Category Insights Manager

The Opportunity:

The Category Insights Manager is responsible for analyzing shopper, retailer and consumer data to evaluate the performance of Maple Leaf brands within a category for a specific retailer to understand what elements of the marketing mix (pricing, promotion, assortment, shelving, competition) are driving results. Additionally, this role is responsible for creating fact-based stories that provide solutions for opportunities uncovered by their own periodic reviews, or reviews led by Finance or Customer Business Teams. From these insights, this role must then enable the Customer Business Team to engage the customer in implementing the recommendation. As a broader member of the Customer Business Team, this individual will be engaged in building relationships with key retailer contacts, where they will be viewed as a category expert, and will be integral to setting the course to deliver the overall business objectives.

Any MLF team member interested in being considered for this role are encouraged to apply online by November 29. Applications received beyond that date are not guaranteed consideration.

Snapshot of a Day-in-the-Life:

• Weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual analysis of customer specific data (Nielsen MarketTrack & Numerator panel data, Retailer POS/Insights data) to identify performance opportunities, and to recommend solutions to close gaps.
• Retailer driven category reviews that integrate POS and consumer data, resulting in the establishment of strategies for assortment, pricing, promotion & shelving that reflect the retailer’s and Maple Leaf’s strategies.
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with Category Managers, Directors & Strategic Merchandising Teams within the retailer’s organization.
• Share global best practices or pertinent category trends with Retailer’s Category Managers to impact category performance.
• With Customer Business Team and Retailer’s Category Managers, play an active role in providing retailer specific solutions for closing performance gaps, and creating the story to enable sales to execute and as a vendor advisor.
• Provide recommendations for assortment and execute shelf strategy within a retailer including creating base plan-o-grams or plan-o-guides.
• Category plans for priority categories aligned with the retailer’s strategy and Maple Leaf’s brand strategy, identifying category role, optimal assortment, distribution and shelving.
• Selling presentations that advance our brand performance with retailers, highlighting opportunities and specific recommendations.
• Deliver category insights that explain current performance or the impact of tactics implemented to deliver targets.
• Ongoing evaluation of the category within the retailer that identifies opportunities for our brands.
• Work collaboratively with Customer Business Team, marketing, category insights / category development, and shopper marketing to create solutions to solve business issues or realize opportunities.
• Share best practices across Business Units and teams.
• Proactive identification and resolution of potential business, category, SKU level issues.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor degree, 2-4 years of experience in Category Management, plus a minimum of 1 year account level sales experience in a consumer packaged goods environment.
• Knowledge and proficiency with retailer POS Data systems and advanced knowledge and proficiency with Nielsen tools (answers desktop, answers, Numerator panel data) is imperative.
• Strong excel skills and the ability to manage large amounts of data.
• Ability to synthesize a variety of data sources into presentations that are easily understood.
• Must be able to provide strong, executable recommendations.
• Strong project and time management skills are required.
• A team player that can work effectively with all levels of an organization.
• Excellent leadership, collaboration, and communication skills.
• Must be proactive and performance driven, have a bias for action and be able to work under pressure in a fast paced environment.
• Excellent English written and oral communication skills.
• Outstanding business acumen.

What We Offer at Maple Leaf Foods:

• Being part of a high-performance, people-focused company that has an inspiring and unique vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth, and a deep commitment to sustainable protein across North America.
• An inclusive company culture and a work environment that keeps our people safe, rewards excellence, and empowers everyone to learn and contribute their best.
• A hybrid work model that embraces remote work for eligible roles, helping team members achieve work-life balance—combining the best of both spending time working remotely, benefitting from focus time, and purposeful collaboration in the office setting.
• Competitive Health and Wellness benefits that offer flexibility to meet your individual or family needs, including programs focused on improving mental health and wellbeing. These benefits start on your first day of employment.
• Defined Contribution Pension Plan with company matching that starts on your first day of employment.
• Learning and development opportunities, including workshops, ‘speaker series’ events, and resources that allow you to develop your skills and progress your career.
• Comprehensive tuition reimbursement program that supports continuous learning and development of our team members through investment in eligible degrees, diplomas, professional certification, or trades programs.
• Supporting our deep commitment to community impact, we offer up to two paid days annually to volunteer at a cause of your choice.

About Us:

We’re a carbon neutral food company on a purposeful journey to Raise the Good in Food through better nutrition, safer food and workplaces, more humane animal care, and environmental sustainability efforts that protect our planet. We care about our communities and commit to reducing food insecurity in Canada. Join us on the journey. Let’s build a better future, together.

We’re passionate about food. For more than 100 years, we’ve made delicious, healthy protein that Canadians love under iconic national and regional brands, like Maple Leaf, Schneiders, and Greenfield Natural Meat Co. We’re on a journey to become the most sustainable protein company – not just in Canada – but on earth.

• We are carbon neutral.
• We are one of the only food companies in Canada to set science-based targets.

A diverse and inclusive work environment

Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision and living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values. We believe in building, investing in, recognizing, and rewarding remarkable people who value an inclusive workplace, embrace all forms of diversity, and commit to including every voice in our collaborative environment. We’re so much stronger when we know we’re accepted and valued for who we are and what we each bring to the workplace.

We embrace a strong, values-based culture

Our eight Leadership Values are our north star. They guide the decisions we make for all our stakeholders: our consumers, our customers, our people, our communities, our shareholders, and the environment.

• Doing What’s Right
• Shared Value
• High Performance
• Diverse and Inclusive Teams
• Disciplined Decision Making
• Our Accountability
• Intense Curiosity
• Transparency and Humility

We thank all applicants for their interest in exploring employment opportunities with Maple Leaf Foods; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Applicants may be subject to a background check and must meet the security criteria designated for the position.

Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision, living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values, and delivering winning results. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment and assessment process and when hired; please contact our Talent Attraction Team at accommodations@mapleleaf.com.