A mutually rewarding experience.

Work. Realize your ambitions. And realize there’s more to being in business than just making a profit. That’s the Mars philosophy. And the opportunity we offer every one of our Associates. An opportunity to take what you do and make it mean more for you, for those around you and for the planet.  What you get here is challenging, interesting work. You get the tools you need to do a great job and you get to have the best possible people on your side to help you do it. And at the same time as getting to find ways to do business better today than we did it yesterday and driving a great career, you also get to build a more enlightened business and drive sustainability.

Because it’s never just about a single person, a single project or a single brand. It’s about how you can grab everything that’s within your reach here and use it to pursue mutual, long-term gain. It’s about having ideas. And ideals. Being prepared to risk failure because the promise of success means we’ll all be a little better off. It’s that mix of integrity and ambition that makes Mars such a special place to work. And why working here is always about more than just a job.

About Mars, Incorporated 

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

 

Category Manager-Specialty and Military

Newark, NJ or Near Any US Airport preferably Central & East Coast

 

The Category Leadership Manager is responsible for managing category leadership solutions for assigned customers in the Military and Specialty channels.   This role is expected to provide fact and insight-based solutions that drive growth for category, customer, and company.   Utilizing shopper insights, opportunity identification and full understanding of products, assortment, pricing, shelving, and promotion, this role is the primary insight provider for the confectionery category at customers that lead to marketplace actions. This role will work closely with internal and external partners.

 

What are we looking for?

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 2+ years Sales &  Category Management experience
• Analytical experience leveraging syndicated data resources (Retail Link; IRI or AC Nielsen; Scan, Panel, Spectra, etc.)
• Highly proficient in MS Office and other technical applications (JDA, Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI)
• Willingness to travel (up to 30% of time)

 

What will your key responsibilities be?

• This associate will provide customer support in the following areas:
  • Category performance review & recommendations
  • Confectionery shelving reviews and recommendations, inclusive of evaluating assortment opportunities this associate's retailers and the general market, performing space to sales analyses, recommending best in class shelving strategies based on internal and customer insights

 

• Project Leadership & Support
• Competitive Market Analysis
• Ad Hoc and Ongoing Data Management, Reporting and Presentation Building
• Leverage broad category insights and resources, market research findings, tools, analyses, and technology to continually bring new shopper-focused ideas for Amazon and other online businesses with incorporation into category initiatives which will drive tangible results.
• Utilize deep knowledge of the category, consumers and our customers to support the development of the Military and Specialty channels' category plans, prioritizing projects based on viability and incremental value each initiative will drive for the category.
• Multi-level and cross-functional partnerships are critical to the success of this role.  Develop and maintain close partnerships with key internal and customer stakeholders, building the trust and credibility which will earn this associate a continuous “seat at the table” for strategic discussions and decisions regarding our categories.
• Partner closely with our team’s dedicated Shopper Insights Manager to develop, implement and communicate robust shopper learning agendas which compliment both the customers' overall strategic initiatives and our confectionery category growth initiatives. 

 

 

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.