Senior Category Manager

Job Title:           Senior Category Manager, Ornua Foods North America

Reports to:       Category Team Lead, Ornua Foods North America

Location:           Evanston, IL

Reports 

Company Overview

Ornua is a dairy co-operative which sells dairy products on behalf of its Members, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers.  It is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, exporting to 110 countries worldwide.  Headquartered in Dublin, it has annualised sales of over €3.5 billion and a global team of 3,000 employees.

The Group is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods and Ornua Ingredients.
 

Ornua Foods is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Kerrygold, Dubliner, Pilgrims Choice, Kerrygold, Avantage, Forto, and BEO.  Markets are served by production facilities and in-market sales and marketing teams in Africa, Asia, Germany, Ireland, the UK, the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and the US.  Kerrygold is Ireland's first $1bn brand and we have ambitious plans to grow it to a $2bn brand by 2030.

Ornua Ingredients is responsible for the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products and for the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers across the world.  Ornua Ingredients is also responsible for managing volatility through de-risking and trading strategies. The business is supported by production facilities in Saudi Arabia, Spain, the UK, the US and by in-market teams in Africa and the Middle East.

Ornua Foods North America (OFNA) is based in Evanston, Illinois and we market and sell Kerrygold butter and cheese in the North American markets and have expanded into LATAM and Canada.  We are the number two butter brand in the US and number one in the specialty cheddar cheese market. 

Ornua’s Values
At Ornua, our Values guide us as we work together and care for each other to achieve great things. Our five values, and their underlying behaviours, encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care and Achieve Great Things Together.

Dynamic Working
Ornua have a Dynamic Working policy in place which facilitates flexible hours and hybrid working.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Lead the development of category growth strategies, utilizing shopper and retail insights, competitive analysis and market data.
• Serve as the primary category expert and advisor for key US retail partners, providing strategic guidance on product assortment, pricing, placement and promotional activities.
• Conduct in-depth analysis of consumer behavior, market trends, and sales performance using syndicated data sources (e.g. Circana, Nielsen) to identify growth opportunities.
• Develop actionable insights to drive category performance and retail partnerships.
• Lead cross-functional teams in the execution of category management projects, ensuring timelines and objectives are met.
• Partner with Marketing, Finance and Sales to understand the commerciality of key decisions regarding the Kerrygold portfolio and special projects as assigned.  
• Develop powerful sell in stories (in collaboration with the Sales and Innovation teams) grounded in category, shopper and consumer insights to secure listings of Kerrygold innovation and expansion of current assortment distribution.
• Support delivery of reporting for total business and critical segments (butter, cheese).
• Presenting category performance and drivers to the Exec team each period.
• Manage vendors to ensure accurate data and quality of service (e.g. Circana, Nielsen, Stratum).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Previous experience in a Category role, ideally with 5+ years of FMCG experience
• Undergraduate degree in an analytical or research field
• Highly numerate
• Strong analytical skills and proven ability to deliver actionable insight
• Able to articulate data concepts to a non-expert audience
• Advanced PowerPoint and Excel skills
• Advanced use of Circana/ Nielsen (POS and Panel)
• Strong presentation skills
• Experience solving problems independently and working well as a part of a team
• Commercially aware
• Flexibility to travel to customer meetings as required

Desirable

• Previous sales experience
• Knowledge of joint business planning
• Knowledge of shopper marketing processes

Ornua competencies

• Expertise: Applies effective professional skill, analysis, decision making, planning and reviewing.
• Communicative: Communicates confidently, adapting style for different situations.
• Forward Looking: Responds positively to change and looks ahead to anticipate tasks.
• Working Together: Is supportive, co-operative and inclusive.

Total Rewards at Ornua Foods North America will include a competitive salary and annual bonus. Along with a great workplace culture, the following are amongst the many benefits you can avail of: Healthcare; Pension; Paid Time Off; Maternity Leave; Flexible working; Fitness Reimbursement; Charity Donation; Complimentary Kerrygold products; Free car parking and bicycle storage at our Evanston office location; Free healthy snacks and drinks in the office; Reward & Recognition program; Volunteering opportunities; Long Service Awards.  The benchmarked salary range for this role begins at $97,200.

Ornua Foods North America is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.