Category Manager

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Icelandic Provisions is an early-stage growth company that provides essential nutrition rooted in the Nordic Food Philosophy. The flagship product, dairy Skyr, is the only authentic Icelandic Skyr brand in the United States that uses heirloom Skyr cultures and the original recipe that is beloved across Iceland.

The Nordic way of life is not only deeply rooted in the quality of the Icelandic Provisions’ products but runs deep in the organizational culture through the WÁOO (pronounced WOW!) values. When we are attracting talent to join our growing organization, a natural question we ask is whether the candidate brings the “wáoo” factor? We describe is as: Welcoming, Ámbitious, Optimistic, and On with the butter!

With a strong consumer and business base to build on, we are looking for product-obsessed, passionate individuals who are energized about rapid growth and achievement and want to be a part of the happy, healthy cultural movement that we are leading. We believe in putting best-in-class products in the market and take pride in what we are building, “making everything count” along the way.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Category Manager reports to the Senior Director, Sales Strategy and is responsible for providing analytical support for multiple categories. The Category Manager’s mission is to deliver objective, fact-based category insights that will help our customers win while supporting the deliverable of tactical results for Icelandic Provisions. The role requires strong collaboration and analytical skills as well as the ability to adapt and thrive in a high-growth, fast-paced environment.

KEY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Leverage multiple data sources to prepare best-in-class reports and presentations for both internal teams and external customers, summarize key learnings and provide actionable recommendations
• Present analyses to customers for Category and Line reviews
• Work with Sales Team to drive sales and profitable opportunities
• Collaborate with other departments to provide insights on Project initiatives (Marketing, Innovation, Finance and Operations)
• Leverage data and insights to analyze performance and understand trends to drive assortment and increase distribution
• Identifying customer opportunities through gap analysis
• Utilize an understanding of market dynamics, consumer trends, and shopper behaviors to deliver category insights
• Foster a culture of data-driven decision making while educating the organization on data capabilities and tools

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field
• Five plus years of CPG experience (analytical, sales, research, category management or marketing experience)
• Experience providing industry, consumer, and customer trends to develop strategies and action plans
• Strong presentation skills internally and in front of customers
• Proactive mindset to identify insights and opportunities
• Demonstrate strong understanding and experience with Syndicated and Panel Data (SPINS Satori/Nielsen/8451)
• Ability to access, assess, interpret, and draw accurate conclusions from sales, customer, and shopper data
• Ability to successfully work cross-functionally and manage third party vendors
• Ability to travel 10 to 20%

ORGANIZATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

The ideal candidate for any role within Icelandic Provisions needs to align to the values by exemplifying WÁOO (pronounced WOW!) in the way that they lead. We will naturally be assessing for the “wáoo” factor (i.e., did they “wáoo” you and will they “wáoo” others?) Here’s how we describe it: Welcoming, Ámbitious, Optimistic, On with the butter!

WELCOMING - Food is one of the greatest connectors we have as humans. In the English language the word “companion,” in Spanish the word “companero,” in Italian the word “compagno,” and in French the word “copain” all come from the Latin meaning “with whom one eats bread.” We love this because we are a provisions company, and we value and embrace how food brings us together. So, it’s only natural that we look for talent that is hospitable and welcoming, treating and accepting others in a way that is consistent with the culture at IP.

AMBITIOUS - We have big dreams. We are eager, brave, passionate and love to punch above our weight. We compete in one of the most competitive categories in the consumer-packaged goods retail landscape and we are a small and mighty team. We are seeking individuals who are smart, entrepreneurial, and energized by charging toward a common goal to join our team.

OPTIMISTIC - We are a glass half full company. Iceland is regarded as one of the happiest countries on earth despite being dark for much of the year.We are looking for individuals who are focused on the upside, shy away from negativity, and know how to persevere no matter what the circumstances are.

ON WITH THE BUTTER! - Put simply we do not like to dilly-dally. We connect dots, move, and then move on. There is an Icelandic phrase that is used to encourage people to get on with it called “áfram með smjörið” which literally translates as “get on with the butter.”We are seeking individuals who know how to make informed decisions and then quickly action them.

YOU’RE AN IDEAL CANDIDATE IF...

• You think working in a fast paced, ever changing, entrepreneurial environment is exciting
• You believe there is always a better way. You ask lots of questions, actively seek the opinions of others and love working collaboratively
• You are a “Swiss Army Knife” of talents and are comfortable with the often fluid, changing environment of a startup and want to make a positive and lasting impact
• The unknown, the ill-defined or the uncharted motivates you
• You are looking for a work environment without a lot of hierarchy, you like empowerment and have a “roll up your sleeves” mentality
• You have strong analytical skills balanced with a great sense of logic and pragmatism when it comes to problem solving
• You are self-aware, you pay attention to organizational dynamics, and you are comfortable pacing how you influence and drive organizational change
• You are both a doer and an optimist

WHAT ICELANDIC PROVISIONS OFFER:

• Salary Range: $90,000 - $130,000, commensurate with education, skills and experience
• Competitive benefits package including health, dental, vision insurance and 401k matching
• Flexible paid time off allowing to manage your time as it works for you
• Flexibility to work remotely or in our New York City offices
• Exciting work environment in a small team and a great deal of autonomy
• Delicious Skyr available (for free) in the office