Senior Manager - Category Management - Sonic
Inspire · Atlanta, GA · Yesterday
SalesFull-time
Responsibilities
- Lead Category Strategy and Growth
- Develop and execute short- and long-term category, product, and packaging strategies
- Identify emerging consumer trends, marketplace opportunities, and white space platforms
- Partner with category management director and senior leadership to establish category priorities and strategic recommendations
- Own Innovation Pipeline
- Lead the end-to-end innovation process from concept development through commercialization
- Build and manage the beverage, snack, and sides pipeline of innovation initiatives
- Collaborate with culinary to develop, refine, and validate new products and platforms
- Lead Market Testing and Launch Execution
- Oversee market test strategy, execution, and performance evaluation
- Drive launch readiness activities, including stage gate deliverables, execution checklist, operational alignment, training requirements, and launch materials
- Identify and mitigate risks while ensuring projects remain on schedule and meet business objectives
- Own Category Performance and Insights
- Monitor category, product, promotion, and test performance
- Lead consumer research efforts and leverage marketplace, competitive, and operational insights
- Develop data-driven recommendations and present findings to senior leadership
Requirements
- 4 Year Degree Preferred
- 7+ years of experience in a category or brand management position
- Business acumen, including understanding of market trends, consumers, competitors and P&L fluency
- Experience taking product ideas from ideation to execution
- Ability to think strategically and creatively
- Ability to collect and synthesize information, making it relevant, understandable, and actionable for key stakeholders
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, especially the ability to explain difficult concepts in applicable business terms
- Strong computer skills: Excel, Word, PowerPoint are required
- Is detail oriented with a focus on accuracy, process management, and execution excellence
- Project Management and strong ability to work with cross-functional teams
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, multi-task, prioritize and be detail oriented
- Self-starter personality with excellent organizational skills who can operate with some supervision and has the ability to manage multiple projects and timelines simultaneously
- Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,300 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide
Qualifications
- Business acumen, including understanding of market trends, consumers, competitors and P&L fluency
- Experience taking product ideas from ideation to execution
- Ability to think strategically and creatively
- Ability to collect and synthesize information, making it relevant, understandable, and actionable for key stakeholders
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, especially the ability to explain difficult concepts in applicable business terms
- Strong computer skills: Excel, Word, PowerPoint are required
- Is detail oriented with a focus on accuracy, process management, and execution excellence
- Project Management and strong ability to work with cross-functional teams
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, multi-task, prioritize and be detail oriented
Skills
- Strategic Thinking
- Market Research
- Product Development
- Project Management
- Team Leadership
- Consumer Insights
- Data Analysis
- Financial Acumen
Benefits
- Flexible Work Arrangements
- Health and Wellness Programs
- Retirement Savings Plans
- Professional Development Opportunities
- Employee Discounts
Pay
- Competitive Salary
- Annual Bonus
Schedule
- Full-Time