Category Advisor

Incentive Pay Quarterly performance bonus Benefits Summary Medical Dental Vision 401(k) profit sharing Vacation Holidays Floating Holidays Company-paid LTD and life insurance Sick leave Overview In this role, you will be responsible for cultivating and strengthening the relationship with the Walmart Merchant and managing the end-to-end Modular-drawing process for Seasonal Bakery — including holiday and event-driven baking, decorating, and dessert occasions such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Holidays, Valentine's Day, Easter, and Summer/July 4th. This position reports directly to the Senior Category Advisor. This individual will assist in providing best-in-class category leadership to Walmart's Seasonal Bakery business. The successful candidate will have advanced working knowledge of the resources and tools required to execute Walmart's modular and seasonal reset process, create/present/assist in category strategy reviews, and manage complex ad hoc analysis requests — providing strategic and ongoing holistic category and shopper recommendations to the Walmart Buyer. Responsibilities Buyer Relationship Serve as a key, customer-facing contact for the Walmart Merchant, providing category expertise and strategic guidance for the Seasonal Bakery business Create and lead shopper- and category-centric presentations, founded in research and data analysis, that support Walmart's category performance objectives Develop and champion a long-term vision for Seasonal Bakery solutions that enhance convenience, drive incremental purchases tied to key holidays and events, and improve overall trip conversion Provide strategic and ongoing holistic category and shopper recommendations to the Walmart Buyer, accounting for consumer and market trends, assortment, space, merchandising, and seasonal timing/reset calendars Bring a customer service and start-up mindset, eager to elevate the entire Seasonal Bakery category utilizing a shopper-first approach Assist the Director of Category Management in providing best-in-class category leadership, as well as helping upskill junior team members Analytics & Insights Utilize category management principles, shopper insights, and space analytics to identify opportunities to expand Seasonal Bakery's presence, increase Walmart's share of total bakery/dessert sales, and improve overall category performance Analyze shopper behavior, store execution, and space productivity metrics to create best-in-class merchandising frameworks that enhance ease of shop and maximize return on retail space Identify emerging shopper, category, and retail trends — including shifts in holiday timing, private label growth, and health/dietary trends — to inform future growth strategies and create competitive advantages for Walmart and Next Phase's manufacturer partners Anticipate evolving competitive dynamics and proactively develop strategies that increase category productivity while supporting sustainable, year-round growth of the Seasonal Bakery segment Leverage shopper and consumer insights to identify key shopper groups and occasions within the channel to inform Walmart's Seasonal Bakery growth strategies Apply third-party research resources (including Scintilla Customer Perception, Numerator, Mintel, Kantar, etc.) to inform and direct strategy for Walmart and the Seasonal Bakery category Modular Drawing Lead the design and optimization of space allocation frameworks for Walmart's Seasonal Bakery business, driving data-driven space and modular strategies that maximize category productivity, enhance shopper experience, and support sustainable growth across total bakery and seasonal dessert destinations Manage the end-to-end modular-drawing process, including assortment, modular, and space allocation strategies that optimize productivity across in-line and seasonal (endcap/feature) Bakery destinations Own the evolution of Seasonal Bakery merchandising standards — in-line, endcap, and seasonal feature placements — by developing scalable space solutions that improve visibility, availability, and purchase conversion Influence future assortment and modular/reset strategies to expand Seasonal Bakery's footprint, increase Walmart's market share of total bakery, and optimize productivity across seasonal destinations Shape the future design, placement, and execution standards for Seasonal Bakery category destinations, including holiday resets, that elevate the shopper experience and drive profitable growth Qualifications 5+ years of experience in a CPG Category Development role, including managing highly complex modular systems and thousands of planograms annually, ideally including seasonal/holiday reset cycles Experience analyzing data across a variety of category management insight areas, including price and promotion optimization, assortment rationalization, new item performance, basket affinity analysis, cross shop, source of volume, switching, etc. Customer-facing Category Management experience (Category Advisor/Captain experience strongly preferred) Strong knowledge of core data sets, including point-of-sale (Nielsen/Circana/SPINS) and household data (Nielsen/Circana/SPINS/Numerator) Experience with retailer-specific shopper data platforms (Walmart Scintilla or 8451 Stratum preferred) Robust storytelling skills and ability to visualize data in a compelling manner (portfolio of examples preferred) Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to deliver clear and concise information to both internal and external stakeholders Strong presentation skills and ability to influence and persuade others Advanced Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint skills, including pivot tables, slicers, and formulas to automate and add value to reporting; Tableau/Power BI a plus Advanced Blue Yonder / JDA Space Planning and Automation Software skills for modular and planogram management Strong working knowledge of Walmart systems and tools, including Retail Link (POS, inventory, and replenishment data), Scintilla (Walmart's advanced supplier analytics platform, including Customer Perception and Store Assortment & Space Analytics. Outstanding organizational, presentation, and follow-up skills; self-starter, detail-oriented, highly organized, with the ability to multitask and work in a team-oriented environment Bachelor's Degree preferred Ability to travel 10-20% Hiring Process Our process may include application review, interviews, assessments, reference checks, and a conditional offer. Equal Opportunity Employer Statement The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status. Accommodation Statement Applicants needing accommodation during the hiring process may contact human resources @ View email address on click.appcast.io. Work Authorization Employment is contingent upon the ability to work lawfully in the United States and completion of employment eligibility verification after hire. Background Check / Drug Testing Employment offers may be contingent upon job-related screening, where permitted by law. At Will Employment Employment with FoodStory Brands is at-will, meaning either the employee or the company may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, unless otherwise required by applicable law. This job postings not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the role. The company reserves the right to modify this description at any time. #J-18808-Ljbffr