Sr. Category Analyst - Space Management

General Purpose

The Sr. Category Analyst develops CCSWB and/or customer centric SSD (Sparkling Soft Drink) & Still (without carbonation) category space schematics and merchandising standards, aligning with channel strategies and portfolio assortment/presentation guidance. This role is focused on providing shelf leadership for customers in the development of schematics, and on our overall approach to space allocation/assortment, proactively recommending category growth opportunities and enhanced points of availability with customers. 
 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develops, recommends, and facilitates sell-in of space merchandising strategy, category growth opportunities, and points of inspiration with customers to increase availability of our products at retail, while developing schematics in alignment with CCSWB’s merchandising standards, channel direction, and customer’s goals and objectives.   
• Project scope can cover entire beverage section, assortment across manufacturers and includes cleansing, download of scan data and complex space to sales analysis. 
• Perform ROI analysis to determine the value of the project and communicate those results to project requester to prioritize and focus on high value-added work. 
• Establishes relationships with retailer buying influencers, and actively participates in sales calls with Sales leads and Category Managers.  
• Lead dialogue with the customer on strategic placement of company’s products, articulating recommended schematics and beverage performance, category growth opportunities, and points of availability. 
• Provide clear communication to Sales Operations on initiatives established with customers to meet their required expectations. 
• Works closely with appropriate Category Planning, sales operations and reset personnel to align strategies, tactics and in-store implementation.  
• Provide support to Key Accounts development of creative displays, racks, and cold equipment schematics.   
• Access and utilize all available data sources to achieve proper SKU assortment and space allocation (i.e. Margin Minder Data, Nielsen Data, customer POS data). 
• Interaction with Sales Operations time in-outlet, follow established routine of scheduling trade time with Sales Operations Leadership. 
• Complete training to keep abreast of latest space planning tools & techniques. 
• Ensure technical software updates are completed. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 4+ years of space planning/Category Planning experience in the soft drink industry or CPG, and prefer 2-3 years of Sales experience  
• Experience with space planning software (JDA Space Planning), and in data systems (syndicated market information, POS scan, etc.) 
• Strong Excel skills are critical including ability to manage large data sets 
• Analytics experience – ability to draw insights and conclusions  
• Customer orientation, ability to create and articulate ideas and business solutions, to influence and gain alignment across divergent perspectives.