Posted 2mo ago

Global Snacks Category Manager

@ Kalsec
Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
OnsiteFull Time
Responsibilities:develop strategy, lead launches, analyze performance
Requirements Summary:Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, or related field; 7+ years in Snacks category; CRM experience; strong presentation and cross-functional leadership.
Technical Tools Mentioned:Salesforce, Power BI, Microsoft Office
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Job 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