Sr. Manager, Category Strategy - North America Go-To-Market Team

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Position Title: Sr. Manager, Category Strategy - North America Go-To-Market Team

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time ​

Position Location: Oakbrook Terrace

Requisition ID: 37772

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The Sr. Manager, Category Strategy is a leader within McCain’s North America Go to Market organization, entrusted with defining, driving, and executing the strategic vision for assigned categories to achieve aggressive, market-leading growth. Serving as the principal category authority and partner to both external customers and internal stakeholders, this position leads and influences category strategies, shaping business plans and outcomes that ensure McCain remains the supplier of choice and delivers disproportionate value and growth. This Sr. Manager brings together high-level strategic thinking, incisive commercial acumen, and strong leadership capabilities, operating with both a top-down vision and a willingness to engage deeply in operational detail where required.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished senior commercial leader, with a demonstrable history of delivering transformative category and commercial strategies in global, fast-paced environments. This individual brings a proven ability to convert strategic vision into actionable execution, informed by best-in-class commercial acumen, superior data literacy, and an innovative, entrepreneurial mindset. They are adept at orchestrating complex, cross-functional initiatives, seamlessly linking vision with results.

This Sr. Manager is known for fostering high-impact partnerships at all levels—senior management, cross-functional teams, and customers—earning trust through influence, credibility, and a collaborative leadership style. Strong communication and relationship-building skills underpin their ability to inspire, motivate, and mobilize diverse stakeholders toward shared goals.

What You'll Be Doing...

• Provide strategic leadership and authoritative category insight in shaping the company’s annual operating plan and business unit (BU) strategies (e.g., Potato, Appetizer), ensuring category opportunity is maximized at every level.
• Lead cross-functional teams—including Channel Managers, Marketing Managers and Customer Teams—to develop and embed category-specific initiatives within customer joint business plans and growth strategies.
• Architect and oversee the execution of comprehensive, category-specific deployment plans, aligned with McCain’s long-term commercial objectives and designed to strengthen customer engagement and category stewardship.
• Set the vision and goals for key commercial levers such as product listings, assortment, distribution, pricing, and promotions; influence and support customers to realize mutual category growth.
• Partner with culinary, sales analytics, and product development teams to establish differentiated McCain solutions that drive customer loyalty and unlock new sources of value.
• Deliver robust commercial insight and actionable analysis to enable executive decision-making and operating rhythm; ensure data-driven, value-added input is leveraged in all growth strategies.
• Lead the reporting, analysis, and continuous improvement efforts focused on category performance, ensuring that insights are shared effectively with customer and channel and cross-functional partners.
• Support the end-to-end execution and governance of category strategies—aligning category plans with annual and long-term corporate growth objectives and driving operationalization through strong matrix leadership.

Strategic Vision & Execution

• Synthesizes diverse inputs to create and implement category strategies that drive significant market advantage and align with overall business objectives.
• Applies rigorous data analysis and creative problem-solving to identify and realize new growth opportunities.
• Demonstrates a pace-setting leadership style—driving commitments from strategy through execution while maintaining flexibility amidst evolving priorities.

Results Orientation

• Models integrity, transparency, and a relentless drive for results; sets high standards for accountability.
• Collaborates across boundaries, cultivating a culture of shared success and ownership.
• Excels in dynamic, ambiguous situations, adapting strategy as needed and influencing outcomes in complex environments.

What You'll Bring...

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum 10 years commercial experience in senior category, sales, or strategy roles, ideally within the food industry or similar fast-moving consumer goods sector.
• Proven success in leading large-scale category or commercial initiatives in a global, matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated ability to shape and execute strategies—using data, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration to influence outcomes at the highest levels.
• Strong people leadership, change management, and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent commercial, analytical, and planning capabilities; adept at forecasting, P&L management, and market analysis.
• Commitment to McCain’s values-driven, performance-oriented culture; leads by example and drives ongoing organizational excellence.

Compensation Package : $97,500.00-$130,000.00 USD annually + bonus eligibility

The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education/training, and other organizational needs.

Benefits : At McCain, we’re on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and wellbeing at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person’s needs are unique and ensure our benefits & wellbeing programs reflect that. Employees are eligible for the following benefits: health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug), retirement savings benefits, and leave support including medical, family and bereavement. Wellbeing programs include vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources. Coverages are aligned to country, provincial and state governing plans and can vary by work level, location and nature of the role. Additional benefit details available during the application process.

Your well-being matters to us, and we’re here to provide you with the necessary resources to support you in being your best self at work — and at home.