Category Analyst (R&D)

The Category Analyst supports the Sr Manager Category Strategy-CBU (Consumer Business Units) with definition of category strategy, supporting channel strategy and the delivery of revenue management. Works closely with the Insights Analysts and Insights & Analytics department to ensure that all CBU activities are driven by insights and are aligned to Wilton's brand and purpose. This role serves as a critical aid to the CBU Directors to support the day to day running of each CBU.

Essential Responsibilities:
    Supporting the development of the category strategy, leveraging consumer and customer insight
    Monitor performance measurements to ensure brand is tracking against goals - recommends and implements corrective actions
    Analyze data to identify insights and translate into business initiatives and/or actionable tasks to drive results
    Manage monthly volume forecast for assigned brand/categories, coordinating between demand and supply planning to deliver best-in-class forecast accuracy
    Prepare periodic business reviews, market assessments and ROI/performance analysis to help develop selling stories, recommend actions to improve business performance and to track and measure results
    Must be great with numbers, able to evaluate program performance and use learnings to forecast future results
    Operate as a steward of the Wilton brand ensuring the alignment of strategy with marketing execution and the 4 P's of marketing (product, price, place and promotion).
    Maintain extensive knowledge of the business to make decisions based on the unique needs of this consumer and the category
    Net Revenue Management including responding to questions such as:

• Portfolio Pricing – Are our products priced correctly against our competition? Are there any gaps in the market that we can exploit?
• Pack Price Architecture – Do we have the optimum mix of product formats? Are these formats priced correctly?
• Active mix – Is our product mix allocation optimized in a way that helps drive profitable growth?
• Promotion management – Are we promoting the right products in the right way to drive revenue growth?
• Trade Spend Translation – Are we getting the optimum return from our trade terms and do we need to change our customer mix to drive revenue growth?
• Innovations – Which innovations, and what types of innovation, are driving growth?

    Review category performance at SKU level to support category merchandising

Education and Experience:

    Bachelor's Degree in Business, Management, Marketing, Finance, or related field 
    Experience in Category Management analyzing insight to determine industry & consumer trends & develop strategies for product groupings & marketing campaigns 
    Experience in Revenue Management, effectively exploiting data to identify and leverage opportunities for good growth – or, more precisely, net revenue growth
    Experience in insight & analytics, category management or brand management to develop stories supporting category decisions

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
    Basic financial and P&L acumen
    Strong financial and strategic acumen
    Strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills (gathers critical data, translates analysis of an opportunity to resulting volume and financial goals, develops POV and recommendation)
    Understands how to extrapolate data from databases
    Strong communication skills, and decisiveness
    An understanding of business fundamentals and P&L management
    Make decisions on projects that impact timing and the product P&L (e.g. Cost of Goods)
    Managing multiple projects at a time (timeline development, completion of tasks, and delivery of projects on time)
    Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
    Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills
    Holding self and others accountable by partnering with cross functional teams 

Core KPIs
    Net Sales
    EBITA
    Contribution Margin
    Revenue to Target & Forecast
    Market Share 
    Innovation
    Brand Awareness
    Insights Delivered
    Markets Engaged
    Research Briefs Delivered
    Consumer Satisfaction Score