The Category Advisor Manager serves as the lead objective, insight-driven partner to Walmart merchants, responsible for delivering category growth through a combination of strategic advisory and hands-on execution. This role leads category recommendations and execution across modulars, assortment, omni performance, and item content while ensuring compliance with Walmart's Category Advisor guidelines. The Advisor will be responsible for the following Walmart categories: C73 Dog Wellness, C74 Pet Training & Cleaning, C75 Pet Health & Wellness (Combo Mod), C76 Dog Flea & Tick, and C89 Pet Grooming. The Advisor translates data into action, drives measurable category outcomes, builds and executes modular drawing and submission, and develops credibility as a trusted, unbiased expert.
Key Accountabilities:Objective Category Advisor & Merchant Partnership- Serve as a neutral, category-first advisor to Walmart merchants, ensuring all recommendations are focused on total category growth, not PetIQ-specific outcomes
- Deliver insights that help Walmart anticipate and respond to customer needs, improve in-stocks, and simplify the shopping experience
- Present recommendations directly to merchants and influence category decisions through fact-based storytelling
Modular Strategy, Validation & Execution- Lead modular strategy development, including:
- Demand clustering and assortment by cluster/footage
- Space allocation and productivity optimization
- Support modular drawing, validation, and iteration, including:
- Item inputs, attribute definition, and ranking logic
- Tradeoff decisions and assortment refinement
- Proofing and exporting modulars for execution
- Deliver pre- and post-modular analysis to quantify impact
Omni Category & Item Analytics- Own development of Omni Category and Item reporting, including:
- Sales, share, trends, and gaps
- New item performance and inventory position
- Digital penetration and omni-channel performance
- Provide item-level insights to accelerate category performance, not just reporting outputs
Web Enrichment & Digital Shelf Excellence- Lead improvements in Item 360 content quality, including:
- Product titles, descriptions, imagery, and attributes
- Conduct competitor site walks and identify digital shelf gaps
- Provide actionable recommendations to improve search performance and conversion
- Ensure alignment with Walmart product style guides and content standards
Customer, Competitive & Market Insights- Deliver Omni customer insights using:
- Reviews, purchase behavior, and social signals
- Primary and secondary research
- Conduct competitive analysis across:
- Pricing, assortment, promotions, and digital positioning
- Integrate macroeconomic context and shopper sentiment into category recommendations
Category Reporting & Business Performance- Develop and deliver recurring reporting that includes:
- Category performance and key drivers
- Assortment changes and productivity
- Promotion and pricing insights
- Pre/post modular impact analysis
- Translate reporting into clear, actionable recommendations, not just dashboards
Team Leadership & Operating Model- Lead and develop the Associate Category Advisor, ensuring high-quality execution across:
- Reporting
- Modular builds
- Data preparation
- Own final recommendations and merchant-facing communication
- Ensure compliance with Walmart Category Advisor Program requirements
Minimum Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Business, Analytics, or related field
- 7-10+ years in Category Management, Shopper Insights, or related CPG roles
- Direct Walmart or Sam's Club Category Advisor experience
- Demonstrated experience with modular development and space planning
- Strong expertise with syndicated data, POS, and analytics tools
Preferred Qualifications:- Prior experience as a Walmart Category Advisor or on a dedicated Walmart team
- Experience with Walmart tools (Retail Link/Scintilla, Item 360)
- Strong omni-channel and digital shelf experience
- Experience in consumables, pet care, or health & wellness
Critical Success Factors:- Seen by Walmart as a credible, objective advisor
- Can build, defend, and refine modulars with confidence
- Translate analytics into merchant-ready actions
- Strong operator with attention to execution detail
- Balances strategic thinking with day-to-day delivery
Physical Requirements:- Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.
- Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards.
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