Category Manager – Grocery Channel

Job Description

At Schwan’s Company, the opportunities are real, and the sky is the limit; this isn’t just a job, it’s a seat at the table.

Around here, every job matters, every voice counts, and every person contributes in a big way. As part of our front lines, we look to you to execute business, build relationships, and take pride in your work because at Schwan’s, you lead the way and we value what you bring.

Our passion is our food. Our secret is our people.

Schwan’s Company, a . affiliate of the global lifestyle company, CJ CheilJedang Corporation, is a leading . manufacturer and marketer of quality foods offered through retail-grocery and food-service channels.

Our many popular brands include Red Baron, Tony’s, Big Daddy’s, Villa Prima and Freschetta pizza; Mrs. Smith’s and Edwards desserts;

and Pagoda and Bibigo Asian-style snacks. Schwan’s is a place for people with an appetite for more. To learn about joining a team where you can belong, contribute, and thrive, visit

Schwan's is hiring a Category Manager , to be based in Bloomington, MN supporting large Grocery Retailers. In this customer-facing role, you will function as an expert in the frozen pizza, frozen desserts, frozen Asian, and Shelf Stable Asian category.

As part of our headquarters based office insights center of excellence, every day will bring a variety of opportunities for your thought leadership.

Your critical thinking skills will grow as you build strategic rationales using your objective Consumer and Shopper-centric analytics.

Your influence will be based on factual insights which will help drive profitable growth for retailers and for Schwan’s.

Responsibilities :

• Develop customer-facing category presentations complete with actionable recommendations :
• Incorporating multiple data sources
• Integrating custom shopper research
• Market and industry trends
• Competitive review
• Promotion Analysis
• Pricing Analysis
• Seasonality review
• Present consumer, shopper and category insights in a comfortable, positive, influential manner
• Influence retailers and internal partners around optimal assortment (rationality, space-to-sales, retailer differentiation strategy, shopper affinity,
• Provide business situation assessment that is leveraged in joint business plan development with key stakeholders
• Track and deliver weekly / monthly retailer category performance scorecards
• Ensure retailer’s category strategies are appropriately communicated internally (Upstream / downstream)
• Cultivate multiple internal and external relationships across the retailer and within the Schwan’s organization
• Some travel needed - less than 20%

Basic Qualifications :

5+ years experience in a role involving Category analysis and strategy

Preferred Qualifications :

• Bachelor's or Master's degree preferred
• 5+ years’ experience involving category management and strategy within the CPG industry ideally in food

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities :

• High level of experience in generating, interpreting and analyzing syndicated data : (Nielsen / IRI, retailer and shopper data) and secondary data to build actionable insights and recommendations
• Experience with retailer POS data necessary; shopper / loyalty card data desired
• Experienced with volume decomposition methodology
• Excellent with Excel and PowerPoint
• Space planning and planogram software (either JDA or Apollo)
• Strong presentation skills to retail buyers

The employing subsidiaries of Schwan's Company are Equal Employment Opportunity Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, age, race, color, religion, gender, vet status, national origin or other protected class.