Director of Category Development (Away From Home & Emerging)

Chobani’s Director of Sales Planning, Away From Home + Small Format is the strategic selling partner for the AFH and Emerging businesses, responsible for translating enterprise strategy into channel‑specific plans, customer‑ready stories, and commercial tools that drive profitable growth.

This role leads development of go‑to‑market strategy, portfolio/innovation roadmaps, and performance tracking, and equips Sales with fact‑based insights and compelling narratives to win with customers. The Director partners closely with Sales Leadership and cross‑functional teams to ensure clarity of priorities, alignment to the annual commercial plan and disciplined execution against key initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop clear, fact‑based channel/segment strategies grounded in a full 4P assessment to optimize platform performance and prioritize growth levers.
• Synthesize industry, customer, category, and competitive inputs into actionable recommendations and clear priorities.
• Build and maintain AFH (Foodservice) + Small Format portfolio, innovation, and commercialization roadmaps in partnership with Commercialization and Product Development, ensuring the roadmap ties to customer needs, channel economics, and multi‑year growth plans.
• Support business case development and internal alignment for initiatives requiring leadership visibility by providing structured narratives and analytical rigor.
• Lead development of channel‑specific go‑to‑market plans and ensure Sales has the right enablement: channel guidebooks, new item selling decks, and customized narratives/micro‑stories.
• Establish tracking routines and performance readouts that connect channel growth initiatives to results and highlight risks/opportunities early.
• Participate in key customer meetings as needed to support strategy, insights, and storyline sell‑in, enabling Sales to land the message with credibility.
• Identify and shape short‑ and long‑term customer partnership opportunities (e.g., JBPs, innovation sessions) in collaboration with Sales.
• Lead and develop a high‑performing team; build and maintain a strong culture. Establish strong ways of working, clear ownership, and a culture of accountability and collaboration.
• Support creation of materials to articulate company‑wide priorities and strategic initiatives in presentation content for internal and external stakeholders.
• Partner across Commercial functions (e.g., Category/Insights, Commercialization, Finance, Marketing) to ensure shared inputs produce cohesive, customer‑facing outputs.
• Perform additional duties as necessary.

Skills & Qualifications

• Deep understanding of Away From Home/Foodservice landscape, process, vernacular & key industry players. Ability to articulate channel‑specific priorities, constraints, and success metrics.
• Demonstrated success in growing existing accounts and expanding market penetration in Away From Home commercial and non‑commercial channels.
• Strategic thinker equipped to question and challenge the status quo.
• Strong financial acumen, with the ability to evaluate tradeoffs and implications of commercial decisions to drive profitable growth.
• Ability to translate complex datasets into a clear “so what” with actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated success in storytelling & executive communication, with the ability to craft concise, compelling narratives that influence senior stakeholders internally and externally.
• Proven ability to influence & navigate cross‑functional relationships within a fast‑paced environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 10+ years CPG experience in Food Service.
• 7+ years in a leadership role.
• Strong team leadership and management skills with a demonstrated ability to attract, develop, maintain & grow teammates.
• Prior experience managing culinary innovation and the development of culinary programs.
• Proven ability to lead effectively in ambiguous, fast‑changing environments by establishing structure, clarifying roles and decision rights, and defining scalable ways of working.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects, teams, and collaborate with multiple business partners.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Knowledgeable of both Foodservice and Retail marketplaces, channel and industry trends, competitors, and leading customer strategies.
• Willingness to travel (30–40%).

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $140,000.00 – $220,000.00, + bonus + equity + benefits. Salary determined by work location and relevant factors.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision coverage, disability insurance, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, and tuition reimbursement.
• 401(k) match of 100% on up to 5% of eligible pay.
• Fertility and childcare assistance, 12 weeks of parental leave at full pay after six months of continuous employment.
• Wellness resources such as employee assistance program, fitness discounts, wellness reimbursement, on‑site gym access (certain locations) and monthly wellness newsletter.
• Paid time off: 120 hours, 11 holidays, and paid volunteer time off.

Chobani is an equal opportunity employer. Chobani will not discriminate against any applicant for employment on any basis including, but not limited to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, military and/or veteran status, marital status, predisposing genetic characteristics and genetic information, or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws.

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