Demo

Manager, Category Leadership

The J.M. Smucker Company
Chicago, IL Full Time
POSTED ON 11/27/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 1/27/2026

Your Opportunity as the Manager, Category Leadership

The primary responsibility of this position is to lead in the development of key components of JM Smucker's Category Leadership capabilities for the Sweet Baked Snacks category to deliver Smucker & Category business results. Leads in the development of Category specific or retail-oriented insights and Category Leadership materials across multiple functions. The position is expected to be the go-to category expert for Sweet Baked Snacks, responsible for providing in-depth category, retail, consumer and shopper expertise.

Location: Chicago, IL

Work Arrangements: Hybrid - onsite a minimum of 9 days a month primarily during core weeks as determined by the Company; maybe more as business need requires

In this role you will:

Develop Category Leadership Growth Driver Strategies, Initiatives and Content at a national level

  • Develops Category Leadership Plans / Growth Driver category roadmaps of compelling category strategies that drive the category's future growth potential

  • Leads / Develops 4P Guiding Principles

  • Provides national level thought leadership, maintains Category Knowledge Estate

  • Collaborates and influences across the commercial organization (Marketing, Insights, Growth, R&D, Field Category, Sales)

  • Builds Category selling stories at a national level to be seamlessly executed at the customer level by working directly with field category on a regular basis.

  • Requires a high level of cross functional collaboration and storytelling with data skills

Develop Shopper Centric Insights

  • Identifies, builds and executes shopper learning plans in concert with JMS Shopper Insights team.

  • Develops Shopper centric insights analytics on a national scale

  • Leverages available data and insight resources to identify and create new insights and category opportunities

Customer Team Engagement

  • Collaborates with Marketing, Sales & Category Leadership teams to translate and disseminate JM Smucker Thought Leadership with our key customers.

  • Provide category consultation at internal and external meetings to provide context, direction, and guidance regarding potential actions

  • Feeds back retailer and commercial team learnings to JM Smucker & business areas

Other

  • Provides project support and resolves category issues, as needed

  • Identifies requirements for category management tool development and data support systems

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

  • Bachelor's degree

  • 6 years in Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry

  • 3 years Shopper Insights or Category Management experience

  • Strong story telling with data skills

  • Strong communication skills (verbal and written)

  • Strong technical skills in Excel, Power Point, Circana or AC Nielsen (POS and Panel)

  • Strong computer and analytic skills

  • Proficient in leveraging Syndicated and Panel Data

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role (not required):

  • MBA

  • Experience in customer-facing and/or execution

  • Experience working cross functionally in a headquarter environment

  • Proficient in leveraging Retailer Club Card Data

  • 3rd Party partnership and data analysis (RichMix, Mintel, Kantar)

Compensation range: $112,000 - $163,900

Learn more about working at Smucker:

  • Helping our Employees Thrive

  • Delivering on Our Purpose

  • Our Continued Commitment to Ensuring a Workplace for All

Follow us on LinkedIn

#LI-Hybrid


The J. M. Smucker Company (the “Company”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No person will be discriminated against in hiring or in any other aspect of their employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, marital status, familial status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran/military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

 

Salary : $112,000 - $163,900

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Manager, Category Leadership?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Manager, Category Leadership career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$128,981 - $177,855
Income Estimation: 
$169,213 - $239,804
Income Estimation: 
$88,940 - $123,214
Income Estimation: 
$82,418 - $108,006
Income Estimation: 
$184,635 - $240,705
Income Estimation: 
$169,213 - $239,804
Income Estimation: 
$209,334 - $293,369
Income Estimation: 
$213,885 - $278,953
Income Estimation: 
$128,981 - $177,855
Income Estimation: 
$169,213 - $239,804
Income Estimation: 
$88,940 - $123,214
Income Estimation: 
$82,418 - $108,006
Income Estimation: 
$184,635 - $240,705
Income Estimation: 
$106,878 - $153,480
Income Estimation: 
$128,981 - $177,855
Income Estimation: 
$88,940 - $123,214
Income Estimation: 
$82,418 - $108,006
Income Estimation: 
$137,727 - $181,250
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at The J.M. Smucker Company

The J.M. Smucker Company
Hired Organization Address Orrville, OH Full Time
Your Opportunity as a Lead, Revenue Growth Management – Pet In this role, you will help shape and implement annual Reven...
The J.M. Smucker Company
Hired Organization Address Orrville, OH Full Time
Your Opportunity as the Copy QA Specialist If you can find what's grammatically wrong with this job posting, you might b...
The J.M. Smucker Company
Hired Organization Address Bentonville, AR Full Time
Your Opportunity as the Analyst, Category Management – Walmart In this role, you will support our category team relation...
The J.M. Smucker Company
Hired Organization Address Orrville, OH Full Time
Your Opportunity as the Sourcing Manager, Indirects Support the Corporate Professional Services Senior Procurement Manag...

Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Manager, Category Leadership jobs in the Chicago, IL area that may be a better fit.

Category Manager

Duly Health and Care, Downers Grove, IL

Category Manager

Novolex, Forest, IL

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!