Finding the right place to grow your career isn’t (over) easy, so we’re here to help by sharing a few reasons why the grass is greener at Vital Farms. We think you’ll appreciate our focus on Conscious Capitalism, which drives business decisions that benefit all our stakeholders (leading to even better business results). You might be drawn to our innovative approach and refusal to settle for the “way things have always been done.” Or you could find it exciting to grow your skills while working for an industry-leading brand. Whether you’re into our values, our brand, or our egg-cellent puns, we hope you’ll join our Crew and help us change the world 108 square feet at a time!
At Vital Farms, we are proud of our incredible stakeholders, and the diversity they represent from all areas and communities in which we operate and serve. We view this as a source of strength for us and your job is to help us make it even better.
Your Role:
A great Associate Category Manager doesn’t just simply tell a story or present numbers. They sell a story with insights and information. First, they listen. Then, they ask questions. They find the need. And then they lead. They turn the story into a conversation until the conversation becomes a relationship, and then that relationship becomes a win-win for everyone involved.
That’s the kind of relationship-building attitude we’re looking for in our new Associate Category Manager. As the Associate Category Manager, you will leverage your sales expertise as a foundation to support you in learning to build out a compelling selling story, and you will leverage superior analytics and insights to optimize distribution, pricing, & shelving as you work with key customers and the Grocery Channel. This position will be remotely located with preference for our ideal candidate to be located in a major central and west coast metroplex. This position is part of the Category Management division and Business Development department at Vital Farms, reporting to the Senior Category Manager.
This Associate Manager should be highly skilled in the use of analytical tools, combining multiple pieces of data and insights to create a holistic story, and can operate in a highly effective manner. The Associate Category Manager integrates information from multiple sources such as syndicated data, retailer data, shopper panel data to build comprehensive, actionable insights and recommendations that can be used to improve Vital Farms and category performance.
What You'll Do:
- Work with your manager to influence and drive category strategy in the Grocery Channel.
- Lead category management insights for key customers and the Grocery Channel, analyzing business issues, providing business insights and recommendations in the areas of assortment, shelving, pricing, and promotion to improve business results.
- Responsible for identifying opportunities for growth, improvement, and optimization; transform ideas into actionable recommendations.
- Be an organizational and retailer “Voice of Choice” go-to for category and strategic insights.
- Leverage robust consumer, shopper, and category insights to identify and maximize growth opportunities for the category. Elevate strategic partnerships with Grocery Channel retailers using category management solutions & insights.
- Provide insights to drive superior category results, while embedding Vital Farms as part of the strategic category solution.
- Work collaboratively with your leader to provide category management leadership to Vital Farms business including weekly / monthly sales & category reporting, trend analysis, item ranking reporting, category review & reset process, shopper panel reporting, and special analysis.
- Create and co-lead business reviews on retailer trends, market trends, category trends, consumer insights, and marketplace innovation.
- Partner with Vital Farms Sales and Business Development teams to develop insights and presentations directed toward generating increased sales and communicating insights. Must be able to create effective data visualizations to clearly communicate relevant facts and insights.
- Influence annual planning at the customer level, through partnership with Business Development and Sales Leaders, by providing actionable category insights and solutions that support category leadership objectives for customer, company, and category.
- Lead insights work related to understanding competitors that play in the egg, butter, and overall pasture-raised space. Identify key markets, retailers, and opportunities relevant to business objectives.
- Works well with colleagues, fostering a highly productive team that thrives in an environment of teamwork. Actively works to share best practices throughout the organization.
What You Bring to the Table:
- First, you bring a passion for ethically-sourced, nutritious food, and purpose-driven brands.
- Bachelor's Degree in Business or a related field of study
- 5+ years of professional experience in Category Management/ Sales within Consumer Packaged Goods/Food & Beverage industry; Category Management experience preferred
- Ability for 30% travel for customer appointments, team meetings and other business needs
- This is a remote position. Candidate must be located within a commutable distance to a major metropolitan airport. Preferably located in any major Central or West Coast metroplex city.
