Category Manager

Headquartered in Schaumburg, IL, Mizkan America is a subsidiary of the Mizkan Group, a global, family-owned company that has been Bringing Flavor to Life™ for over 220 years. As one of the leading makers of vinegars, condiments, and sauces in the United States, Mizkan America maintains 12 manufacturing facilities that serve the retail, foodservice, specialty-Asian, and food-ingredient trade channels. We are committed to following our two core principles: continuously challenging the status quo and delivering only the finest products for our customers. Our leadership seeks out, embraces, and implements ideas for improvement from all of its employees. Transparency and accountability are two key factors that drive our company’s overall management approach.

We are looking for people who are seeking to deliver their best so that we can deliver ours. Above all, we’re dedicated to maximizing the potential of our greatest assets—our team members. That’s reflected in our ongoing commitment to recruit, develop, reward, and retain our talented, multicultural workforce. We hope to see you as part of our team’s future success!

COMMENTS: This job description reflects assignment of essential functions. It does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Category Manager serves as the subject matter authority by delivering industry-leading category and shopper insights, alongside actionable go-to-market strategies for a wide range of retail partners. This role evaluates multiple data sources, extracts meaningful insights, and recommends solutions to support sustainable and profitable category growth. As a cross-functional collaborator, the Category Manager plays a pivotal role in shaping Mizkan’s comprehensive Category Growth Strategies focusing on shopper-centric approaches enabling sales growth and market share gains. The position operates as a strategic thought leader, conveying deep category and shopper expertise to drive tangible business success.

Essential Functions:

• Serve as the category expert for Pasta Sauce, Vinegar, & Asian Categories, providing strategic guidance to internal teams and external customer stakeholders.
• Serve as the authority on utilizing syndicated & customer loyalty data to assist sales personnel, brokers, & segment leaders in reaching informed decisions through actionable analysis.
• Produce regular & ad hoc reports to deliver key insights, identify opportunities, monitor channel trends, & recommend strategies for category advancement.
• Collaborate with Sales partners to influence line reviews using shopper insights & data-driven recommendations for optimizing assortments & planograms for category & share enhancement.
• Present perspectives & recommendations on multi-channel purchasing patterns (in-store, omni, OGP).
• Develop standardized reporting formats & analyses for syndicated data, KPI dashboards, customer & shopper research, & competitive reviews to inform strategic sales planning.
• Oversee the preparation of monthly executive summaries & participate in company communications to present in-market results, insights, opportunities, & recommendations across all customer channels.
• Lead the transition from static reports to advanced data visualization.
• Advance Mizkan’s reputation as a premier CPG partner & an objective, category-centric thought leader.
• Commitment to personal & professional growth through ongoing learning, coaching, & skill development.
• Exemplify Mizkan America’s guiding principles: continuously challenge the status quo & offer the finest products.
Regular, predictable attendance during core business hours in a remote work environment is an essential function of this position. Employees are expected to be responsive, accessible, and actively engaged throughout the workday.

Key Skills/Competencies:

• Exceptional storytelling skills with experience developing actionable, & evidence-based selling narratives.
• Superior written, verbal, interpersonal, & active listening communication.
• Strong grasp of internal & external stakeholder interests & ability to deliver information tailored to their objectives, facilitating collaboration across teams & client organizations.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Education/Experience/Qualifications/Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field.
• 8-10 years’ experience in category management, sales, data analytics, & shopper insights.
• Experience with panel, shopper insights, customer, Nielsen, Circana, & proficiency in JDA/Apollo is preferred.
• Experience working effectively through broker counterparts across several customers.
• Proven record of leadership, dependability, and achieving results.
High ethical standards, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to objectivity.

Physical Requirements and Work Conditions:

• Ability to remain seated at a workstation for extended periods (up to 8 hours per day).
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for typing, writing, and handling office equipment.
• Ability to view computer screens and read printed materials for prolonged periods.
• Occasional standing, walking, and reaching within the office environment.
• Ability to lift and carry office supplies or equipment weighing up to 10–15 lbs.
• Adequate hearing and speech to communicate effectively in person and via phone/video.
• Travel requirement: Approximately 25%.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $98,800 - $135,000.

Compensation is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills and experience. Short-Term Incentive and other forms of compensation may also be provided as part of a total compensation package.

A full range of medical, dental, vision, 401K plus up-to-four percent (4%) match, profit sharing, wellness program, paid parental leave, long-term-care insurance, critical accident insurance, short- and long-term disability and education assistance are also available.

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