Job Description
POSITION: Category Manager
REPORTS TO: Senior Category Manager
JOB SUMMARY
The Category Manager plays a key role in supporting Premium Guard’s growth with large North American automotive aftermarket retailers by delivering insight-driven category strategies, compelling customer narratives, and data-backed recommendations. This role partners closely with Sales, Product Management, and the Senior Category Manager to translate complex automotive aftermarket data—including POS performance, vehicle-in-operation (VIO) trends, application coverage, and market insights—into actionable strategies that drive category growth. The Category Manager helps position Premium Guard as a trusted category partner by developing insights that support assortment optimization, product innovation, and fact-based selling with major retail customers.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
Category Strategy & Insights
- Develop customer-specific category strategies that support growth initiatives and business planning.
- Analyze POS data, VIO trends, vehicle parc data, and market insights to identify whitespace opportunities and emerging trends.
- Deliver insight support across the 4Ps (Product, Placement, Promotion, and Pricing) to enable data-driven selling and merchandising strategies.
- Leverage vehicle age trends, application coverage, and aftermarket demand signals to inform assortment and product development recommendations.
Customer-Facing Insights & Storytelling
- Build clear, compelling category narratives and selling stories tailored for large aftermarket retail partners.
- Support Sales with category insights, presentations, and strategic materials for buyer meetings and business planning discussions.
- Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights that strengthen retailer partnerships.
Reporting & Analytics
- Maintain dashboards and performance reporting that track category and assortment performance.
- Analyze competitive assortments, promotional activity, and category share movement.
- Convert complex datasets into concise insights and executive-ready summaries to support internal and customer decision-making.
Assortment Optimization
- Conduct SKU productivity and assortment performance analysis to optimize product mix and improve category productivity.
- Identify rationalization opportunities, assortment gaps, and category whitespace.
- Support line reviews and assortment discussions through data analysis and insight development.
- Assist with new product introductions aligned with vehicle trends and category demand.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Product Management to align customer insights with product roadmap and innovation planning.
- Collaborate with Catalog & Content teams to ensure accurate fitment data, product attributes, and digital assets.
Coordinate with Sales and Supply Chain to support new item launches and assortment transitions.
QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Analytics, or a related field.
- 4–7 years of experience in category management, analytics, sales strategy, or business insights within retail, CPG, or the automotive aftermarket.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex datasets into actionable business insights.
- Experience working with POS data, assortment analytics, pricing analysis, or promotional performance.
- Proficiency with Microsoft business tools including Excel, PowerPoint, and Power BI.
- Ability to develop customer-facing presentations and data-driven selling stories.
- Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Product Management, Supply Chain, and Marketing teams.
Preferred
- Experience working with automotive aftermarket data sources such as VIO databases, catalog/fitment platforms, or syndicated retail data.
- Familiarity with automotive aftermarket catalog standards such as ACES and PIES.
- Experience supporting retail line reviews or assortment planning.
- Experience with data visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau.
- Understanding of automotive aftermarket dynamics including DIY and DIFM customer segments.
Employment is contingent upon proof of eligibility to work in the United States. At this time, the company is unable to provide visa sponsorship (including H-1B, H-1B1, or other employment-based visas).