Director Category Management, North America

Location: Hybrid (Based in Alsip IL, Scarborough Canada or Monterrey Mexico)

Summary: To provide Strategic Marketing leadership and management to the Product Categories across North America to enable sustainable and profitable growth aligned with our Purpose Driven Strategy and Aspirations. Be a role model to the Company Culture by living the Values and strive to explore, create, and develop value propositions to ensure the success of our products in the marketplace.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Devises and executes long-term development strategies for product categories.
• Drives the full Portfolio approach across the region, ensuring that all Product Categories are represented and promoted in value propositions to our Customers and Prospects.
• In partnership with VP of Marketing, VP of R&D and Director of Innovation in North America, is responsible for development and scale of strategies to commercialize Innovative Technologies.
• Co-leads together with VP of Marketing, VP of R&D, VP of Sales, and Dir. of Innovation NA the commercialization of current Innovation Technologies applied to our Product Categories (Seasonings, Sauces & Dressings, Alternative Proteins, and Value-added Coatings).
• Works closely with NA VP of Marketing, NA Customer Segments Director, NA VP of R&D, NA VP of Business Development and NA Customer Segment Leaders to develop value propositions for Innovative Technologies.
• In partnership with NA Insights, VP Marketing NA and VP R&D NA identifies Consumers unmet needs in the marketplace to define the development of future Innovative Technologies to drive differentiation to selected product categories.
• In partnership with Finance, Sales and Marketing defines value pricing for our Product Categories.
• Analyzes selected product categories and defines initiatives to improve profitability and sales growth.
• Defines the positioning of a product category to maximize sales and profitability.
• Leads with Marketing the development of effective Value Propositions for our products.
• Provides the Commercial Teams (Sales, Marketing, R&D, Culinary) with the right tools and communication to drive the positioning of our products to our Customers and Prospects.
• Identifies unsuccessful products and define the right approach to improve profitability. Leads the process to define and execute exit strategies for products when needed.
• In collaboration with Marketing, R&D, Culinary and Insights launches the Annual Trends Program with the goal to generate business opportunities for at least $2MM annually.
• Partners with Supply Chain to identify and define key operational elements to consider as part of the pricing process in the category (MOQ and Other).
• Responsible for the budget development and revenue for Product Categories in partnership with Sales, Marketing, R&D and Finance.
• Direct responsibility to manage one Product Category across the Region and supervise two Category Managers.

Qualifications:

• BS degree in Marketing or Business with 10 years of professional experience in a Category Management, Marketing or Business role.
• MBA degree preferred.
• Experience at a Food Company, ideally in Category Management, Marketing, Innovation, Product Development.
• Experience in Business-to-Business and clear understanding on how to create and deliver value propositions to Customers.
• Excellent business and financial acumen.
• Strong and proven organization and communications skills.
• Ability to think creatively to solve complex problems.
• Demonstrated leadership and influencing skills in a multi-functional business environment.
• Skills and experience in Project Management. Ideally experience in utilizing a Project Management software.
• Highly skilled in use of PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and other commonly used computer programs.
• Travel 25%.

Griffith Foods