Category Manager, Dry Pasta

Business Unit Description:

8th Avenue Food & Provisions is a growing organization made up of businesses that produce and sell quality products including pasta, peanut butter, granola, and fruit and nut trail mixes to retail, foodservice and ingredient customers. The company was formed in October 2018 through a combination of Post Holdings private brands businesses and is owned by Post Holdings and funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. (THL), a private equity firm.

Position Summary:

The Category Manager plays a pivotal role in developing the 8th Avenue pasta business. This individual is primarily responsible for data storytelling in order to build sound business recommendations and develop high-quality supporting presentations. This individual is expected to supply relevant and necessary insights (solutions/recommendations), gathered from consumption data (primarily Nielsen) and consumer insights for improved decision-making capabilities.

This position will work closely with the Director of Category Strategy, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Leadership team, all in the spirit of equipping our internal and external teams with actionable insights to impact our categories and brands positively.

Essential Job Functions Summary:

• Lead customer and internal data storytelling through effective 4P analysis and presentations
• Own the category management process for retail customers
• Drive the creation of customer category reviews and present to key stakeholders
• Create insights and recommendations supporting category and team initiatives
• Work closely with the sales team across all channels to analyze customer-specific data
• Provide regular market trend updates to the internal team including assessments of the pasta category and brands as well as monitor competition to identify risks and opportunities
• Integrate information from many sources and develop actionable insights
• Issue weekly and monthly reporting to the internal team
• Manage ad hoc analyses as requested by the team
• Assist in implementing a cross-portfolio category strategy that encourages growth for both our Private Label and branded business
• Assist in leading the category management process for alternative channels, such as Foodservice
• Assist in managing and leading the category management broker network
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications/Experience:

Required:

• College degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 3 years of experience in a manager role supporting category/sales for a major organization in both customer facing & internal stakeholders
• Proficient experience within syndicated data (IRI, AC Nielsen, etc.) databases
• Proficient in Microsoft applications including Excel and PowerPoint
• Ability to work autonomously on large-scale projects
• Must be able to collaborate and build effective relationships with multiple cross-functional team members
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Strong time management, planning, and prioritization skills
• Demonstrated work ethic, integrity, and professional conduct

Preferred:

• B.A. and/or related advanced degree
• 5+ years experience with CPG and/or food manufacturing companies
• Strong knowledge of both Private Label and Branded businesses
• Experience with research and statistics a plus
• Experience with space planning tools a plus (JDA and/or Apollo)
• Advanced skills in analytical management
• Dry Pasta category experience

Physical requirements

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the following physical job requirements, with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Sitting at a workstation for extended periods of time
• Travel requirements typically range from 10-15% depending on project needs