Skills & Competencies for Category Manager

Category Manager job profile

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JOB SUMMARY for Category Manager

Develops the overall strategy for a product category and researches new product options in the category to drive sales and achieve targets.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Category Manager

Leads a team that provides category insights and proposals by analyzing marketing and customer data and monitoring relevant market conditions. Works closely with sales team to determine optimal pricing through analysis of sales trends, competitors, buying habits and planograms of products to promote sales opportunities. Provides effective promotional materials. May develop special arrangements with vendors to enhance product promotions.

Category Manager SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$122,507
TOTAL 50%
$134,378
Job Level
M03
Job Code
SM15000441
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Head of a Unit/Department

Category Manager Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Category Manager skill and competencie below to view definitions.
JOB FAMILY COMPETENCIES CORE COMPETENCIES
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14 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Category Manager

1 Job Family Competencies – Brand Management
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Strategizing and evaluating brands in terms of positioning and target customers to ensure products and services highlight the quality of the brand.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists the benefits and importance of brand management.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Tracks and reports quarterly updates regarding brand progress against annual plans.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Utilizes brand portfolio to define products and services.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Oversees all aspects of brand management to build brand equity.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Forecasts issues of brand performance to support the development of new and improved products and services.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Competitive Environment
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Ability to gather, analyze, and communicate information about the competitive business market.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists the benefits and functions of conducting competitive analyses.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Tracks consumer preferences and buying habits to help determine relevant business indicators.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Performs competitive environment reviews to identify customer needs, pricing structure, and discount rates.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Reviews the competitive environment to determine threats and opportunities.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Stays abreast with the competitive environment to generate more sales or superior margins.
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3 Category Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Category Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Category Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

11 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Category Manager

1 Core Competencies – Business Acumen
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Insight into our organization's business, goals, and values. Ability to design and implement initiatives that facilitate successful outcomes.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Names our key stakeholders from a business value chain perspective.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Supports the planning, implementation, and management of training programs that foster process improvements.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements effective marketing strategies that achieve improved business outcomes.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Trains others on various business and operation topics.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Evaluates industry and market trends to identify new business opportunities.
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2 Core Competencies – Planning and Organizing
Proficiency Level -5
Skill definition-Managing and prioritizing resources and workloads by creating well-organized plans to attain organizational goals and objectives.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists commonly used tools in workplace planning and organization.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Works with specific tools in prioritizing and allocating resources to ensure task accuracy.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Prepares schedules to plan, organize, and complete priorities promptly.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Sets short- and long-term objectives to organize team workload and improve efficiency.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Leads the development of new techniques and strategies to drive effective planning and organization.
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3 Category Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Category Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Category Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Category Manager skills and competencies

There are 0 hard skills for Category Manager.
14 general skills for Category Manager, Brand Management, Competitive Environment, Digital Marketing, etc.
11 soft skills for Category Manager, Business Acumen, Planning and Organizing, Driving Results, etc.
While the list totals 25 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Category Manager, he or she needs to be skilled in Business Acumen, be an expert in Planning and Organizing, and be skilled in Driving Results.

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