Senior Manager, Category Management & Shopper Insights

What is Saint JamesWe are so much more than an iced tea brand. We’re a passionate group of people dedicated to shaking up the beverage scene for good, delivering organic hydration as it should be! At Saint James, we’re redefining the multi-billion dollar iced tea and yerba mate categories in a healthier and more sustainable way, bringing the natural functionality of real brewed beverages to today’s consumers.What you will doThe Sr. Manager, Category Management & Shopper Insights is Saint James’ single source of truth for what is happening in the category, at the shelf, and in the basket. This role takes a fragmented data stack — SPINS syndicated and consumer panel, Numerator, Walmart Scintilla, 84.51° Stratum, and our own first-party sales and shipment data — and turns it into one holistic view of the business. You will then translate that view three ways: into retailer-specific selling stories that win category line reviews, into velocity-driving recommendations for the National Accounts team, and into consumer understanding that shapes brand, marketing, and innovation strategy.This is a hands-on individual contributor role with no direct reports and outsized influence. You will sit in front of the SVP of Sales, the National Accounts team, and senior leadership from your first month. We are hiring someone who has already done this work — who can open a SPINS extract and a Stratum export and build the story without a playbook, a template, or a ramp period.Own the entire data stack end-to-end — SPINS Syndicated (Total US MULO) and SPINS Consumer Panel, Numerator, Mintel, Walmart Scintilla, 84.51° Stratum, Satori Insights, the Flavor studies, and internal 1P shipment, depletion, and trade data — and be the person who knows precisely what each source can and cannot answer.Build one holistic view of the business by reconciling scan, panel, retailer 1P, and internal shipment data into a single monthly reporting rhythm that Sales, Marketing, and senior leadership all work from — including honestly closing known gaps such as missing club/Costco coverage, mismatched panel end-dates, and Walmart- and Kroger-only depth.Craft retailer-specific selling stories for category line reviews across Kroger, Walmart / Sam’s Club, Target, ACI, and Canada — sizing the category opportunity, quantifying incrementality and basket value, and arming each buyer with the “why Saint James” case built in their own data and framed in their own language.Own the analytics workstream behind the 2027 line reviews in partnership with National Accounts: the Numerator consumer study, SPINS category and competitive analysis, distribution and assortment gap analysis, and the complete fact base behind every submission.Drive velocity — diagnose underperforming items, stores, and markets; recommend specific assortment, pricing, promotion, and shelf-placement actions; and measure what actually happened after the recommendation was executed.Deepen our understanding of the consumer — buyer profiles, buy rate, repeat and retention, in-basket and cross-purchase behavior, demographic and lifestyle segments, switching and source-of-volume, and where our lemongrass and broader flavor portfolio wins — and translate it into marketing targeting, messaging, and innovation input.Lead category and trend intelligence through Mintel — Mintel Reports for category and macro consumer trends, Mintel GNPD for global new-product launch tracking, claims, flavor and format whitespace, and competitive innovation monitoring — and translate it into a point of view.Feed the innovation pipeline with demand-side evidence: whitespace and unmet-need identification, flavor and format opportunity sizing, source-of-volume and cannibalization expectations, concept screening support, and post-launch tracking of every new item against the case that justified it. This role informs and measures innovation; it does not own the stage-gate.Partner with the SVP of Sales on monthly Total US analysis and forecasting, ensuring account-level forecasts roll up into a single view that supports the executive monthly review.Measure trade and promotional ROI — lift, efficiency, cannibalization, and payback across retailer programs, work cross functionally with Retail Media team on Roundel and digital-shelf spend — so trade dollars are pointed at what demonstrably works.Manage the data vendor relationships and annual data budget: renewals, tier upgrades (including the pending 84.51° Bronze upgrade and SPINS MULO+ build), sprint prioritization, coverage gaps, and a clear-eyed case for what we should and should not pay for.Build the reporting infrastructure — scorecards, dashboards, a standard line review template, and a self-serve layer — so the Sales team gets answers without waiting in a request queue. What success looks like in year oneWithin 90 days: you have audited every data source, documented what each can answer, and delivered a first monthly Total US business review that Sales and leadership rely on.Within 6 months: every top-tier account has a standing scorecard, and the 2027 line review fact base is built, tested, and ready ahead of each decision window.Within 12 months: our line review win rate and distribution gains are measurably better, trade ROI is quantified rather than estimated, and the business has one agreed set of numbers instead of several.What You BringAlways acting with integrity through a “what’s right and best” mindset.Positively add to and harness the empowering culture that has already been developed.Intrinsically motivated and accountable to both professional and personal goals/responsibilities.Detail-oriented and focused on doing it right vs. getting it done.The ability to start fast. You have run this stack before — you do not need to be taught what MULO covers, why two panel end-dates matter, or how a line review deck comes together.Genuine curiosity about the consumer, and the discipline to chase a number until it is right.The confidence to say “the data cannot answer that” — and to propose what would.Storytelling ability: you can turn a pivot table into a one-page argument a buyer will act on.Extremely organized, dependable, and self-motivated.Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.Demonstrated ability to excel in a hands-on, fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.A strong work ethic, a desire to succeed, and a passion for building a brand.Your Background6+ years in category management, shopper insights, or sales analytics within CPG — beverage strongly preferred; emerging or high-growth brand experience a plus.Deep, hands-on fluency with syndicated data — SPINS required (Circana or NIQ a plus) — including MULO and MULO+, channel and market definitions, attribute hierarchies, and the real-world limits of each.Hands-on experience with consumer panel data (SPINS Consumer Panel, Numerator, or Circana): penetration, buy rate, repeat, in-basket, cross-purchase, switching, and demographic profiling.Experience with Mintel (Reports, GNPD, or Purchase Intelligence) or comparable trend and new-product tracking sources — and the judgment to separate a durable category trend from a headline.Exposure to innovation and new-product development as the insights partner: whitespace analysis, concept screening, opportunity sizing, and post-launch performance tracking.Working experience with at least one retailer 1P platform — Walmart Scintilla / Luminate, 84.51° Stratum, Target, or Amazon — and demonstrated ability to learn the rest quickly.A proven track record building category line review, JBP, and new-item selling stories that won distribution at a national retailer.Experience blending first-party internal data (shipments, depletions, trade spend) with third-party scan and panel data into a single, defensible view.Advanced Excel required — pivot tables, Power Query, complex formulas, large data sets. SQL, Power BI or Tableau, and Python are strong pluses.Strong PowerPoint storytelling — you build the deck, not just the analysis.Comfortable presenting to retail buyers, brokers, and senior leadership, and collaborating cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Operations.Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook).Additional RequirementsOccasional travel across the United States for line reviews, buyer meetings, tradeshows, and team planning sessions.Willingness to work outside of standard business hours during line review and planning cycles, based on business demands.The ability to sit, stand, walk, and type for long periods of time.Valid state driver’s license.What We OfferHealth, Dental, and Vision insurancePaid Time OffPaid Sick LeavePaid Company Holidays401(k) Planand many more perksThe salary range for this role is $140,000-$170,000 per year, depending on experience, location, and skills. Saint James is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.