Associate Category Manager

Associate Category Management Manager

Supports the category management for Baskin-Robbins U.S. core and existing product lines for Flavors, Beverages and Sundaes. This role supports the execution of product launches and maintenance of category programs and tactics to drive sales and profit for an iconic brand. The Associate Category Management Manager collaborates with the Manager of Category Management and Director of Category Management and Culinary Innovation to define product marketing objectives and strategies for the upcoming year and beyond.

Responsibilities:

Participates in the execution of product launches and category programs for Flavors, Beverages and Sundae categories

• Supports the successful execution of product launches and category programs through readiness materials, planograms, testing, communications and collaboration.
• Partners with digital and IT teams to support the category on digital channels and technology (POS).
• Draft category menu and pricing strategies and culinary and creative briefs based on ongoing performance, competition, macroeconomic trends, and consumer insights.
• Ensure the product positioning and story comes to life across all marketing assets and readiness materials.

Partners with the Category Management Manager and Director to define product marketing objectives and strategies

• Work with Director to define and refine product and category strategies to meet brand business objectives.
• Support product focused programs to drive sales and traffic grounded in a compelling business case, including sales and profit forecasts and franchisee profitability evaluation.
• Assist with the development of the brand product calendar and ad-hoc projects, presentations and reports to support the Director of Category Management and Baskin-Robbins Marketing team.

Collaborates with teams to support the business

• Become an expert of the categories in order to overcome challenges, define and execute opportunities for growth.
• Energize our team, agencies and system around marketing programs.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders such as Culinary Innovation, Brand Experience, Integrated Marketing Communications, Restaurant Excellence, Supply Chain, POS, Franchisees and others to develop and launch products.
• Collaborates with and provides constructive feedback to agency partners, co-brand partners and vendors to improve how product is executed for consumers.

Requirements:

• 4 Year Degree Preferred in Marketing, Business Management or related field
• 2+ years of experience working in Marketing, Brand Strategy, Category Management or related expertise
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, multi-task, prioritize and be detail oriented.
• Experience with new product development preferred.
• Business acumen, including understanding of market trends, consumers, competitors and P&L fluency.
• Ability to think strategically and creatively.
• Ability to collect and synthesize information, making it relevant, understandable, and actionable for key stakeholders.

Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,000 Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, and SONIC restaurants worldwide. We're made up of some of the world's most iconic restaurant brands, but we're much more than just a restaurant company. We're a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a stapleit's an experience. At Inspire, that's our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.