Space Planning & Insights Manager

Company/Location Overview

Sazerac Company has a rich history dating back almost 400 years, thriving as an independent, American family-owned company with global operations. Since the 2000s, Sazerac has averaged double-digit growth annually. The company produces and markets award-winning bourbons and whiskeys, including Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, Traveller, and Sazerac Rye. It also owns popular brands like Fireball, Svedka, Wheatley, BuzzBallz, Southern Comfort, Seagram’s V.O., Myers’s, Goldschläger, Parrot Bay, 99 Brand, and Platinum Vodka. Sazerac’s Louisville office has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” four times, and its Buffalo Trace Distillery has been recognized as “world’s most award-winning distillery” for over 200 years. Sazerac provides extraordinary opportunities for growth with competitive salaries and benefits in an exciting, entrepreneurial industry.

Job Description/Responsibilities

As a Space Planning Manager, you will develop strategies that enhance category performance within the alcohol industry, leveraging deep shopper insights and analytical tools to consult on product placement and support key retailer initiatives. Key responsibilities include:

• Leading a team of space planning analysts, setting priorities and developing capabilities.
• Leading space management initiatives across National Large Format and Control State retailers.
• Leading category captaincies and strategic customer engagements, developing merchandising strategies aligned to retailer and Sazerac priorities.
• Building trusted relationships with retail partners and internal stakeholders to influence decisions through fact-based recommendations.
• Translating shopper insights, syndicated data, and category strategies into actionable shelf and merchandising recommendations.
• Evaluating planogram effectiveness to identify opportunities for optimizing share of shelf, product adjacencies, and shopper flow.
• Serving as a subject matter expert in space planning, merchandising, and shelf strategy.
• Leading planogram development, optimization, and reset projects from strategy through execution.
• Overseeing data integrity, planogram libraries, imagery, and compliance with customer and category guidelines.
• Establishing best practices and improving processes, tools, and capabilities to increase efficiency and scalability.
• Partnering with the Category Leadership Team in executing space management initiatives to deliver best-in-class planograms for retail and wholesale partners.
• Delivering persuasive reporting and presentations to both internal and external stakeholders, providing high-level communication and professional service.
• Partnering cross-functionally to lead retailer discussions with fact-based shelving recommendations, professional visuals, and category insights.
• Clearly articulating insights to identify opportunities and provide recommendations, evaluating how shelving strategies drive measurable results for strategic accounts.

Required Qualifications/Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Analytics, or related field.
• 5–7 years of relevant experience in space management, space planning, category management, merchandising, or retail analytics.
• 2+ years in consumer-packaged goods, beverage alcohol, or retail industry experience.
• Experience leading projects and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
• Advanced knowledge of space planning tools such as JDA/Blue Yonder, Shelf IQ, or similar platforms.
• Experience with Circana, NielsenIQ, and other syndicated data sources.
• Strong Excel and Power BI, Tableau, or similar analytical skills.
• Strong project management, communication, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Ability to translate data into actionable customer and merchandising recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Willingness to travel up to 25%.
• Valid driver's license.

Preferred

• Alcohol Beverage or broader CPG experience.
• Experience with Grocery, Mass, Liquor, or similar retail channels (Kroger, Albertsons, Walmart, Target, Total Wine & More, etc.).
• Experience leading category captaincies or strategic retailer partnerships.
• 2+ years of people management experience.

Culture And Benefits

A career at Sazerac offers you the opportunity to reach your full potential as part of a creative, decisive, high-performance team. Sazerac values the needs and wants of our team members and offers inclusive benefits to attract and retain the best talent. Our culture is built upon the values of hard work, diligence, and personal responsibility. The annual salary range for this role is $108,475 - $162,713. Final compensation will be based on relevant experience, qualifications, geographic location, and internal pay equity considerations. Roles within our Commercial and Sales team may be eligible for additional compensation, such as car allowance, cell phone reimbursement, commissions, and/or annual bonuses. Please ask your recruiter for more details about the total package for your role.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Benefits from Day One including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• Family Coverage: Options to cover family members, including domestic partners.
• 401(k) Plan: Immediate access to a matching 401(k) plan.
• Flexible Time Away: Enjoy paid time off (PTO), holidays, and parental leave.
• Mental Health and Wellness: Access to mental health care and wellness incentive programs.
• Education Support: Benefit from tuition reimbursement and our scholarship program for dependents of Sazerac team members.
• Fun Extras: Enjoy branded apparel, fun events, and a team member bottle purchase program.
• Training and Development: Opportunities for professional growth and development.