Category Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

We are one of the most respected premium all-natural cheese makers in North America, and we continue to win prestigious awards for, not only our high-quality products, but also in recognition of our passion for sustainable practices. Today, we are in our third generation as a family business, who seeks innovative opportunities to maximize profitability & return on all assets, while being a trusted & responsible employer, who actively participates in the community & who cherishes the natural environment.

Our success is based upon the quality of the employees that we hire-top-notch talent who share our company's commitment to our customers and a passion for making the country's finest quality products, using only all natural ingredients.

Our employees are our greatest driving force, and we pride ourselves on ensuring their stability. All our employees receive Life Insurance, and Employee Assistance Program! Joseph Gallo Farms also offers a competitive benefits package at a group rate to all our full-time employees and their dependents.

Benefits:

• 401(k) retirement plan w/ company match
• Health Insurance
• Dental
• Vision
• Educational Reimbursement
• Paid time off (vacation, sick, holidays, etc.)
• Free cheese!

Joseph Farms is seeking a Category Manager to develop category strategies and customer recommendations that support growth across national and regional grocery accounts. Based in the West region, this role combines syndicated data, shopper insights, competitive intelligence, and retailer performance to identify opportunities in the cheese category.

The Category Manager will partner closely with the sales team and participate directly in customer sales calls, category reviews, and business planning meetings. The role translates analysis into practical recommendations for assortment, shelving, pricing, promotions, and distribution that support retailer category growth and Joseph Farms business objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Category strategy development. Develop and maintain cheese category strategies using market trends, shopper behavior, competitive activity, and customer priorities. Translate findings into actionable growth plans for national and regional grocery customers.
• Consumer and market insights. Analyze syndicated data, retailer point-of-sale information, loyalty insights, and demographic trends to identify category opportunities. Develop recommendations relevant to local markets, store clusters, and customer needs where supported by the data.
• Assortment and shelving optimization. Evaluate item productivity, distribution gaps, assortment balance, and competitive placement. Recommend product additions, assortment changes, and merchandising opportunities that improve category productivity and support relevant innovation.
• Customer sales participation. Join sales calls and lead the category insights portion of customer meetings. Present recommendations to buyers and category leaders, address analytical questions, and partner with sales on follow-up and execution.
• Pricing and promotional analysis. Evaluate competitive pricing, price positioning, promotional lift, volume, sales, and margin. Recommend pricing and promotional approaches that balance shopper value, retailer profitability, and Joseph Farms growth objectives.
• Retailer growth planning. Support customer business reviews and joint planning with account-specific insights. Identify opportunities to increase distribution, improve merchandising, and strengthen category performance across customer banners and markets.
• Cross functional collaboration. Work with sales, marketing, finance, and other relevant teams to align category recommendations with commercial priorities, product availability, and execution requirements. Support brokers and account teams with consistent category guidance.
• Business presentations and reporting. Build compelling category presentations, selling stories, dashboards, and category playbooks. Communicate findings clearly to customers and internal leadership, and track the outcomes of adopted recommendations.
• Competitive analysis and innovation support. Monitor competitors, emerging products, and unmet shopper needs. Use market research and test-and-control analysis, where feasible, to evaluate programs and inform product, channel, and innovation decisions.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, analytics, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Six or more years of relevant experience in grocery category management, category analytics, pricing, shopper insights, account management, or related CPG commercial roles.
• Experience developing category reviews, assortment recommendations, pricing analysis, or promotional plans for grocery retail.
• Experience with both NielsenIQ and Circana syndicated data platforms, including the ability to combine market data with retailer sales and shopper insights.
• Strong analytical skills, including interpretation of sales, volume, margin, market share, competitive pricing, and promotional effectiveness.
• Ability to translate complex analysis into clear presentations and practical recommendations for retail buyers, category leaders, and sales teams.
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills, with experience building recurring reports, dashboards, or customer presentations.
• Ability to manage multiple customer priorities, collaborate across functions, and participate confidently in customer sales meetings.
• Preferred qualifications
• Experience spanning retailer category management or analytics and broker or manufacturer account management.
• Knowledge of cheese, dairy, refrigerated foods, or other grocery categories, including shopper preferences and merchandising considerations.
• Experience with Hispanic shopper insights, demographic segmentation, localized assortment, or store clustering.
• Experience evaluating trade investments, loyalty campaigns, and promotional return on investment.
• Familiarity with space planning or planogram tools, SQL, and business intelligence platforms such as QlikView or comparable tools.

Working arrangement

This position is based in the West region and supports both national and regional grocery customers. The ideal candidate would be local to Atwater, CA, but we are open to a hybrid situation with at least one day per week onsite. Highly qualified candidates will be considered for a fully remote work arrangement. All candidates must be willing to travel to customer meetings, sales calls, category reviews, and relevant store visits as business needs require.

  Joseph Gallo Farms is an equal opportunity employer / EOE