Category Manager - Control States

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 role will support growth in control states, which is a critical channel for our business. This role blends strategic insight with hands-on analytics and requires someone who can translate complex data into clear, actionable recommendations for internal and external stakeholders. This role will work with Sazerac’s Sales Leadership and cross-functional teams to deliver insight-led solutions that drive business performance. They will leverage syndicated data, Control State reporting, and retail insights to identify trends, uncover opportunities, and influence decisions across Sazerac’s wide portfolio of brands, categories, and price tiers. The candidate must possess sound business judgment, excellent communication skills and demonstrate experience in the following areas: storytelling, negotiation, joint business planning and building productive relationships.

• Own category strategy and execution for all control states, translating syndicated and proprietary data into impactful insights and business recommendations.
• Partner closely with Sales Leadership to support commercial strategy, deliver customer-specific solutions, and support high-priority initiatives.
• Deliver analytical support and insights to secure listings, drive distribution, and optimize pricing/promotion strategies within Control markets.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (sales, brand marketing, finance, operations) on high-impact, cross-functional projects.
• Create compelling sell-in stories, decks, and tools customized for control state dynamics and retail opportunities.
• Proactively identify growth drivers, portfolio gaps, and white space in the market.
• Track competitive activity and consumer trends to inform agile, data-driven decision making.
• Serve as a trusted thought partner, adding value beyond data — thinking strategically, offering solutions, and helping the business stay one step ahead.
• Leverage tools such as Power BI, planogram software, and Excel to generate compelling, data-driven storytelling and visualization.
• Build strong customer relationships and drive category partnership opportunities
• Support new item/line reviews, monthly business reviews, joint business planning and top-to-tops
• Regularly generate reports and dashboards to monitor performance and quickly surface opportunities or risks.

MUST HAVE:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Economics, Data Analytics or related field
• 7+ years of experience in Category Management, Shopper Insights or Customer Strategy roles in CPG or beverage/alcohol.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities
• Respond quickly to changing business needs with minimal oversight.
• 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).
• Strong critical thinking, communication, and presentation skills.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills.
• Strategic mindset with a clear understanding of short- and long-term category growth levers.
• Results-Driven Accountability: You take ownership of your outcomes, consistently acting with integrity and staying true to your commitments.
• Proactive Self-Starter: You are highly motivated and resourceful, able to navigate and succeed in ambiguous situations with minimal guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to build indispensable, collaborative partnerships with retail customers and internal business partners, across functional teams.
• Working knowledge of retail merchandising and in store execution tactics
• Willingness to travel 10-25% of the time.
• A valid driver's license
• Ability to work remote

PREFERRED:

• Master’s degree
• Familiarity with state-specific data tools and control board systems (e.g. NABCA Diver)
• Experience with alcoholic beverages or DSD categories
• Experience working in remote environments
• Experience working in both large corporate environments and smaller, high-growth companies.
• Expertise in data visualization/data preparation tools (e.g., Tableau, Microsoft Access, PowerBI, SQL, VBA, Alteryx)
• A strategic mindset paired with a “roll up your sleeves” mentality — able to shift between big-picture thinking and tactical execution.

#LI-KG1

 #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.