Manager, Category Advisory - Walmart

Your Opportunity as the Manager, Category Advisory - Walmart

As a Walmart Category Advisor for JM Smucker, you will serve as a trusted partner to Walmart’s merchant team on a dynamic advisor team, driving category growth through data-driven insights, strategic recommendations, and flawless execution. You will leverage deep expertise in category management, shopper and consumer analytics, and modular planning to deliver actionable solutions that enhance sales, market share, and customer satisfaction. You will have up to two direct reports, on a team of six.

Location: Rogers, AR (JMS Regional Walmart Office)

Work Arrangements: Hybrid - onsite a minimum of 2 days per week

In this role you will:

Category Leadership & Advisory

• Act as point person for Walmart merchants on category, shopper, and consumer trends, providing fact-based, insight-led recommendations
• Lead the modular build process, delivering optimized planograms and assortment strategies that align with Walmart’s objectives
• Conduct category reviews, SWOT analyses, and scorecard development using syndicated and POS data (Circana, Scintilla, Primary/Secondary Research)
• Assess new product introductions, market analyses, and assortment changes to drive category and brand growth

Insights & Analytics

• Integrate data from multiple sources (syndicated, panel, POS, customer insights) to uncover compelling trends and develop actionable recommendations
• Utilize tools such as Scintilla, Excel, PowerPoint, Circana, JDA, and Tableau for analysis and reporting
• Deliver accurate, insightful reporting to Walmart with expert commentary on current performance and future trends

Collaboration & Communication

• Work cross-functionally with internal teams (Sales, Marketing, Insights, R&D) to support buyer strategies and category initiatives
• Participate in account strategic planning processes and collaborate on assortment, space, and merchandising solutions
• Present findings and recommendations confidently to Walmart merchants and internal stakeholders at all levels

Continuous Improvement

• Stay abreast of industry developments and best practices in category management, proactively seeking opportunities to strengthen professional competence
• Adopt a continuous improvement mindset to elevate advisory execution and advocate for resources and technology to provide leading category capabilities

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 6+ years of Consumer-Packaged Goods experience
• 2+ years of Walmart Category Advisory experience
• Experience supervising direct reports and fostering collaboration across a team
• Experience building relationships within customers / retailers
• Experience in analysis of shopper / consumer-based CPG information
• Strong analytical skills, problem solving, and storytelling experience
• Scintilla Channel Performance and Shopper experience
• JDA ProSpace software experience
• Ability to lead and motivate direct reports
• Excellent organization and written / verbal communication skills
• Proficient in leveraging syndicated data
• Ability to develop and translate insights into actions
• Strategic mindset to help build and execute effective plans
• Ability to travel up to 15%

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role (not required):

• Master’s degree
• ShelfIQ experience

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

Stay connected with us on LinkedIn® 

We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.

Where Talent Thrives and Community Grows

We’re a community of passionate, talented professionals dedicated to creating food people and pets love—while supporting the communities in which we work and live. We value what makes each person unique, champion growth and development, and foster collaboration that fuels productivity and drives our shared success.

Learn more about our Thrive Together purpose

What Makes Us Unique

At Smucker, we're passionate about creating a workplace where you truly belong. With a culture rooted in our Basic Beliefs and a competitive Total Rewards program, we aim to support every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

Learn more about working at Smucker

How We Hire

Our culture is sustained and brought to life every day by the people of Smucker and our hiring process is designed to identify the right candidate for every position at our company.

Learn more about our hiring process

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

The J. M. Smucker Co. (the “Company”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No person will be discriminated against in hiring or in any other aspect of their employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, marital status, familial status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran/military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.