Category Analyst IIWork Mode: Onsite
Location: Onsite - Kohler, WI
OpportunityAs a Category Analyst II, you will own increasingly complex portions of category management and business execution. This role turns market, customer, financial, operational, and competitive data into recommendations that help Product Managers, Directors, and Category Leaders make better and faster decisions.
Category Analyst II associates support multiple Product Managers while serving as owners of recurring business processes and operating rhythms. You will be expected to understand the business question, diagnose the underlying drivers, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend actions that improve category performance.
This role represents a critical step in preparing for future Product Management responsibilities by building decision-making capability and business ownership within defined areas of responsibility.
What You'll Do Business Ownership and Decision Support - Own recurring business processes and analytical responsibilities for assigned portions of the category.
- Translate customer, channel, financial, and operational signals into actionable business recommendations.
- Support Product Managers and Directors by developing scenario analysis, options, and recommended actions.
- Lead assigned topics during demand planning, pricing, supply, inventory, and category performance reviews.
- Make recommendations regarding forecast assumptions, inventory actions, promotional activity, pricing opportunities, and portfolio priorities within established business guidelines.
- Track key business actions and help drive resolution of cross-functional issues.
Demand Forecasting, Supply and Inventory - Build comprehensive unit forecasts for assigned product lines and recommend business actions, projecting the first-order impact of promotions, load-ins, load-outs, and customer inventory changes.
- Turn point-of-sale, shipment, orders, and weeks-of-stock analysis into forecast recommendations and clear summaries for the team.
- Project inventory levels, anticipate supply shortages and excess, and raise flags early so the cross-functional team can address root causes.
- Apply the levers available to adjust future inventory position, supporting new product introductions, discontinuations, and service performance.
Pricing and Category Performance - Conduct pricing analysis for the category, applying price elasticity principles and projecting future elasticity impacts from historical data.
- Perform break-even analysis on the sales and margin impact of price discounts and promotional plans, and track results against plan.
- Complete dollar forecasting and sales performance analysis for the category, recommending business actions and quantifying expected impacts on sales, margin, inventory, and service performance.
- Monitor performance against key indicators and benchmarks, and assess portfolio effectiveness to identify opportunities to improve results.
Insights, Customer and Competitive Intelligence - Gather customer and consumer feedback using quantitative and qualitative methods, directly and alongside supporting teams, and distill it into actionable understanding for the category.
- Gather and analyze competitive data and trends, translating findings into recommendations for the business.
- Maintain a current database of competitive and market information, including product catalogs, price lists, promotions, and new product introductions.
- Compile reports and communicate findings and insights clearly to cross-functional partners and leadership.
Product and Commercial Partnership - Partner with Product Management to align demand, supply, customer, and financial signals with the product plan.
- Pressure-test assumptions in launch plans, discontinuations, promotions, and category initiatives.
- Collaborate with Channel Marketing to execute new product launch plans and current portfolio programming.
Skills/RequirementsRequired - Bachelor's degree required, with a preference for areas of study related to category management, product management, demand planning, supply chain analytics, finance, or commercial analytics.
- At least two years of experience with a track record of high performance in an analytical or business-facing role.
- Proficiency in Excel and comfort working with large data sets and reporting tools as well as with AI tools.
- Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Curiosity, creative thinking, accountability for outcomes, and the initiative to find solutions and work effectively with all levels of the organization.
Preferred - Working knowledge of new product development, channel marketing, manufacturing, forecasting, production planning, and category business management.
Travel - Approximately 10 to 20 percent annually, including travel to Kohler manufacturing locations, customers, and the market.
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Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.We believe in supporting you from the moment you join us, which is why Kohler offers day 1 benefits. This means you'll have access to your applicable benefit programs from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. The salary range for this position is $73,250 - $111,350. The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate's experience, their education, and the work location. In addition, this position is eligible for a performance bonus/variable incentive compensation.
