Global Snacks Category Manager

Global Snacks Category Manager

Job Category: Taste & Sensory Solutions

Full-Time, Hybrid

Michigan Kalamazoo, MI 49006, USA

Description

Essential Job Responsibilities:

Category Strategy, Portfolio & Go-to-Market Leadership

• Establish growth objectives, enable sales conversion, and monitor sales growth for Kalsec's Savory Snacks category
• Work cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Business Unit leaders, and R&D to deliver category strategy
• Identify and explain market trends and competitive dynamics
• Analyze consumer behaviors and translate insights into category opportunities
• Map customer size, potential, strengths, and weaknesses
• Define priority customers and go-to-market approaches by region
• Identify portfolio synergies and gaps across Business Units
• Segment the portfolio using lifecycle management principles and share recommendations with Product Management
• Propose innovation and development opportunities aligned with market and customer needs
• Define regional priorities together with Business Unit Heads
• Develop and manage the innovation pipeline based on customer needs and claims
• Lead new product launches within the category and align regional execution plans

Customer Engagement, Sales Enablement & Performance Management

• Serve as a strategic partner to key global and regional customers identified in the category plan
• Support Sales in building strong, long-term relationships with priority customers
• Identify customer-specific "hooks" and value propositions based on customer profiles
• Train Sales Managers through joint customer visits and targeted category training
• Monitor category performance through sales data, competitive intelligence, and customer feedback
• Provide in-depth performance analysis and dynamic reporting
• Deliver bi-annual performance updates versus the Business Plan

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, or a related field
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience within the Snacks category, across roles such as Sales, Marketing, R&D, or Category Management
• Strong understanding of the Snacks value chain, from ingredient sourcing to customer and consumer applications
• Established professional network within the Snacks industry
• Proven ability to translate complex technical and market information into clear, compelling value propositions
• Strong presentation skills and executive presence, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and customers
• Experience working with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce.com) and proficiency in Microsoft Office tools

Desired

• Scientific background in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, or a related discipline
• MBA or advanced business degree
• Experience working in a global and/or cross-regional role
• Competency with data visualization and analytics tools such as Power BI

Working Conditions:

• Role requires flexibility to collaborate across global time zones, including occasional work outside traditional business hours
• Approximately 5 days of travel per month to visit customers, attend meetings, or support regional initiatives

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