Category Development Manager

Job description

Johnson and Johnson Inc., is recruiting for a Category Development Manager located in Markham, Ontario.

Johnson & Johnson Inc. is a member of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, the world's most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products, as well as a provider of related services, for the consumer, pharmaceutical, and medical devices and diagnostics markets. In Canada, Johnson & Johnson Inc. markets a broad range of prominent, innovative, and trusted consumer products focusing on skin and hair care, baby care, wound care, pain care, and oral health.

At Johnson & Johnson Inc., our purpose is to "Bring Science to the Art of Healthy Living" by providing Canadians with some of the most world's most widely used and trusted brands including; JOHNSON'S ® Baby, NEUTROGENA®, AVEENO® LISTERINE®, BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages, POLYSPORIN®, TYLENOL®, REACTINE® , BENYLIN® , NICORETTE®, NICODERM® and many more. Johnson & Johnson Inc. is based in Markham, Ontario and is also supported by a manufacturing site and R&D facility located in Guelph, Ontario. Recently, Johnson & Johnson was ranked by the Globe and Mail as one of the 10 most trusted brands in Canada, and as the #1 business partner in Health & Beauty by our retail customers in the 2015 and 2016 Advantage Survey. We are pleased to share this exciting opportunity to join our team at Johnson & Johnson.

The Category Development Manager is responsible for leading category expertise at the customer through the development and execution of customer-specific or franchise-specific category management plans. He/she will partner closely with customer teams and the customer directly to ensure the development of recommendations that build customer value and growth across assigned categories, in alignment with broader company and customer initiatives.

The primary responsibilities of this position include:

· Delivering the customer account business results by influencing the positioning and merchandising of assigned J&J brands with assigned customers.
· Driving recommendations based on analysis of category, product, and consumer or brand data.
· Leading category reviews for the customer and the company which may include New Item performance (category), Merchandising initiatives (how they are performing), and an assessment of risks/opportunities.
· Developing and applying “Best Practices” in Category Management, merchandising, pricing and promotional strategies to influence the positioning of assigned businesses at shelf.
· Partnering closely with customer teams and brand teams to provide advanced category knowledge and expertise to influence the 4 P's.
· Designing and leading the path to purchase workshops, and contribute to joint value and growth driving opportunities as part of the business planning process.
· Monitoring and tracking progress against key priorities and shelf metrics, consulting with, brand, RGM team, sales strategy and customer teams to identify and quantify top priorities for business planning.
· Identifying and leading opportunities to develop game-changing shelving, merchandising and category strategies, and ensure strong execution against these priorities.
· Leading specific projects as required on growth driving initiatives within the category development space.

Desired profile

·  A minimum of a University Degree is required, preferably in Business Administration, Marketing or related field. MBA is an asset.
·  A minimum of 2 - 4 years of prior experience working in consumer products company is required.
·  Prior experience with category management is an asset. Cross-functional and cross-industry experience is an asset.
·  Strong analytical skills and the ability to develop sophisticated reports and analyze complex data to develop conclusions.
·  Full knowledge of class of trade, assigned customer group, category, competitive products, competitive strategies and industry trends.
·  Strong business and financial acumen, with proven ability effectively leverage syndicated data resources, and financial/profitability metrics to derive recommendations.
·  Highly effective influencing skills, with proven ability to collaborate effectively across functions.
·  Proven ability to build strong relationships across levels and functions with internally and externally.
·  High intellectual curiosity on broader business and market/industry trends.
·  Successfully manage and adjust to multiple and competing priorities under tight timelines.
·  Ability to thrive in a matrixed environment where priorities change rapidly and high complexity is evident.
·  Knowledge of statistics and research methodologies is beneficial.
·  In-depth computer skills, with ability to create, manipulate, revise and modify data, documents, presentations and spreadsheets, including working knowledge of space management software.
Diversity and inclusion are central elements of the shared culture across the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. Attracting, developing and retaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of our customers and communities is essential to our success. We are committed to providing a respectful, inclusive and accessible work environment where all employees have the opportunity to achieve their potential.