Senior Director - Category Development and Planning (Sales)

What You Will Do

• Guide the multi-year retailer category vision, competitive strategy, and growth roadmap across key channels.
• Leverage insights from consumer trends, shopper behavior, and market data to guide product portfolio and innovation strategy.
• Partner on joint business planning with major retail partners; deliver compelling category narratives that influence retailer decisions on shelf, pricing, promotions, and assortment.
• Develop best-in-class category presentations, line reviews, and merchandising strategies.
• Ensure alignment between retailer expectations and internal product/supply capabilities.
• Lead the annual and quarterly sales planning process, ensuring category strategies, consumer insights, and demand forecasts are directly translated into customer-level targets and activation plans.
• Implement scalable sales planning tools and processes, drawing from best practices in large CPG organizations while adapting for speed, flexibility, and resource constraints common in start-up or high-growth environments.
• Enable the field and key account teams with clear, insight-driven playbooks, selling narratives, and category rationales that elevate customer conversations and secure incremental wins.
• Partner closely with Supply Chain and Finance to establish accurate demand plans and support S&OP processes.
• Identify opportunities for process optimization and capability building within the planning function.

How You Will Make An Impact

• Guide the multi-year retailer category vision, competitive strategy, and growth roadmap across key channels.
• Leverage insights from consumer trends, shopper behavior, and market data to guide product portfolio and innovation strategy.
• Partner on joint business planning with major retail partners; deliver compelling category narratives that influence retailer decisions on shelf, pricing, promotions, and assortment.
• Develop best-in-class category presentations, line reviews, and merchandising strategies.
• Ensure alignment between retailer expectations and internal product/supply capabilities.
• Lead the annual and quarterly sales planning process, ensuring category strategies, consumer insights, and demand forecasts are directly translated into customer-level targets and activation plans.
• Implement scalable sales planning tools and processes, drawing from best practices in large CPG organizations while adapting for speed, flexibility, and resource constraints common in start-up or high-growth environments.
• Enable the field and key account teams with clear, insight-driven playbooks, selling narratives, and category rationales that elevate customer conversations and secure incremental wins.
• Partner closely with Supply Chain and Finance to establish accurate demand plans and support S&OP processes.
• Identify opportunities for process optimization and capability building within the planning function.

What You Will Bring

• 10-15+ years of experience in consumer goods category management, category development, and/or trade strategy, including 5-7+ years of experience owning and managing P&Ls for top-tier, strategic CPG customers.
• Significant experience in a large consumer packaged goods company with exposure to structured planning processes, retailer engagement, and national-level category leadership.
• Strong partnership experience with Sales and Finance to deliver profitable joint business plans and achieve customer-level financial targets.
• Proven track record of using financial insights to influence internal stakeholders and retailer decisions.
• Experience in start-ups, emerging brands, or high-growth environments, demonstrating comfort with ambiguity, agility, and hands-on leadership.
• Deep experience with category management tools such as Nielsen/IRI analytics suites, space planning/planogram tools, and retailer-specific category development platforms.
• Proven track record of influencing major retail partners and driving measurable category results.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and storytelling skills.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management abilities.

What We Offer

• The range for this position is: $205,000 - $225,000.
• We offer a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, basic and optional life insurance, short- and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k) plan with company match, paid parental leave, pet insurance, tuition assistance, a generous PTO plan and so much more!

Our Commitment To a Diverse Workforce

Freshpet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”).