Category Development Manager
- Full-time
- PL-DEPT: 73-0510
- Compensation: USD 103550 - USD 129425 - yearly
Company Description
Since Foster Farms founding days back in 1939, we have always been committed to providing consumers with the highest-quality, best-tasting poultry products available. The hope is that our commitment to excellence, honesty, quality, service, and our people will shine through in everything we do.
We are always looking for talented individuals to join the Foster Farms TEAM. We offer the experience of a large organization, but operate like a family business. More than half of our job openings are filled by internal promotion, and we encourage employees to gain a variety of experiences across different functional groups.
Job Description
Purpose of Position:
The Category Development Manager plays a pivotal role in driving Foster Farms’ category leadership across our full portfolio—including Fresh, Prepared, Foodservice, and Private Label products. This position serves as a strategic business partner to Sales, Marketing, and Trade teams by transforming complex data into actionable insights that strengthen retail partnerships and guide brand strategy.
The ideal candidate is a data-driven storyteller with a strong command of syndicated, shopper, and receipt-level data who can influence internal strategy and external sell-in conversations with persuasive, insight-led narratives.
Responsibilities:
Category Leadership & Insights
- Lead the development of category insights across Foster Farms’ portfolio using data from Circana (IRI), 84.51°, and Numerator to uncover growth opportunities and consumer trends.
- Translate data into compelling, retailer-ready presentations that position Foster Farms as the trusted category expert and preferred supplier.
- Identify and communicate category growth drivers, white-space opportunities, and competitive performance to influence assortment, shelving, pricing, and promotional strategies.
Sales Enablement & Buyer Engagement
- Build and deliver fact-based sell-in stories that demonstrate the category value of Foster Farms’ SKUs and secure placement of new and existing items.
- Partner with Sales to develop strategic recommendations and joint business plans tailored to each retailer’s objectives and consumer base.
- Support customer meetings and line reviews with robust analytics, visualization tools, and persuasive storytelling that highlight Foster Farms’ category leadership.
Strategic Business Partnership
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Trade, and Revenue Management to align category insights with brand strategy, pricing architecture, and promotional planning.
- Serve as the internal voice of the category, guiding strategic decisions and informing innovation and product development initiatives.
- Deliver regular business updates and category health reports to senior leadership, providing clear recommendations for action.
Analytics & Tools
- Leverage advanced analytics and visualization platforms to distill complex data sets into clear insights and impactful visuals.
- Maintain strong working knowledge of Circana/IRI POS data, retailer-specific tools (84.51°, Retail Link), and shopper panel data (Numerator).
- Continuously refine reporting and measurement approaches to improve accuracy, speed, and relevance of insights delivered to key stakeholders.
Qualifications
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field (MBA preferred).
- 5–8 years of experience in Category Management, Sales Strategy, or Consumer Insights within the CPG industry.
- Proven success translating data into insights that influence retailer decisions and drive brand growth.
- Advanced proficiency in syndicated and shopper data tools (Circana/IRI, 84.51°, Numerator, Retail Link).
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and storytelling skills with the ability to simplify complex concepts for diverse audiences.
- Expertise in visualization and presentation tools
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills; able to influence cross-functional partners and senior leaders.
- Highly organized self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, remote environment.
Additional Information
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Foster Farms is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Minorities, Females, Veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Foster Farms participates in E-Verify during the hire process at all locations for all new Team Members.