Being a Mars Associate is all about opportunity. The opportunity to do the kind of challenging, interesting work that shapes the world’s best-loved brands. To work with real purpose, supported by talented, friendly people from all sorts of different backgrounds. And to access the tools, training, and experience you need to have a positive impact on our business, on the planet, and, most importantly, on your own career. Being a Mars Associate is more than a job. It’s the opportunity to start your tomorrow, today.

Category Analyst – Field Based

Preferred Locations: Temple, TX; Austin, TX; Waco, TX

This role’s primary purpose is to serve as a trusted, category growth-driving partner to C-store retailer and distributor buying teams. The position will work closely with customer management to drive alignment and execution against category and brand strategies by leading category management projects with customers.  This role will deliver strategic shopper-based insights to the buyer relevant to their specific retail environment and evolving retail conditions.  Associate must be excellent at building and maintaining strong relationships, both externally as well as internally to be successful. This C-Store territory responsibility is representative of Category Analyst expectations.

What are we looking for?

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• Demonstrated analytical skills and capability
• 2+ years of experience within CPG Sales key accounts, retail, and or analyst accountabilities
• Ability to accommodate travel a minimum of 25-40% of time
• A valid driver's license and clean driving record
• Ability to work in a field-sales, home office
• Successful completion of a drug and background screen
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Nielsen Scan data experience
• Knowledge of JDA
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills
• External selling, negotiation, influencing

What would be your key responsibilities?

• Build and maintain strong relationships both internally and externally; internally co-creating and collaborating with Sales to drive growth strategies, externally driving alignment and execution against category growth solutions within the assigned retailers.
• Provide analysis and make decisions on a variety of projects within the Category Leadership team:
  • Shelving excellence strategies that drive total category performance
  • Development of JDA POGs; IC/FC, across multiple segments depending on project scope
  • Assortment optimization and incrementality
  • Price/Promotion efficiencies
  • Merchandising effectiveness
• The expectations of this role is to leverage, where appropriate, solutions/tools such as:
  • Space management initiatives such as JDA for merchandising visualization
  • Nielsen/IRI/Syndicated Data sources for analyses
  • Forecasting tools, both seasonal and everyday based on price/promotion/distribution
  • Incrementality tools to optimize the merchandise assortment
• Create and maintain scale templates, including but not limited to:
  • Opportunity Gap, Pack Opportunity, Confectionery Quarterly Review Template and Panel Data Templates
• Analyze syndicated and attitudinal data for trends, and decide which opportunities to pursue
• Prioritization of workload and field stakeholder management
• Functional and technical expertise and primarily deliver results through themselves.  Achieve goals by applying expert knowledge to make decisions and to influence others.

What can you expect from Mars?

• The opportunity to learn, develop and take charge of your own career.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package. 
• To be respected and valued.
• The Five Principles at the center of every decision we make

The opportunity to work cross functionally, add value and impact a better world for generations to come.

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Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.