Sales Category Manager

at  KimberlyClark

You’re not the person who will settle for just any role. Neither are we. Because we’re out to create Better Care for a Better World, and that takes a certain kind of person and teams who care about making a difference. Here, you’ll bring your professional expertise, talent, and drive to building and managing our portfolio of iconic, ground-breaking brands. In your role, you’ll help us deliver better care for billions of people around the world. It starts with YOU.

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

The Sales Categor Manager is responsible for translating category management principles into action through data analytics and consumer/shopper insights. This position will report to the VP of Personal Care - Walmart. This role will lead and develop assortment, shelving, and distribution recommendations to achieve key business objectives. Identify and capitalize on strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in KC portfolio and the category. This person will work to align internal and external strategy for growing Kimberly-Clark business.
Note: This position is not an advisorship role, it is to bring category discipline to the sales side of the organization.
This person will leverage the insights to execution framework to coordinate and develop plans based on shopper insights, brand strategies and customer strategies. The ability to translate complex data from multiple sources into key insights will be critical for this role. This person will lead highly visible cross-functional projects and initiatives that contribute to the achievement of key objectives.

ABOUT US

Huggies®. Kleenex®. Cottonelle®. Scott®. Kotex®. Poise®. Depend®. Kimberly-Clark Professional®. You already know our legendary brands—and so does the rest of the world. In fact, millions of people use Kimberly-Clark products every day. We know these amazing Kimberly-Clark products wouldn’t exist without talented professionals, like you.
At Kimberly-Clark, you’ll be part of the best team committed to driving innovation, growth and impact. We’re founded on more than 150 years of market leadership, and we’re always looking for new and better ways to perform – so there’s your open door of opportunity. It’s all here for you at Kimberly-Clark.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES:

Results, strategy and vision orientation, leadership, strong oral and written communication, ethical judgment and decision making, resources and team management, change management, mentoring, analytical, project and risk management and building relationships

OTHER SKILLS:

Cross-functional, prioritization and time management, active listening, adaptability, cross-cultural, and social perspectives

IN THIS ROLE, YOU WILL:

• Lead assortment recommendations across assigned business unit(s)
• Perform strategic assortment analyses across store clusters and traits to capture trends, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges for KC portfolio and the category
• Lead assortment planning sessions amongst sales, BU HQ teams and brand teams to optimize assortment priorities by section size/store format, utilizing shopper research data and insights, POS data and syndicated data for reviews.
• Utilize 3rd party tools/resources to run potential assortment optimization scenarios to measure expected impact of changes and impact on KC investment strategy
• Track, analyze and summarize customer assortment shifts during modular changes. Interpret customer strategies and measure impact of key changes to the business
• Lead internal discussions on price leadership and work with HQ partners to ensure pricing and promotion discipline on key items in the market.
• Translate complex metrics from multiple data sources into key insights. These sources include information from Retail Link, Nielsen Scan/Panel data, RSI, and other internal/external databases
• Support priority requests for data/information/presentations to drive dynamic growth. Contribute to creating persuasive presentations as a credible assortment planning expert.
• Ability to adapt and support the organization through times of change.
• Ability to clearly communicate orally and in writing to individuals and groups.
• Ability to precisely communicate innovative business solutions to customers and staff.
• Ability to lift and carry up to [20 pounds].
• Ability to operate and use of telephone, computer/laptop and other technological devices/software programs to communicate with other people.
• Ability to proficiently use and perform key functions of Microsoft Excel software program
• Ability to travel via aircrafts, and operate and drive motor vehicles for business travel, with valid driver license. Travel up to 20%

DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC/NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

Promptly reconcile and communicate changes and conduct team adjustment to new changes. Adjusting to meet requirements of changing conditions/situations. Maintain effectiveness of varying environments with different tasks, responsibilities and people. Render judgments and make timely decisions in alignment with business objectives. Set priorities and proactively identify issues, underlying problems and potential solutions to develop plan of action. Keep team leader informed on status of plans and programs, changing conditions, requirements of marketplace, competitive activity, issues and accomplishments that may affect sales results.

In one of our professional roles, you’ll focus on winning with consumers and the market, while putting safety, mutual respect, and human dignity at the center. To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications:

• Education required: Minimum of Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience: 5+ years Customer Development and 3+ years Category Management/Shopper Insights experience
• Previous experience successfully driving category and/or brand plans, strategy development, merchandising knowledge and analytical skills are required.
• Demonstrated project management and leadership skills.
• Experience working with Walmart and/or Sam’s Club