Director, Category Management

Utz Quality Foods is seeking a Director, Category Management. The Director of Category Management leads category strategy and execution across multiple product categories within the Salty Snacks division. This leadership role is responsible for driving category growth, profitability, and long-term strategic alignment across key channels and/or customers and internal business functions.

The Director will oversee the development of category strategies that combine data-driven insights, customer collaboration, and shopper understanding to deliver sustainable growth. This individual will partner closely with sales, marketing, finance, and operations teams to optimize performance across the full value chain, ensuring decisions are grounded in analytics, shopper insights, and sound commercial judgment.

This role requires a strategic leader with the ability to influence at all levels, mentor a high-performing team, and champion category management as a critical business capability. This is a remote position.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of category strategies that drive profitable growth, strengthen customer partnerships, and enhance brand and category performance.
• Provide strategic leadership to the category management team, ensuring alignment with company goals, customer objectives, and overall commercial strategy.
• Serve as a strategic partner with sales leadership to influence customer strategies, assortment, pricing, shelving, and promotional plans through insight-driven recommendations.
• Oversee the integration of syndicated data, shopper insights, and retail analytics to identify trends, opportunities, and category growth drivers.
• Drive thought leadership across the organization by providing a holistic view of category dynamics, consumer behavior, and competitive performance.
• Collaborate with marketing, finance, and operations to ensure category strategies are aligned with brand priorities, innovation plans, and supply capabilities.
• Support joint business planning (JBP) with major customers by leading category reviews and strategic discussions that drive mutual growth.
• Guide and develop the category management team, fostering an insight-based, results-oriented culture focused on collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Deliver executive-level reporting and strategic recommendations to senior leadership, highlighting key metrics, performance drivers, and forward-looking opportunities.
• Champion tools, processes, and best practices that elevate the organization's category management capabilities and influence data-driven decision-making.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field; MBA strongly preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in category management, trade marketing, or commercial strategy, including 3+ years in a leadership role.
• Proven track record of success leading category management or commercial strategy in a fast-paced CPG or FMCG environment.
• Deep understanding of category management principles, retail dynamics, consumer behavior, and shopper marketing.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills with the ability to align cross-functional teams and drive enterprise-wide initiatives.
• Advanced analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and transform insights into clear business strategies.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, capable of engaging and influencing internal executives and external customers.
• Proficiency in syndicated data platforms (e.g., Nielsen, IRI, Circana), panel data, and retail analytics tools; planogram/MOD system experience preferred.

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