Director, Category Management
Apply NowCompany: McCormick & Company
Location: Hunt Valley, MD 21031
Description:
You may know McCormick as a leader in herbs, spices, seasonings, and condiments - and we're only getting started. At McCormick, we're always looking for new people to bring their unique flavor to our team.
McCormick employees - all 14,000 of us across the world - are what makes this company a great place to work.
We are looking to hire a Director, Category Managementto join our team! This position will be based at McCormick's global headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland and will be eligible to participate in our hybrid work program (50% onsite, 50% remote per month).
What We Bring To The Table:
The best people deserve the best rewards. In addition to the benefits you'd expect from a global leader (401k, health insurance, paid time off, etc.) we also offer:
Competitive compensation
Career growth opportunities
Flexibility and Support for Diverse Life Stages and Choices
Wellbeing programs including Physical, Mental and Financial wellness
Tuition assistance
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director, Category Management will serve as a strategic leader, leveraging analytics and category management principles to drive market penetration, profitable growth, and customer engagement. This role will use data-driven insights to shape merchandising, assortment, pricing, and shelving strategies, ensuring best practices and tools are in place to enhance category management and sales effectiveness. This leader will provide key recommendations to internal leadership, identifying growth opportunities, diagnosing declines, and driving category and brand success. Additionally, the Director will oversee the HQ Category Management team, leading a group of eight, including four direct reports, while also managing critical vendor relationships.
RESPONSIBILITIES
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Base Salary: $140,610-253,080
Base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, experience for this role, and/or internal equity of our current employees as part of any final offer. This position is also eligible to participate in McCormick's Incentive Bonus (MIB) Plan/ McCormick's Sales Incentive Bonus (SIB) Plan/ McCormick's Dividend Program. In addition to a competitive compensation package, permanent employees of McCormick are eligible for our extensive Total Rewards programs that include:
- Comprehensive health plans covering medical, vision, dental, life and disability benefits
- Family-friendly benefits such as paid parental leave, fertility benefits, Employee Assistance Program, and caregiver support
- Retirement and investment programs including 401(k) and profit-sharing plans
McCormick & Company is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
As a general policy, McCormick does not offer employment visa sponsorships upon hire or in the future.
#LI-KT1
WHY WORK AT MCCORMICK?
United by flavor. Driven by results.
As a McCormick employee you'll be empowered to focus on more than your individual responsibilities. You'll have the opportunity to be part of something bigger than yourself-to have a say in where the company is going and how it's growing.
Between our passion for flavor, our 130-year history of leadership and integrity, the competitive and comprehensive benefits we offer, and our culture, which is built on respect and opportunities for growth, there are many reasons to join us at McCormick.
McCormick employees - all 14,000 of us across the world - are what makes this company a great place to work.
We are looking to hire a Director, Category Managementto join our team! This position will be based at McCormick's global headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland and will be eligible to participate in our hybrid work program (50% onsite, 50% remote per month).
What We Bring To The Table:
The best people deserve the best rewards. In addition to the benefits you'd expect from a global leader (401k, health insurance, paid time off, etc.) we also offer:
Competitive compensation
Career growth opportunities
Flexibility and Support for Diverse Life Stages and Choices
Wellbeing programs including Physical, Mental and Financial wellness
Tuition assistance
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director, Category Management will serve as a strategic leader, leveraging analytics and category management principles to drive market penetration, profitable growth, and customer engagement. This role will use data-driven insights to shape merchandising, assortment, pricing, and shelving strategies, ensuring best practices and tools are in place to enhance category management and sales effectiveness. This leader will provide key recommendations to internal leadership, identifying growth opportunities, diagnosing declines, and driving category and brand success. Additionally, the Director will oversee the HQ Category Management team, leading a group of eight, including four direct reports, while also managing critical vendor relationships.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and implement category management strategies to optimize merchandising, assortment, pricing, and shelving.
- Provide analytical support and strategic insights for leadership across all categories within the portfolio.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Field Sales, Internal Sales, Marketing, and Insights, to drive category strategies and share market trends.
- Create and tailor compelling, data-driven selling stories to highlight key opportunities and mitigate risks using advanced analytical and category management frameworks.
- Lead the development and execution of category management initiatives to enhance sales performance and profitability.
- Partner with Marketing and Trade Marketing to define and refine long-term category strategies.
- Identify essential tools, insights, and resources to support category growth and team effectiveness.
- Manage and mentor a team of eight Category Managers and Analysts, fostering professional growth and development.
- Oversee budget management and vendor relationships to ensure optimal resource allocation and partnership success.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Management, or related field; MBA preferred
- Minimum of 8 years of relevant Category Management /Sales/Shopper Insights experience working in consumer goods company, including experience managing people
- Must be a self motivated strategic thinker with a bias for action and demonstrated skill leading and developing others
- Expertise in the Category Management process and proficient in syndicated and panel data (Circana, Nielsen, etc.) as well as familiarity with pricing, promotion and assortment optimization software knowledge and experience working with customer POS data systems (Retail Link or Luminate)
- Excellent organizational/project management skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities and create structure and process where it does not currently exist
- Strong analytic skills and demonstrated ability to translate insights into actionable business recommendations that deliver positive results
- Excellent verbal and written presentation skills, with the ability to analyze and understand the data and effectively communicate insights to intern & external audiences
- Demonstrated creative sales development, influencing and communication skills
- Strong understanding of industry and global/national category management and shopper insight trends, frameworks and best practices
- Up to 25% travel
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Understanding of Field Sales and Retailer process in business analytics as well as distribution obstacles is a benefit
- Understanding of shopper insights research methodologies
- Space planning experience for building and analyzing planograms
Base Salary: $140,610-253,080
Base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, experience for this role, and/or internal equity of our current employees as part of any final offer. This position is also eligible to participate in McCormick's Incentive Bonus (MIB) Plan/ McCormick's Sales Incentive Bonus (SIB) Plan/ McCormick's Dividend Program. In addition to a competitive compensation package, permanent employees of McCormick are eligible for our extensive Total Rewards programs that include:
- Comprehensive health plans covering medical, vision, dental, life and disability benefits
- Family-friendly benefits such as paid parental leave, fertility benefits, Employee Assistance Program, and caregiver support
- Retirement and investment programs including 401(k) and profit-sharing plans
McCormick & Company is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
As a general policy, McCormick does not offer employment visa sponsorships upon hire or in the future.
#LI-KT1
WHY WORK AT MCCORMICK?
United by flavor. Driven by results.
As a McCormick employee you'll be empowered to focus on more than your individual responsibilities. You'll have the opportunity to be part of something bigger than yourself-to have a say in where the company is going and how it's growing.
Between our passion for flavor, our 130-year history of leadership and integrity, the competitive and comprehensive benefits we offer, and our culture, which is built on respect and opportunities for growth, there are many reasons to join us at McCormick.