Category Manager at Vital Farms

Numbers are your thing. In fact, 1 - 10 were your gateway numbers. You thought they were harmless and fun, but it didn’t take long before you were experimenting with double and triple digits, then decimals, fractions, rounding, and then a mix of everything. And that’s when it really got out of hand. And now, you’re into syndicated data. Like, waaaaaay into syndicated data.

You also know that a great Category Manager doesn’t just simply tell a story or present numbers. They sell a story with insights and information. First, they listen. Then, they ask questions. They find the need. And then they lead. They turn the story into a conversation until the conversation becomes a relationship, and then that relationship becomes a win-win for everyone involved.

That’s the kind of relationship-building attitude we’re looking for in our new Category Manager. At Vital Farms, we’re on a mission to change the food industry one ethically-produced ingredient at a time. While we’re known for our pasture-raised eggs - giving our hens 108 square feet to roam and calling bullsh*t on terms like cage free - the truth is we’ve got big plans to do so much more. That’s because we give a cluck when it comes to the health of our animals, the health of our customers, and the health of our planet.

Reporting to the Director of Category Management, you will leverage category expertise, compelling selling story skills, and superior analytics and insights to optimize distribution, pricing, & shelving internally and at Key Customers such as Albertson’s Safeway, Target, and Whole Foods. The Category Manager should be highly skilled in the use of analytical tools, combining multiple pieces of data and insights to create a holistic story, and can operate in a highly effective manner. The Category Manager integrates information from multiple sources such as retailers, consumers, shoppers, and syndicated data to build comprehensive, actionable insights and recommendations that can be used to improve Vital Farms and category performance. 

Beyond providing invaluable insights to drive the business, you will also be able to recommend actions to be taken, influencing decisions across the business.

What You’ll Do

• Leverage robust consumer, shopper, and category insights to identify and maximize growth opportunities and create a growth strategy for the category. Elevate our standing with Key Customers such as Albertson’s Safeway, Target and Whole Foods with category management & relevant insights.
• Provide insights to drive superior category results, while embedding Vital Farms as part of the strategic category solution.
• Provide category management support to Vital Farms business on top strategic Key Customers, including weekly / monthly sales & category reporting, trend analysis, item ranking reporting, category review & reset process, shopper panel reporting metrics, and special analysis. 
• Create business reviews on retailer trends, market trends, category trends, consumer insights, shopper insights, and innovation.
• Partner with Vital Farms Sales and Business Development teams by developing insights and presentations directed toward generating increased sales and communicating insights. Must be able to create effective data visualizations to clearly communicate relevant facts and insights.
• Collaborate with customer teams on the selling strategies by providing category and customer-specific insights and recommendations. Support the Sales team with succinct and meaningful insights that make Vital Farms relevant to retailers.
• Influence annual planning at the customer level, through partnership with Business Development and Sales Leaders, by providing actionable category insights and solutions that support category leadership objectives for customer, company, and category.
• Lead insights work related to understanding competitors that play in the egg, butter, and overall pasture-raised space. Identify key markets, retailers, and opportunities relevant to business objectives.

What You Bring to the Table

• First, you bring a passion for ethically-sourced, nutritious food, and purpose-driven brands.
• Bachelor's Degree in Business or a related field of study
• 5+ years of professional experience in category management within Consumer Packaged Goods/Food & Beverage industry
• This is a remote position.  Proximity to major metroplexes such as Austin, Dallas, and Denver (West Coast or Central) would work well for the needs of this position.
• Mastery of Syndicated Data (Spins/Nielsen) as well as retailer data (EYC/Target POL/WFM Portal).
• Strong customer collaboration and selling skills. Strong thought leadership and influencing skills.
• Demonstrated analytical and critical thinking skills; ability to identify root causes - link strategies and objectives to develop compelling stories and recommended actions.
• Ability to create concise, easy-to-read selling materials based on findings.
• Knowledge of how to identify category opportunity gaps with key retailers & develop support story.
• Working understanding of the planogram (POG) creation process, including JDA BlueYonder. Can create or alter POGs.
• Ability for 20% travel for customer appointments, team meetings, etc.

What We Bring to the Table

• A fast-paced, energetic, remote environment with passionate people who are leading a movement to bring ethically produced food to the table.
• Competitive pay and benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Paid Parental Leave, just to name a few).
• Company-wide bonus program; when we succeed together, we celebrate together.
• Generous retirement contributions: 401(k) + 3% Contribution from Day 1.
• Free eggs, butter, and ghee, along with friends and family discounts.
• Fun team SWAG that will make you the talk of the town.
• Professional development opportunities and an amazing team dedicated to your growth.