Founded in 1888, Lee Kum Kee, a Hong Kong-based global food company, specializes in creating condiments and sauces that promote Chinese cuisine worldwide. With more than 200 products to choose from, Lee Kum Kee takes the mystery out of cooking authentic and delicious Asian foods in the comfort of your kitchen. Lee Kum Kee is committed to providing authentic and innovative condiments and sauces featuring the highest quality ingredients. Armed with a unique management culture, stringent quality control, superb and innovative products, coupled with the century-long brand reputation, Lee Kum Kee has achieved unanimous recognition and won numerous prestigious awards. 

Lee Kum Kee (USA) Inc., a division of Lee Kum Kee International Holdings Ltd., has its headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Southern California with more than 300 employees. We are looking for the best and brightest talents to join our company and work together to bring the next level of success!

BENEFITS

• Medical, dental, life insurance covered by the company
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Two (2) weeks vacations
• Ten (10) paid holidays
• Hybrid work schedule available after 90 days if performance meets expectations

POSITION SUMMARY

The Category Growth Manager is accountable for the category growth and portfolio development for the Americas Zone; ensuring an integrated business plan to deliver N5Yr objectives and all product category penetration targets.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Category Strategy Formulation and Portfolio Management 

• Shape, inspire and develop the long-term category vision and responsible for related category growth KPIs. 
• Identify key customer targets in both retail and foodservice business segments with a futuristic perspective. Translate data and insights to category strategic initiatives and innovation pipeline development that deliver sustainable category growth and build brand saliency.
• Develop, write, test and optimize customer-centric product proposition and marketing concepts that capture a compelling relevant promise to increase penetration, market share position and enhance customer engagement.
• Build, shape/streamline, deliver an effective category portfolio in collaboration with internal functional experts.

 Communication Development 

• Develop Americas Zone’s category playbooks (adapting from global category playbooks), including product portfolio factbooks, communication kits, packaging/ label and PFA guidelines, to establish consistency across all market segments. 
• Partner with marketing communication team to ensure the consistent deployment of product stories and contents across all market segments.
• Partner with local sales teams to implement marketing campaigns, events and promotion programs.

 Innovation & Renovation

• Lead new/ revamped Zone NPD development in line with global innovation process; from insight generation, ideation to product business case development, financial forecasting, pricing, P&L structure and recommend in-market execution strategy with close partnership with Finance, R&D, manufacturing, local sales and channel marketing and other cross-functional teams.

 Marketing Community Representation 

• Work closely with channel marketing teams to define and achieve the common goal of the categories. Drive the buy-in and engagement from the sales channels to facilitate smooth roll-out.
• Represent Americas Zone in the Global Marketing community for the respective categories to ensure that needs are heard and supported. Share global best practices for local consideration.

 Effective Resources Management 

• Control A&P spending allocated to respective category within the budget and maximize cost efficiency of investments with a clear measurement scheme.
• Support sales channels in planning and implementing category marketing research programs related to building “physical availability”.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

COMPETENCIES

• Problem Solving
• Drive for Results
• Managing & Measuring Work
• Building Effective Teams
• Motivating Others

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position does not have immediate supervisory role yet. It will be required to supervise subordinates when the team expands as the business continues to grow. Supervisory responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; career planning for the team and addressing complaints and resolving problems and etc.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 REQUIRED EDUCATION, SKILLS and EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing or business administration. MBA is strongly preferred. 
• Minimum 7 years of sales/marketing experience in reputable FMCG food/beverage organizations with 2 years in managerial position.
• Knowledge and experience in new product development and category management.
• Strong strategic and analytical thinking with solid “CAN-DO” attitude. 
• Demonstrate judgement to define category development towards company goal. 
• Pursue innovation and change with a mindset of continuous improvement.
• Excellent leadership skills to drive non-reporting teams to work toward the common goal.
• Exceptional ability to develop and cultivate strategic relationships.
• Strong presentation, organization, and time management skills.
• Ability to organize, set priority, manage and measure work. 
• Ability to make timely decisions, handle multiple projects, work under pressure, meet all deadlines and be flexible in work schedule.
• Ability to work within an integrated operating enterprise, coach peers and teams in executing complex programs, deal with ambiguity and conflict management.
• A team player to drive company goal and core value.
• Ability to motivate others, build effective teams, direct others. 
• Proficient in MS Office including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Good understanding of financials and budgeting process.
• Willing to travel as needed. This position requires up to 25% travel; most travel is outside the local area and overnight. Some of the travel may be international.

 LANGUAGE SKILLS

• The individual must be fluent in English
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills; ability to communicate clearly, accurately and with impact.
• Fluency in Chinese (verbal and written) is required.

 MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• Must be able to apply statistical & mathematical concepts to perform all related activities.
• Ability to add, subtracts, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Must be able to compute rates, ratios, and percentages and draw and interpret bar graphs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, tools or controls; and/or reach with hands and arms.
• Required to stand, sit, kneel and walk while performing essential job functions.
• Occasional lifting and/or moving up to 50 pounds (e.g. moving products, supplies, materials or samples). 

 WORK ENVIRONMENT 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. 

• The noise level in the work environment is light to moderate. 
• The position is often in a typical office setting, with some attendance to meetings/events outside the office.

It is Lee Kum Kee’s policy to seek and employ the most qualified persons in all jobs in a manner which will ensure equal employment opportunity as well as administer personnel actions in a manner as to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability or protected veteran status. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.