Director, Category Management

THE ROLE

OLIPOP is searching for a Director of Category Management to join our team to play a strategic role in driving category growth by leveraging data-driven insights, shopper trends, and retail strategies. This leader will develop and execute category leadership initiatives to strengthen our partnerships with key retailers, enhance the shopper experience, and drive incremental sales and market share growth. Collaborating cross-functionally with sales, marketing, insights, and finance, this role will ensure the Category and Olipop are positioned for long-term success in the competitive beverage landscape.

In this role, you’ll be the functional leader of the Category Management team. It will be critical that your leadership style is aligned with our company values and you’re able to motivate, grow, challenge, and inspire future leaders in this industry. If you’re an impactful leader that is looking for a fast paced environment, an opportunity for personal growth and responsibility, and enjoy having fun along the way, then this is a role you’ll thrive in!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Humility, Aspiration, Commitment, Integrity- our OLIPOP company values. Start-Up is as much a personal journey as it is a professional one. We can teach you functional skills but we can’t change the way that you view and interact with the world. To succeed at a company like this you need to be able to fail, learn, adapt and fail again. You need to be able to keep going when others would likely give up. You need to be able to find a way when it seems impossible. You need to be humble enough to learn and confident enough to express yourself. If this is how you’ve lived your life, if these are the lessons your lived experiences have taught you then we’d love to hear from you.

WHAT YOU DON’T NEED

An MBA or a College degree. Our founders don’t have them and we don’t expect you to either.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and implement a comprehensive category management strategy to drive category and brand growth.
• Serve as the category thought leader, influencing internal teams and external retail partners with data-driven recommendations.
• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) for category success and track performance against objectives.
• Act as a strategic partner to retailers, delivering actionable category insights, shelving recommendations, and pricing strategies to optimize performance.
• Build strong relationships with key retail partners to secure category captaincy or advisory roles where applicable.
• Work with merchandising, pricing, and shopper marketing teams to align on category growth initiatives.
• Lead category analytics, leveraging syndicated data (e.g., SPINS, NIQ, Circana, Numerator) and retailer POS data to uncover growth opportunities.
• Conduct deep-dive analyses on consumer, shopper, and market trends to provide compelling category stories.
• Leverage data visualization tools to create impactful reporting and presentations.
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Innovation, and Finance to integrate category insights into go-to-market strategies.
• Provide guidance on assortment optimization, pricing strategy, and promotional planning.
• Work closely with the business insights and analytics team to refine methodologies for measuring category performance.
• Lead and mentor a team of category managers/analysts, fostering a high-performance and insights-driven culture.
• Develop best practices in category management, data storytelling, and retailer engagement.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ years of experience in Category Management, Sales Strategy, or Insights within the CPG industry with at least 3 years in a leadership position.
• Strong background in working with retail partners (e.g., grocery, mass, club, convenience, e-commerce).
• Expertise in syndicated data sources (SPINS, NIQ, Circana, Numerator) and retailer-specific data platforms (Luminate, 84.51).
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and data visualization tools.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable business recommendations.
• Strong storytelling and presentation skills to influence both internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate cross-functionally across multiple teams.
• Strategic thinker with a passion for consumer insights, retail trends, and category growth.
• Proven track record of delivering impactful insights that influence business outcomes.
• Experience managing cross-functional teams and large-scale projects.
• Strong problem-solving abilities with a strategic mindset.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Deeply passionate about Olipop, and inspired by what we represent. Has the desire and hunger to make an impact.
• Enthusiastic and comfortable working in an early stage company. Ability to think rapidly in a growing and changing environment.
• Ability to take initiative and work autonomously – you can run with something from beginning to end.
• Works well with ambiguity and asks the right questions to get at the solution.
• Strong planning, organization and project management skills, along with excellent interpersonal, written/oral communication and presentation skills. 
• Proficient in Google Suite and Microsoft Suite. Experience with team collaboration tools such as Slack and Zoom preferred.

REPORTS TO: Vice President of Category Management and Business Insights

COMPENSATION: $150,000 - $175,000 base salary + bonus