Category Manager - Regional Grocery

Build your career at Sazerac! With almost 400 years of rich history, Sazerac Company has thrived as an independent, American family-owned company with operations in the United States and around the world. Since the 2000s, Sazerac has averaged double digit growth every year! Sazerac Company produces and markets the most award-winning bourbons and whiskeys in the world, including Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, Traveller, and Sazerac Rye. Additionally, Sazerac owns many popular brands across a range of spirits, including Fireball, Svedka, Wheatley, BuzzBallz, Southern Comfort, Seagram’s V.O., Myers’s, Goldschläger, Parrot Bay, 99 Brand, and Platinum Vodka.

We’re proud of our award-winning culture and distilleries. Our Louisville office has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” four times, and our Buffalo Trace Distillery has earned the title of “world’s most award-winning distillery” through the dedication of our craftsmen for well over 200 years. Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional, Sazerac provides extraordinary opportunities for growth with competitive salaries and benefits in an exciting, entrepreneurial industry.

Why Sazerac? 

• Innovative and Forward-Thinking: Join a company that values innovation and excellence and is driving the future of the beverage industry.
• Rich Tradition: Join a team with a strong heritage of craftsmanship and quality, creating memorable experiences for our customers.
• Collaborative Environment: Work in an inclusive, collaborative atmosphere where your ideas and expertise are valued.
• Career Growth: Benefit from continuous learning opportunities and career development programs to advance your career.

This Category Manager - Regional Grocery role will deliver best-in-class insights, analytics, and category strategies that drive growth for both Sazerac brands and supported retailer partners. The ideal candidate is an experienced CPG professional with a strong analytical toolkit, exceptional communication skills, and a strategic mindset. This individual will serve as a strategic partner to internal sales teams and external retail buyers—translating complex data into clear, actionable recommendations that improve business outcomes. They will work cross-functionally to align on priorities, lead category initiatives, and enhance retailer relationships through proactive, insight-driven support

• Deliver fully integrated consumer, category, and market insights to inform regional grocery channel partners’ strategic decisions and in-store execution.
• Analyze and synthesize data from syndicated sources (e.g., Nielsen, IRI), panel data (e.g., Numerator), and retailer-specific systems to identify growth opportunities and category performance drivers.
• Partner with the internal sales team to develop and present actionable recommendations that align with both company objectives and retailer strategies.
• Leverage tools such as Power BI, planogram software, and Excel to generate compelling, data-driven storytelling and visualization.
• Regularly generate reports and dashboards to monitor performance and quickly surface opportunities or risks.
• Provide custom analysis and special project support for internal leadership and customer teams.
• Conduct in-market visits to assess plan execution, shelf conditions, and identify incremental volume/profit opportunities.
• Lead and document scalable processes and best practices to support team efficiency and future onboarding.
• Stay current with industry trends, shopper behavior, and competitor activity to elevate insights and support proactive planning.

MUST HAVE:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Economics, or related field
• 7+ years of experience in Category Management, Shopper Insights, Trade Marketing, or Customer Strategy roles in CPG or beverage/alcohol.
• Experience supporting major national retailers, ideally including large format customers.
• Proven success analyzing retail and shopper data to deliver customer-facing recommendations that drive business results.
• Expertise in syndicated data (Nielsen, IRI), panel data (Numerator, Nielsen), and retailer-specific platforms.
• Advanced proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint, and data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau).
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.
• Strong critical thinking, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strategic mindset with a clear understanding of short- and long-term category growth levers.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills.
• A valid driver's license
• Ability to work remote

PREFERRED:

• Expertise in data visualization/data preparation tools (e.g., Tableau, Microsoft Access, PowerBI, SQL, VBA, Alteryx)
• Experience with alcoholic beverages or DSD categories

 #LI-KG1

A career at Sazerac offers you the opportunity to reach your full potential as part of a creative, decisive, high-performance team. Sazerac values the needs and wants of our team members and offers inclusive benefits to attract and retain the best talent. Our culture is built upon the values of hard work, diligence and personal responsibility.

Sazerac Team Members enjoy:

• Competitive Pay
• Comprehensive Benefits from Day One including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• Family Coverage: Options to cover family members, including domestic partners.
• 401(k) Plan: Immediate access to a matching 401(k) plan.
• Flexible Time Away: Enjoy paid time off (PTO), holidays, and parental leave.
• Mental Health and Wellness: Access to mental health care and wellness incentive programs.
• Educational Support: Benefit from tuition reimbursement and our scholarship program for dependents of Sazerac team members.
• Fun Extras: Enjoy branded apparel, fun events, and a team member bottle purchase program.
• Training and Development: Opportunities for professional growth and development.

Benefits, salary range, and programs may vary by role or location. For roles within our commercial team - the Salary range refers to base salary only and does not include car allowance, annual bonus, fuel or cell phone reimbursement. Please ask your Talent Acquisition Partner for more information about our total rewards package. Sazerac is committed to equality of opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability or any other legally protected status.