Based in our Chicago office (hybrid), the Sr. Director, Category Development is responsible for strategic planning, leading a team, and wiring to success. In this role, you'll play a crucial role in championing a culture aligned with MAB's core values and competencies and developing future leaders within MABI. Responsible for ensuring the external alignment of the long-term focus of the accounts on Flavor. Responsible for hiring, cultivating and retaining top talent.

Accountabilities & Impact:

• Cross Functional Engagement: Partner with Sales and Marketing to ensure that sales strategies are aligned to our brand and portfolio strategies when presenting insights to external partners. To evolve our Flavor First narrative to maintain our flavor insights leadership position
• Thought Leadership: Develop and produce strategic flavor insights based on multiple data points/advanced analytics and consumer data sources to support retailer and distributor strategy •
• Third Party Vendor Relationships: Engage third party vendor solutions across multiple retail channels to extract more value, expand capabilities, and achieve a greater ROI from existing investments in syndicated data solutions
• Category Management Solutions: Utilize shopper panel data to provide flavor consumer insights to internal and external stakeholders, along with research and sales trends to present best in class shelf strategies.
• Lead Team: Coach direct reports to align with MABI core competencies and values. Cultivate future leaders while fostering career growth for the team.
• Collaborate with sales to craft programs and foster retail connections with category insights. Coach and inspire teams to enhance productivity.
• Category Strategy & Vision: developing and maintaining the strategic direction of their product categories.
• Driving Growth & Profitability: by leveraging consumer insights, market intelligence, and cross functional collaboration to inform strategic decision-making and optimize business performance

Skills & Experiences Needed:

• 10-15 years of proven category insights experience in the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, leveraging syndicated scan & household panel data platforms (Circana, Numerator).
• Strong technical skills in Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables, V-Lookups, formulas) and other Third-Party software applications (Qlikview).
• Strong data visualization skills in PowerPoint.
• Strong presentation/communication skills (internally and externally).
• Ability to effectively manage associates (motivate, coach, get the most from their talents, and help them along their career path).

At Mark Anthony, we live by our 5 Core Values every day:

Sense of Urgency

• We value sense of urgency because we are a fast-paced company in a fast-paced industry
• You act as if there is no tomorrow and get it done today

Authenticity

• We value authenticity because we need to stay real
• You are authentic, diplomatic, respectful, thoughtful and you always have the best intentions

Simplicity

• We value simplicity; why use 50 words when you can use 5?
• You thrive in ambiguity, are comfortable with change and bring simplicity to complex situations or grey area

Humility

• We value humility; there is no room for egos here
• You're not stubborn, you listen, take feedback/direction and respond quickly to changing direction. We are a team that supports each other

Trust

• We value trust because unless we are both trusted and trusting, we will not succeed as a team
• You put trust in others and do your best to never let anyone down