Senior Manager Category Manager

Pittsburgh, PA, Hybrid

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Chicken of the Sea is an iconic American brand that was founded in 1930. Today, Chicken of the Sea enjoys broad distribution across all major retail channels, with growth opportunities in foodservice and outside the U.S. Besides its eponymous brand, Chicken of the Sea also sells Genova and King Oscar premium seafood products.

Chicken of the Sea International (COSI) has been wholly owned since 2000 by Thai Union (TU), the largest global producer of ambient seafood. Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods is a sister U.S. company that focuses on frozen and chilled seafood sales. Other iconic seafood brands in the TU Global portfolio include John West, Mareblu, and King Oscar. Under the leadership of CEO Thiraphong Chansiri, Thai Union has more than tripled its revenue to over $4 billion annually and has an aggressive growth agenda.

Chicken of the Sea International operates under the common corporate vision, mission and values of Thai Union, an industry leader in sustainable fishing practices and manufacturing processes that capture the freshness, nutritional value, and sensorial experience of seafood. The global organization lives by the 6 deeply held values: Passionate, Humble, Respectful, Responsible, Collaborative, and Innovative.

COSI is an organization that is very proud of its heritage. First established as VanCamp seafood company more than 100 years ago (1914), the company celebrates its story as one of the oldest food companies in the country that is still in operation. The company is currently undergoing a significant business transformation aimed at accelerating business growth.

OVERVIEW OF ROLE

The Senior Manager Category Manager will play a pivotal role in driving category growth and enhancing the performance of Chicken of the Sea’s products across various retail partners. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Sales Planning, this position is at the core of category strategy, responsible for analyzing customer and market data, managing essential tools and scorecards, and identifying growth opportunities. This role is ideal for a proactive and analytical professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can transform insights into actionable recommendations.

The Senior Category Manager’s work will directly influence the company’s category strategies and sales outcomes. Through careful analysis and collaboration, this role supports the organization’s mission to lead in the marketplace by maximizing growth opportunities, strengthening customer relationships, and ensuring that Chicken of the Sea’s products achieve optimal positioning across all retail partners. This role offers the chance to make a tangible impact on the business’s success, contributing to both immediate sales goals and long-term strategic objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Planning and Category Vision
   • Develop and implement a strategic roadmap for category growth, aligning with long-term company objectives and market trends to strengthen Chicken of the Sea’s competitive position.
2. Customer Performance Assessment
   • Analyze customer performance against ROM (Rest of Market) benchmarks to identify trends, opportunities, and risks.
   • Provide actionable insights based on performance data to inform business decisions.
3. Customer Opportunity Assessment
   • Evaluate customer needs and opportunities to drive category growth and profitability.
   • Support sales teams by identifying new opportunities for customer engagement and growth within the category.
4. Customer Data Management & Reporting
   • Manage and maintain customer data, ensuring accuracy and availability for analysis and reporting.
   • Develop and distribute regular reports and dashboards to keep stakeholders informed of category and customer performance.
5. Category Review Tracking & Coordination
   • Coordinate and track category review schedules, ensuring alignment with internal and external stakeholders.
   • Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to prepare and present comprehensive category reviews.
6. Category Review Tools Maintenance
   • Develop and maintain tools used for category reviews, ensuring they reflect the latest data and insights.
   • Provide training and support to ensure all relevant team members can effectively use category review tools.
7. Planogram Development & Customization
   • Develop and customize planograms to meet specific customer needs and enhance in-store product placement.
   • Collaborate with the sales team to optimize shelf layouts and drive better customer engagement at the point of sale.
8. Consumer Insights and Shopper Behavior Analysis
   • Analyze shopper behavior and consumer insights to understand key drivers of purchase within the category, informing product positioning, promotion, and pricing strategies.
9. Innovation and Product Development Support
   • Collaborate with the Innovation team to identify category innovation opportunities based on market trends, consumer insights, and competitor activity, supporting new product introductions.
10. Advanced Data Tools & Technology Use
    • Utilize advanced data analytics tools such as PowerBI or other data visualization software to enhance reporting efficiency and enable deeper category insights.
11. Retailer Relationship Management
    • Build strong relationships with retail partners by sharing insights and recommendations, collaborating on category plans, and supporting joint business planning efforts.

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of five years of experience in consumer goods trade marketing, sales, category management, or shopper insights within a major organization (preferably packaged goods).
• Undergraduate degree in Marketing, Finance, or a related discipline.
• High level of proficiency with IRI Unify and syndicated data analysis.
• Strong knowledge of consumer panel and market research principles is essential.
• Proficient in IRI Unify, syndicated data analysis, Excel, PowerPoint, and PowerBI
• Skilled in leveraging market data for identifying business opportunities and creating compelling communications.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration, presentation, and writing skills.
• Excellent organizational skills to manage projects and ensure data accuracy.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% for customer meetings, category reviews, and field research.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, communicate, usually through talking, hearing, writing and typing. Employee should be able to operate standard office equipment, i.e., telephones, computers, facsimile and copier. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk, and move or lift to 35 lbs. The employee regularly works in a well-lighted, heated and/or air-conditioned indoor office setting with a moderate degree of noise.

The employee is required to comply with all company policies, rules and directives, including safe work practices.

VALUES

• Collaborative – works well with diverse workforce; communicates professionally with associates and leaders
• Responsible – punctual, proactively communicates status of issues and projects
• Humble – eager to learn new skills, asks for assistance when needed
• Passionate – has a support-mindset; committed to be the best
• Respectful – exhibits behaviors of caring, compassion, honesty, integrity, and fairness
• Innovative — constantly looks for ways to be more efficient and productive; Committed to continuous improvement

A career at Thai Union is a unique experience to grow as a professional and as a person. You will join a global fast-growing, innovative, and entrepreneurial organization deeply committed to its people, its community, and the environment.

Every single one of our employees matter. We are always listening and giving our talent opportunities to grow, develop, and implement new ideas to make a difference. Our focus on corporate social responsibility and sustainability in a creative and dynamic environment, combined with great opportunities to lead progress, is a guarantee you will quickly develop your professional skills within a diverse & inclusive human-centered organization.

Thai Union is committed to providing equality of opportunity. If you require any reasonable adjustments to help support your application, please let us know.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.