Category Development Manager

Job title: Manager, Category Development

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Open to: Seattle, Los Angeles and Portland

Reports to: Director of Category Development

About Us

HEINEKEN USA Inc., the nation's leading high-end beer importer, is a subsidiary of HEINEKEN International N.V., the world's most international brewer. Key brands imported into the U.S. are Heineken® – the world's most international beer brand, Heineken® 0.0 – an alcohol-free beer innovation, Heineken® Silver – a new lower-carb, lower-cal beer, the Dos Equis Franchise, and the Tecate Franchise. HEINEKEN USA also imports Amstel Light, Red Stripe, Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders, Bohemia and more. For news and updates, follow us on Twitter @HeinekenUSACorp, or visit HEINEKENUSA.com

Who We Are

At HEINEKEN USA, we’re a team with a passion to bring our iconic brands to the next level. The work is challenging, we learn from our experiences (even our mistakes), and we love what we do. You’ll be empowered to think differently, try new things, and GO PLACES.

About the Role:

The Manager, Category Development is responsible for growing category and brand volume and increasing revenue through the development and delivery of industry-leading category insights for retailers and distributors. This role is accountable for developing compelling sell stories that are supported by data resources for insight-led presentations and forging internal and external relationships to win with distribution and assortment, category business reviews, space planning strategies, and innovation introductions that drive achievement of HUSA goals.

Key Responsibilities:

Deliver relevant, localized category insights and trend analyses to customers and assigned HUSA Chain Accounts team.

Drive the regional and channel strategies by developing and telling stories of value to demonstrate ‘Why Heineken USA’ that are supported by the integrated use of all data resources; develop this into presentations that engage and motivate the intended audience.

Proactively identify insights and ensure sales and category teams are provided with compelling and consistent strategic direction that will increase distribution and achieve HUSA goals.

Partner with distributors by providing relevant data and analytical support to empower data-centric storytelling to enhance their retail execution in support of both their success and the HUSA portfolio.

Deliver effective data storytelling to drive and support HUSA assortment and space planning strategies and capitalize on category and high-end volume opportunities.

Utilize insights to offer category validatorship to customers demonstrating category objectivity while driving customer trust and increased distribution.

Support senior level stakeholders with strategic insights, delivered in a way they can use to directly share with retailers or distributors.

Support development of the HUSA sales programs as needed, including delivery of post-promotion analyses.

Collaborate with the Marketing team to identify shopper insights and opportunities.

Create and share best practices across the department and company to improve overall company performance.

Work with Revenue Management / Pricing at a regional level as necessary to develop strong strategies and presentations.

Prepare for, attend, and participate as required in customer quarterly business reviews, promotional planning meetings, and joint business planning workshops.

Participate in bi-weekly sales team meetings, monthly category team meetings, and monthly RVP/Regional Marketing Director meetings.

Contribute as required to monthly regional score carding and innovation score carding.

Work with distributors to develop and execute trainings for distributor personnel, including data analysis skills to increase distributor success in selling the HUSA portfolio.

Global Leadership Competencies Required:

Heineken USA believes that the quality of its people is a distinct competitive advantage. This position will be required to consistently demonstrate and support the below competencies:

Competency

Category, Portfolio & Brand Understanding

The ability to understand the drinks category, brand and portfolio strategies and objectives and incorporate them into Category Vision, Customer/Channel strategies and Execution plans.

Channel, Competitor and Shopper Understanding & Insights

The ability to understand channel trends and dynamics, competitor strategy and tactics and shoppers & consumers to effectively incorporate them into channel and customer strategies and plans.

Customer at the Center

The ability to consistently generate customer insights that drive winning customer strategies and plans, increase customer engagement and improve Customer Satisfaction

Route to Market Strategy & Understanding

The ability to drive the availability of our products and service our customers via an optimal mix of direct, indirect and digital channels, optimising total value chain profitability.

Channel & Customer Development

The ability to efficiently manage & develop fragmented trade customers from planning through to execution

Distributor Management

The ability to effectively and efficiently select, manage and develop distributors to deliver our Route to Consumer strategy.

Key Customer Development

The ability to create and implement clear strategies, joint business plans and execution standards with Modern Trade Key Customers.

Revenue & Profit Growth Management

The ability to maximize mutual value growth (revenue and gross profit) for our Portfolio across Channels / Customers, by using data & analytics and a cost optimization mind-set.

Sales Performance Management

The ability to effectively and efficiently cover the market through a performance and data driven, customer centric and execution focused sales organization.

Selling & Negotiation

The ability to sell (multiple categories) and negotiate mutually profitable agreements with customers across different channels.

Excellence in Execution

The ability to ensure the flawless implementation of our Execution Strategy and PICOS at the point of purchase

Heineken Behaviors:

Our 4 Heineken Behaviors CONNECT SHAPE DEVELOP DELIVER enable the delivery and evolution of our company strategy and form the core of our company culture.

Basic Qualifications/Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree required

3+ years category or shopper experience and/or regional and independent experience (customer facing)

Must be a strong, confident, engaging self-starter with no fear of breaking down barriers and a determination to work hard and collaborate at the highest levels

Proficient in CPG industry insights tools, such as: AC Nielsen, IRI, Spectra, shopper panel data, shopper loyalty data, JDA space planning, Shelf Architect space planning tool

Capable of building strong collaborative relationships that allow for some risk-taking while maintaining trust

Strong financial and business acumen with the ability to quantify financial impacts on assortment decisions and promotional performance

Expertise in Excel including pivot tables, macros, vlookups

Strong proficiency in PowerPoint

Ability to work in an agile environment

Ability to work cross-functionally across departments in the company

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience supporting Albertson’s business preferred

Experience using Nielsen, IRI, and SymphonyAI Retail preferred

CPG/adult beverage industry experience preferred

This position is not available for visa sponsorship