Vp, Category Leadership Jobs

Job Location: Chicago

Want to make an impact?

We are seeking a VP of Category Leadership to join the Sales team, reporting to the Chief Customer Officer. This highly valued and influential role will help Ferrara determine the shape the organization’s future by providing actionable insights & analytics and thought leadership in order to help drive benefit for the Sugar Confections & Fruit Snacks Categories. This individual is highly skilled in leveraging multiple data sources to translate into persuasive customer conversations. The role will require her/him/them to focus on the development and commercialization of insights, best practices, and foundational research on behalf of the organization while also partnering with Marketing & Sales Leadership on high-priority initiatives in support of the Company's growth objectives.

Ways you will make a difference

• Performs other duties as assigned
• Ensures adherence to all company policies and procedures
• Lead the development of advanced analytical techniques (on a mix of transactional, demographic, and syndicated data) to drive user awareness, engagement, retention and predictive monetization
• Generate high-quality, actionable insights to inform innovation opportunities throughout the product and innovation cycle
• Deliver compelling presentations with Business Partners/Senior Stakeholders driving clear understanding, empathy and accountability
• Drive performance of Category Leadership team through close coaching, strategic thought leadership, and problem solving to help drive Ferrara’s & Sugar Confections performance
• Manage Category Leadership budgets and priorities; manage selection and day-to-day interaction with 3rd party agencies and recognized consumer research thought leaders
• Instill “customer led” strategic approach within the brand, category and innovation teams – helping them design a future that expands our reach and driving brand values and product innovation
• Drive deep understanding of channel segmentation within the organization, and identify consumer insights action plan to engage channel buyers
• A Big Thinker and a driver of Big Ideas: identify and execute research that elevates Ferrara’s pioneering positioning and products
• Understands and demonstrates the Company’s core values
• Independently lead research and analysis on multiple, simultaneous projects
• Envision, create and execute consumer learning priorities to address dynamic needs of the brand and key categories
• Determine the right set of statistical techniques to use for a given problem, (e.g., Purchase behaviors, Propensity to buy, ‘Look alike’ modeling, etc.)
• Design, lead and support innovative ideation sessions to generate breakthrough thinking

Skills that will make you successful

• Ability and willingness to speak up and defend the consumer POV while successfully building productive working relationships with cross functional team
• Experienced research moderator in all types of qualitative approaches
• Define, prioritize and shape consumer needs-based commercially viable opportunities in the consumer packaged goods space
• Demonstrated experience in bringing the consumer to all phases of Innovation and new product research and development throughout the entire development cycle: opportunity identification, ideation, concept and product development, product optimization, validation/testing, and commercialization
• A combination of strategic, intuitive and quantitative skills – a puzzle solver, who can transform data into selling stories and linking all of that back to the business in a way that has direct impact on business decisions internally and externally
• Proven track record of delivering on business objectives – from structuring work, people and interdependences; prioritizing; executing under tight timeframes and presenting and influencing outcomes based on learnings
• Has a record of success in a fast-paced, high velocity environment; has shown they can operate in a consumer landscape that never sits still

Experiences that will support your success

• Degree in Social Sciences, Statistics, Market Research, Mathematics, Decision Science, Data Science, Econometrics, or related fields, Advanced Degree a plus
• Proven skills in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and data analysis
• Experience leveraging advanced analytical techniques to build practical, data-driven programs for improving business KPIs
• 12 – 15+ years of innovation insights, market research, consumer insights, future trends, or related field for consumer facing companies

Please note: role requires 25% travel