Job Summary
The Taste North America Marketing team at IFF is looking for a dynamic Category Marketing Manager within the NA Taste Division. This role is pivotal in identifying and unlocking business opportunities by analyzing category dynamics, customer challenges, and market trends. The Category Marketing Manager will lead a cross-functional Category Growth Team to develop and execute a 3-year strategic plan aimed at driving sustainable growth across their respective category.
This is a high-impact role that requires strong business acumen, strategic thinking, and cross-functional leadership, as it demands the ability to influence and align diverse stakeholders across sales, technical, innovation, and communications.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Planning: Lead the development of a 3-year Category Growth Plan, leveraging market insights, customer needs, business strategies and IFF capabilities to define growth initiatives and resource requirements.
- Business Development: Identify white space opportunities, optimize customer mix strategies, and collaborate with sales to drive category growth.
- Execution & Enablement: Execute key marketing initiatives and support sales teams in deploying the category plan across North America.
- Strategic Customer Engagement: Join strategic customer meetings to explore how IFF’s capabilities can address their challenges. Develop and present compelling marketing content that positions IFF as a trusted partner.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Align internal stakeholders around category priorities and initiatives, fostering collaboration and accountability. Partner with global teams to ensure alignment on business priorities.
- Performance Tracking: Monitor progress against financial targets, pipeline development, and initiative milestones. Report on a regular basis to NA leadership and recommend corrective actions as needed.
- Market & Customer Understanding: Continuously assess market dynamics and customer needs to shape strategic priorities and guide business development efforts.
Qualifications
Essential
- Minimum 5–8 years of experience in business development, marketing or sales, preferably in the flavors industry.
- Strong strategic and analytical skills with a proven ability to translate market understanding into actionable plans.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills; able to engage stakeholders and customers effectively.
- Demonstrated leadership in cross-functional environments; ability to drive execution through influence and collaboration.
- High energy, proactive mindset, and results orientation.
- Proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel.
Desirable
- Master’s degree in Marketing, Business, or Food Science.
- Category marketing or Category Management
- Experience in building and executing strategic marketing plans.
- Familiarity with the flavor or food ingredients industry and customer marketing functions.
- Expected travel between 30-40 %
Reporting Line
Reports to the Regional Marketing Director, Taste – North America.
We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.
Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more
$126800- $158500
