Senior, Category Advisor - Walmart Category Management

Overview

HanesBrands (NYSE: HBI) makes everyday apparel that is known and loved by consumers around the world for comfort, quality and value. Among the company's iconic brands are Hanes, the leading basic apparel brand in the United States; Bonds, which is setting new standards for design and sustainability; Maidenform, America's number one shapewear brand; and Bali, America's number one bra brand. HBI employs 48,000 associates in 29 countries and has built a strong reputation for workplace quality and ethical business practices. The company, a longtime leader in sustainability, has set aggressive 2030 goals to improve the lives of people, protect the planet and produce sustainable products.

As a Senior Category Advisor, you will serve as a key strategic partner to Walmart's merchandising team, driving growth and profitability across multiple merchants and product categories. As a Senior Advisor you will have expanded scope, scale, and responsibility from that of a Category Advisor, requiring you to have a clear tract record of success as an advisor within CPG supporting Walmart. You will leverage your category management expertise, data analytics skills, leadership skills, and strategic mindset to deliver actionable insights, provide compelling recommendations, and influence merchant decisions to protect and drive category performance.

Responsibilities

• Category Strategy & Growth: Develop and execute comprehensive category strategies to drive sales, profitability, and market share.
• Data-Driven Insights: Utilize Walmart Luminate, JDA Space Planning, Circana/Nielsen, and other syndicated data sources to identify opportunities for category expansion, SKU optimization, and competitive differentiation.
• Assortment & Space Optimization: Conduct Opportunity Gap Analyses, identify brand gaps, and leverage qualitative and quantitative data to recommend assortment and space improvements.
• Retailer Collaboration: Act as a thought leader and trusted advisor to Walmart's buyers and merchants, providing insights that influence category decisions.
• Space Management: Utilize space management technologies to build and implement modular resets that enhance the shopper experience and maximize category productivity.
• Market & Competitive Intelligence: Stay ahead of industry and consumer trends, analyze competitor activities, and develop strategies to address evolving market dynamics.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Work closely with internal teams across sales, marketing, supply chain, and finance to align category strategies with broader business objectives.

Minimum Education/ Experience

Bachelor's degree with 10+ years relevant work experience OR Master's 8+ years relevant work experience OR Doctorate 6+ years experience; 4+ years of equivalent work experience can be substituted for Bachelor's degree

Preferred Certifications
Paralegal certification

Specific Skills or Experience Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Finance, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in Category Management, Shopper Insights, or Sales within a CPG manufacturer or brokerage firm.
• 3+ years of experience informally leading others and / or multiple complex projects or initiatives.
• Strong command of retail math, P&L drivers, and financial modeling.
• Proficiency in Walmart Luminate, JDA Space Planning, Circana, Nielsen, Numerator, and other syndicated data tools.
• Ability to translate complex data into compelling category stories and actionable insights.
• Experience developing category growth roadmaps and leading modular reset reviews.
• Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders through data-driven recommendations.
• Strong knowledge of omnichannel retail trends and digital commerce.
• Exceptional presentation, negotiation, and storytelling skills.
• Proven ability to collaborate with buyers, merchants, and internal cross-functional teams.
• Experience working as a Category Captain or Category Advisor at a major retailer.
• Ability to lead and influence without direct authority to engage others to deliver company results.
• Ability to think both strategically and tactically, balancing big-picture category vision with hands-on execution.
• A track record of successfully driving category growth, optimizing assortment, and executing pricing and promotional strategies.
• Passion for understanding shopper behavior, market trends, and competitive dynamics.

Job Specific Competencies:

• Strategic Planning: Ability to develop and execute comprehensive category strategies.
• Market Analysis: Proficiency in analyzing market trends and consumer behavior.
• Product Knowledge: Deep understanding of product categories and industry standards.
• Data Interpretation: Expertise in utilizing data sources like Walmart Luminate, JDA Space Planning, Circana/Nielsen.
• Quantitative Analysis: Ability to conduct Opportunity Gap Analyses and SKU optimization.
• Insight Generation: Skill in transforming data into actionable insights.
• Team Collaboration: Ability to work closely with cross-functional teams.
• Influence & Persuasion: Skill in acting as a thought leader and trusted advisor.
• Decision Making: Strong decision-making capabilities based on data-driven insights.
• Competitive Intelligence: Ability to stay ahead of industry trends and competitor activities.
• Problem Solving: Skill in developing strategies to address market dynamics.
• Visionary Thinking: Capability to foresee and plan for future market changes.
• Relationship Building: Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with Walmart's buyers and merchants.
• Communication: Excellent communication skills to influence category decisions.
• Advisory Role: Proficiency in providing insights and recommendations.
• Technology Utilization: Expertise in using space management technologies.
• Optimization: Skill in implementing modular resets to enhance shopper experience.
• Productivity Maximization: Ability to maximize category productivity through space management.
• Price Sensitivity Analysis: Ability to conduct thorough price sensitivity analyses.
• Promotional Strategy: Skill in developing effective promotional strategies.
• Pricing Frameworks: Proficiency in recommending pricing frameworks that balance margin goals with competitive positioning.
• Trend Analysis: Ability to analyze and interpret industry and consumer trends.
• Competitor Analysis: Skill in analyzing competitor activities.
• Strategic Development: Capability to develop strategies to address evolving market dynamics.
• Team Coordination: Ability to work closely with internal teams across sales, marketing, supply chain, and finance.
• Alignment: Skill in aligning category strategies with broader business objectives.
• Leadership: Strong leadership skills to drive team collaboration and strategy execution

Core Competencies

• Data Fluency
• Written/verbal communication and listening

• Strong interpersonal and relationship skills
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Results orientation
• Adaptability

Core Values

Play to Win - We expect to win, working together to drive results. We push ourselves to simplify and innovate. When we fail, learn from it. We will break with the past when necessary to move forward.

Act Like Owners - We take action. We build relationships across functions so we can see the company holistically and seek out opportunities for improvement. We're willing to sacrifice in one area if that leads to our overall success.

Do What's Right - We behave ethically. We are transparent. We share information about the factors influencing our actions. Our behavior aligns with our values. Our products make the world a better place.

Create Opportunity for All - With success comes opportunity. Everyone is respected and included. We provide opportunities for all associates to reach their Full Potential

To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require now, or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status.

EOE/AA: Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact us directly by:

Telephone: 877.999.5553

Email: HBI_TA@hanes.com.