Category Manager

Heartland Food Products Group is a Carmel, Indiana–based consumer packaged goods company focused on sugar reduction, better-for-you beverages, and wellness-oriented food products. The company develops, manufactures, and markets low- and no-calorie sweeteners, liquid water enhancers, coffee products, creamers, beverage concentrates, nutritional beverages, and related private-label offerings.

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Our best-known brand is Splenda®, and our portfolio also includes Java House® cold brew coffee and SlimFast®. Heartland serves retail, foodservice, e-commerce, business-to-business, contract-manufacturing, and private-label channels, with products distributed internationally across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.
In May 2026, Heartland announced a definitive agreement to acquire Whole Earth Brands’ Americas business, which includes the Equal®, Whole Earth®, Swerve®, and Chuker® brands. The acquisition expands Heartland’s sweetener and wellness portfolio across North America and Latin America.
Role OverviewThe Category Manager is responsible for driving category growth and consumer value by delivering data-driven insights, assortment, pricing, shelving, and promotional recommendations to retail partners for the full Heartland brands portfolios. This role serves as a trusted advisor to field sales and retail partners, using consumer, shopper, and market data to develop strategies that grow the total category while strengthening the Heartland portfolio.The ideal candidate combines analytical rigor with storytelling, translating insights into actionable, customer-ready recommendations.
Key ResponsibilitiesCategory & Shopper InsightsAnalyze category, brand, and SKU performance using syndicated and customer dataIdentify shopper trends, white space opportunities, and growth driversDevelop category growth hypotheses grounded in consumer and shopper behaviorMonitor competitive activity, innovation, and performance trendsAssortment StrategyLead assortment optimization and SKU rationalization recommendationsSupport new item launches with assortment and distribution strategiesEvaluate assortment productivity and shelf efficiencyPartner with Sales with line reviews and reset planningShelving & MerchandisingDevelop planograms, shelf principles, and merchandising strategiesOptimize shelf layout to improve shopper navigation and conversionBuild data-backed shelving recommendations aligned to retailer strategiesSupport execution of resets and in-store merchandising initiativesPricing & Promotion (Category Lens)Analyze price tiers, pack sizes, and competitive price gapsPartner with Revenue Growth Management (RGM) to evaluate promotion effectivenessSupport pricing and promo recommendations that drive sales and sharePartner with RGM and Sales on customer-specific strategiesCustomer & Sales SupportCreate customer-ready presentations for line reviews, JBP meetings, and business updatesAct as the category expert for assigned retailersSupport Sales with fact-based selling and opportunity sizing
Key DeliverablesCategory growth strategies and playbooksAssortment and shelving recommendationsPlanograms and shelf optimization analysesRetailer-specific category reviewsExecutive-ready insight presentations
QualificationsRequired xzbcwsv Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, Consumer Insights, or related field5–8 years of experience in Category Management, Shopper Insights, or AnalyticsStrong experience with syndicated data (NIQ, Circana, SPINS, etc.)Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skillsExperience with Power BIStrong analytical and storytelling capabilitiesProven ability to synthesize large quantities of data into simple, actionable insightsExperience supporting retail line reviews and resetsPreferredExperience working directly with major retailersFamiliarity with space planning tools (JDA, Blue Yonder, Nielsen Spaceman)Experience with shopper research and panel dataExposure to omnichannel or e-commerce category management
Competencies & AttributesShopper-first mindsetStrong commercial and retailer acumenAbility to translate data into clear recommendationsCollaborative, cross-functional partnerDetail-oriented with executive presenceStrong collaboration with Consumer Insights and IT
This role is in Carmel, Indiana and 100% in office.