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A part of Colgate-Palmolive since 1976, Hill's Pet Nutrition offers the highest-quality pet nutrition available through product lines Prescription Diet® and Science Diet®. Veterinarians worldwide recommend and feed their own pets Hill's products more than any other brand of pet food.

Available in approximately 80 countries around the world, our extensive line of products includes more than 60 Prescription Diet brand pet foods and more than 50 Science Diet brand pet foods.

We believe all animals should be loved and cared for during their lifetimes. That is why we are proud our pet foods can make a difference in your pet's life.

A career at Hill’s Pet Nutrition or Colgate-Palmolive is an excellent opportunity if you seek a global experience, constant challenge, and development opportunities in an environment that respects work/life effectiveness.

Job Title:  Director, Retail Category Development

Travel Required?:  Travel - 25% of time
Date:  Apr 28, 2025
Hybrid

Relocation Assistance Offered Within Country
Job Number #166803 - Overland Park, Kansas, United States

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.
 

 

Transforming Lives: Driven by Our Passion for Pets

 

At Hill’s, we are driven by a clear purpose. Every day, we make a positive impact on millions of pet families worldwide through pioneering innovation, exceptional nutrition, and a team of the most dedicated professionals. Established over 75 years ago with an unwavering commitment to pet nutrition, Hill’s mission is to enrich and lengthen the special bond between people and their pets. Hill’s® Prescription Diet® therapeutic pet foods and Hill’s® Science Diet® products are sold globally. Hill’s is a division of Colgate-Palmolive—a leading global consumer products company focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, and Pet Nutrition with a presence in over 200 countries.

 

Director of Retail Category Development

 

The Director of Retail Category Development will be responsible for enhancing Hill’s strategic category management capabilities, thereby elevating our thought leadership position with customers. This role encompasses comprehensive oversight of all assortment-related go-to-market deliverables, including the development of platinum plan-o-grams, defining assortment priorities, assessing SKU health, and developing unique 6P strategies for each retail environment. Leading a team of four, the Director will bring our organizational and brand priorities to life across the veterinary, pet specialty, and pure play online retail environments.

 

Furthermore, this role will closely coordinate with various departments including Insights and Analytics, Retail Marketing, Brand Marketing, Digital, and Customer Development to ensure cohesive and effective strategies.


 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

%

Task

40%

Category & Brand Strategies

  • Lead SKU Health and Portfolio Alignment: Oversee and manage the SKU health and portfolio alignment processes across all retail environments. Proactively monitor SKU performance and incrementality to ensure the efficient management of brand portfolios. Guide the prioritization of new item launches and shelf management, informed by category insights and opportunities.

  • Develop Assortment Strategies: Formulate and implement strategies to achieve optimal assortment breadth and depth across Retail Environments. Collaborate with key strategic customers to shape overall category strategy and provide tailored recommendations to drive accelerated category growth and Hill’s product consumption.

  • Identify and Capitalize on Growth Opportunities: Identify and leverage category growth opportunities by sharing best practices and competitive insights within retail environments. Position Hill’s as a distinctive and differentiated partner for retailers. Ensure compliance with and execution of the 6P (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, and Performance) strategy.

  • Establish Distribution Targets: Set distribution targets for the customer development organization for all new item launches. Identify and address distribution gaps and optimize share of shelf opportunities to enhance product visibility and accessibility.

  • Leverage partnerships and digital capabilities to development data-driven category growth strategies

 

 

 

30%

Retail Environment Strategies:

  • Develop Unique 6P Strategies: Steer the development of tailored 6P strategies for each retail environment. Serve as the category expert in co-creating strategic business plans, leveraging insights to advance the goals and objectives of the Hill's organization.

  • Drive Category Strategy Development and Commercialization: Spearhead the formulation and commercialization of category strategies. Identify growth opportunities and potential risks for both category and brand. Contribute valuable insights to customer category reviews, informed by deep knowledge of the category and competitive landscape, to enhance growth potential through optimized merchandising, assortment, and shelving practices.

  • Implement Category Vision with Retail Partners: Lead the execution of the category vision through direct and indirect interactions and presentations with select retail partners. Identify unique partnership opportunities and establish Hill’s as a category expert and thought leader within the Pet Nutrition industry.

 

30%

Leadership:

  • Professional Development & Leadership: Oversee the professional development of four Retail Category Development (RCD) managers, providing coaching, guidance, and leadership support. Communicate key responsibilities and practices to ensure the integration and consistency of category messages across the extended RCD team.

  • Design clear commercial career pathways to compliment the Retail Category Development team’s professional development plans. 

  • Center of Excellence Leadership: Lead the Retail Category Development Center of Excellence, disseminating best practices and providing RCD training. Enhance the organization’s Category Development competencies and elevate analytic capabilities across the organization.

  • Resource Management: Ensure appropriate focus and prioritization of resources to meet RCD needs effectively.

  • Strategic Capability Development: Drive the transformation of Hill’s retail category development team by evolving Retail Category Management into a strategic capability and a competitive advantage for Hill’s.

  • Elevate RCD leadership and connectivity: embed RCD processes and tools throughout Hill’s commercial processes (Brand Growth Plans, Revenue Growth Management, 6P & RE Strategies, Category Vision Workshops). 

 

100

Total Percent (not to exceed 100%)

This is not an exhaustive list of duties or functions.




 

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's Degree
  • 10+ years of successful experience as a category manager/director
  • Expertise in syndicated data sources (SPINS, NIQ, Circana, Numerator, Nielsen) and retailer-specific data platforms (Luminate, 84.51).
  • Proficiency in Excel, Google Sheets, and data visualization tools.
  • Ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable business recommendations.
  • Strong storytelling and presentation skills to influence both internal and external stakeholders.
  • Ability to build relationships and collaborate cross-functionally across multiple teams.
  • Strategic thinker with a passion for consumer insights, retail trends, and category growth.
  • Proven track record of delivering impactful insights that influence business outcomes.
  • Experience managing cross-functional teams and large-scale projects.
  • Strong problem-solving abilities with a strategic mindset.
  • Ability to manage a team and multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Deeply passionate about Pet Nutrition, and inspired by what we represent. Has the desire and hunger to make an impact.
  • Enthusiastic and comfortable working in an early stage department and solid company. Ability to think rapidly in a growing and changing environment.
  • Works well with ambiguity and asks the right questions to get at the solution.
  • Strong planning, organization and project management skills, along with excellent interpersonal, written/oral communication and presentation skills. 

 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • MBA in marketing or related field 
  • Power user in Domo, SAP or Nielsen systems / tools
  • Ability to relocate for future opportunities
  • Proficient in Google Suite. Experience with team collaboration tools such as Slack and Zoom preferred.


Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $185,000.00 - $200,000.00 USD

Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.

Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements. Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive a minimum of 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on the employee's hire date within the calendar year). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws. Detailed information regarding paid sick leave entitlements will be provided to employees upon hiring and may be subject to adjustments based on changes in legislation or company policies.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our purpose starts with our people — ensuring our workforce represents the people and communities we serve —and creating an environment where our people feel they belong; where we can be our authentic selves, feel treated with respect and have the support of leadership to impact the business in a meaningful way.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.

For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.

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Nearest Major Market: Olathe
Nearest Secondary Market: Kansas City
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