Category Marketing Manager

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE: MKC) is a global leader in flavor and one of the most respected and familiar names in the industry. In business for more than 125 years, McCormick manufactures, markets and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry—retail outlets, food manufacturers and food service businesses.

McCormick Custom Flavor is hiring a Category Marketing Manager to help us further accelerate the impact of our brand marketing programs and ensure that our capabilities are continuously positioned to win with our customers. The Product Manager position will develop, manage & execute brand-building strategies to ensure McCormick Custom Flavor products & technologies are consistently aligned to key customer, market and consumer trends. Additionally, this position will collaborate cross-functionally with our Sales & Technical teams to inform & support customer-specific initiatives and objectives.

• Manages and coordinates strategic marketing activities for assigned portfolios of McCormick Custom Flavor business (e.g. seasonings, compound & reaction flavors, condiments, coatings) or assigned applications (e.g. beverage, bakery) or customers/customer segments to achieve company goals.
• Contributes to the definition and execution of US Industrial Group strategy and annual plans as well as priorities to maximize sales, profitability and ROI.
• Manages custom flavor solutions portfolio (e.g. seasonings, coatings) or customer segments to drive the development of new products and highlight gaps in our execution (product, competition, customer needs).
• Possesses and translates vital market knowledge of the flavor space as well as assigned applications and customer brands, strategies and categories and translates internal (e.g. towards Product Development and Sales) and external (e.g. towards customers) priorities, concepts and communication to help identify and implement growth initiatives and manages trend forecasting.
• Works closely with Sales, Insights & Content Management (Marketing), Product Development and external partners (customers, agencies) and is responsible for achieving US Industrial Group Custom Flavors sales targets.

Required Qualifications:

• 3 years of experience in marketing, market research or flavor industry role
• 2 years of experience in food ingredient/seasoning industry
• 2 years of experience working directly with customers
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Marketing, Food Science or Technology, Consumer Sciences, Nutrition, or related discipline
• Experience in market research/market intelligence gathering and translation into insight
• Experience in project management and advanced knowledge of presentation software and analytics tools/databases (IRI, Euromonitor, Mintel) as well as Microsoft Office (Excel, Access, Powerpoint), Syndicated Data Experience (IRI, AC Nielsen, Spectra).
• Research database experience
• Full understanding of food industry across CPG manufacturers, retailers and food service operations. Full understanding of consumer trends impacting this space.
• Full understanding of technical food ingredient/flavor environment.
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters in related field or MBA
• Experience working with Salesforce.com