounts of data that is impactful to the retailer.
• Proactive and committed to delivering results in a fast-paced, demanding work environment by fostering a sense of urgency, energy, ownership, and a curiosity to search for opportunities.

Job Requirements

Full-time remote, field-based role based in San Antonio or Austin, Texas. Approximately 15% travel. This role is not eligible for relocation assistance.

Benefits and Perks

• Total compensation packages at or above industry levels, including salary, bonuses, long-term incentives, matching 401(k) contributions and profit sharing based on company profitability, job level and years of service.
• Subsidized health care plans, maternity/paternity/adoption leave, flexible work arrangements, vacation purchase options, recreation and fitness centers, childcare, and counseling services.