Shopper Insights Manager

Title: Shopper Insights Manager

Location: New York, New York (in office Tues-Thurs)Compensation: $130-150k + bonusContact: Lindsey Bartlett – lbartlett@smithhanley.comThis is one of those roles that is way bigger than the title suggests.I’m partnering with an iconic consumer brand that is building out its Category & Shopper Insights capability, and they’re looking for someone who wants more than a job pulling syndicated data and producing the same report every month.This person will have the opportunity to help shape how an organization uses data and insights to make decisions.You’ll sit at the intersection of category, shopper, analytics and commercial strategy, working across Sales, Marketing, Finance, Innovation and Supply Chain to answer the questions that actually matter:What’s happening?

Why is it happening? Where is the opportunity? And what should we do about it?The company has the data. They’re looking for someone who knows how to turn it into a story, a recommendation and ultimately action.

What You’ll Do

Dig into syndicated, panel and POS data to uncover what’s driving brand, category and customer performanceWork hands-on with platforms like Circana, Numerator, Scintilla/Walmart and NielsenAnalyze pricing, promotion, assortment, distribution, shopper behavior, new item performance and competitive activityTurn complicated datasets into clear, commercially relevant stories and recommendationsPartner with Sales and Marketing on customer-specific category reviews, business plans, line reviews and selling storiesIdentify white-space opportunities and provide the analytical foundation for innovation and growth decisionsBuild dashboards, scorecards and self-service tools that make insights more accessible across the organizationHelp colleagues become smarter consumers of data rather than simply answering every ad-hoc requestExperiment with AI, automation and emerging analytics tools to find smarter and faster ways to get to insightHelp build the playbook for a growing Category & Shopper Insights function rather than simply inheriting someone else’s way of doing thingsThis role is intentionally hands-on. This isn’t a position where you hand the analysis to someone else and wait for the PowerPoint. You’ll get into the data, figure out what’s really happening, develop the story and help the business decide what to do next.Who We’re Looking ForYou probably have around 5–8 years of experience across category management, shopper insights, commercial analytics, CPG insights or a similar function.More importantly, you know how to think with data, not just pull it.You’ll likely bring:Strong hands-on experience with syndicated/POS data such as Circana, Numerator, Scintilla or NielsenA strong understanding of CPG and the retail environmentExperience digging into the drivers behind performance, not simply reporting that something went up or downStrong commercial instincts and the ability to connect insights to growth, margin and business decisionsExperience with Power BI, Tableau or similar visualization toolsAdvanced Excel skillsThe ability to turn a messy analytical problem into a clear, compelling storyConfidence communicating your thinking to both analytical and non-analytical audiencesCuriosity around AI, automation and how emerging tools can make an insights function betterBonus points for experience with pricing/promotion analytics, retailer-facing work, automated reporting or mentoring junior analysts.Why This One Is InterestingYou’re not walking into a giant, mature insights machine where your piece of the puzzle has already been decided for you.You’re joining a newly formed function with the opportunity to help define how insights are used across the organization.You’ll have visibility. You’ll have autonomy. You’ll work across the business. You’ll get to experiment with new tools and AI. And you’ll actually be able to see your recommendations translate into real decisions.For someone who likes being both the analytical brain AND the person in the room explaining what it all means, this could be a really fun next move.