- Experience with Syndicated Data (Circana/Nielsen), retailer data (SymphonyAI shopper data /Target POL/ Dunnhumby/etc.) as well as Shopper Panel Data (Numerator)
- Strong customer collaboration and selling skills. Strong thought leadership and influencing skills.
- Demonstrated analytical and critical thinking skills; ability to identify root causes - link strategies and objectives to develop compelling stories and recommended actions.
- Ability to create concise, easy-to-read selling materials based on findings.
- Knowledge of how to identify category opportunity gaps with key retailers & develop support story.
- Working understanding of the planogram (POG) creation process, including JDA BlueYonder.
- You’re no hero – You know the power of teamwork and celebrate the work of others before your own.
- You give a sh*t – You believe in acting like an owner and making Vital Farms a place to be proud of.
- You raise the standards – You know growth can be hard, but you strive to improve yourself and others each day.
- You can walk in someone else’s boots – You seek to understand other’s viewpoints and think that you get to better answers by sitting on the same side of the table.
- You don’t walk on eggshells – You’re not afraid to leave the bullsh*t behind and have honest conversations.
What We Bring to the Table:
- A fast-paced, energetic, remote environment with passionate people who are leading a movement to bring ethically produced food to the table.
- Competitive pay and benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Paid Parental Leave, just to name a few).
- Generous retirement contributions: 401(k) + 3% Contribution from Day 1.
- Annual bonus and equity grant (subject to business results and company approval)
- Free eggs and butter, along with friends and family discounts.
- Fun team SWAG that will make you the talk of the town.
- Professional development opportunities and an amazing team dedicated to your growth.
At Vital Farms, compensation decisions are dependent upon a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to, skill level, experience, education, training, market demands, and business needs. A reasonable estimate of the current starting annual base salary for this position is $100,000 - $125,000. Please keep in mind that hiring at the maximum end of the range would not be typical in order to allow for potential continued future salary growth.
Who We Are:
Vital Farms, a Certified B Corporation, offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide. Started on a single farm in Austin, Texas, in 2007, Vital Farms became a national consumer brand that works with 350 family farms and is the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales. Vital Farms’ products, including shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs, and liquid whole eggs, are sold in over 24,000 stores nationwide. Vital Farms’ ethics are exemplified by its focus on the humane treatment of farm animals and sustainable farming practices. In addition, as a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation, Vital Farms prioritizes the long-term benefits of each of its stakeholders, including farmers and suppliers, customers and consumers, communities and the environment, crew members, and stockholders. In short, we exist to improve the lives of people, animals, and our planet through food.
Next Steps:
Shortly after you complete your application, you'll receive a follow-up email elaborating on any potential next steps in our process. If you don't immediately receive said follow-up email, we would highly encourage you to check your spam filter!
In order to fulfill Vital Farms mission to “bring ethically produced food to the table,” we seek to build teams that leverage diverse perspectives to create a welcoming and innovative environment that is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunities.
To that end, we make employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, and business need. Vital Farms does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender and gender identity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, citizenship status, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Notification to Agencies:
**Vital Farms is not accepting unsolicited third-party recruitment agencies in the hiring process for this role. If you are a potential candidate interested in a role with Vital Farms, please submit an application directly.
What We Do
Vital Farms, a Certified B Corporation, offers a range of ethically produced pasture-raised foods nationwide. Started on a single farm in Austin, Texas, in 2007, Vital Farms is the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs and butter by retail dollar sales.
Vital Farms' ethics are exemplified by its focus on the humane treatment of farm animals and sustainable farming practices. Vital Farms also prioritizes the long-term benefits of each of its stakeholders, including farmers and suppliers, customers and consumers, communities and the environment, and crew members and stockholders.
Vital Farms' pasture-raised products, including shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs, ghee and liquid whole eggs, are sold in approximately 13,000 stores nationwide
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