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# VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management – CPG Giant – Cincinnati, OH


 
VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management – Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Are you a strategic leader with a deep understanding of trade marketing and category management within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) space? A global CPG powerhouse based in Cincinnati, OH is seeking a Vice President of Trade Marketing & Category Management to accelerate growth, optimize category performance, and strengthen retailer relationships. In this high-impact leadership role, you will shape trade strategies, influence retail execution, and ensure that brands are positioned for maximum visibility and profitability. If you are passionate about data-driven decision making and transforming consumer insights into actionable market strategies, this opportunity is designed for you.
Drive Trade Excellence & Category Growth for a Leading CPG Brand
Join a world-class CPG organization as the strategic driver of trade marketing and category growth initiatives. The VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management will play a critical role in aligning brand strategies with retailer needs, leading promotional planning, overseeing category insights, and improving shelf presence to generate revenue and market share. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in CPG retail channels, exceptional analytical skills, and a proven ability to build cross-functional partnerships across sales, marketing, and supply chain. If you thrive in a results-oriented, collaborative environment and are ready to elevate category performance on a national scale, this is your chance to make a transformative impact.
Key Responsibilities of the VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management – Consumer Packaged Goods
Trade Strategy Leadership:
Develop and execute trade marketing strategies that drive retail activation, improve in-store visibility, and maximize ROI. Ensure alignment between brand priorities and customer strategies across key retail channels.
Category Management Excellence:
Leverage consumer insights, market data, and retailer analytics to enhance category performance and optimize product placement. Lead category planning, assortment strategy, merchandising solutions, and shelf optimization to drive incremental sales.
Revenue Growth & Market Share Expansion:
Identify growth opportunities across retail partners by analyzing market trends and shopper behaviors. Develop promotional plans, pricing strategies, and trade programs that increase market share and boost profitability.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure seamless execution of trade initiatives. Communicate strategic priorities and provide insights that influence product launches, brand investments, and channel strategies.
Retailer & Key Customer Engagement:
Serve as the primary liaison with major retail partners, building strong relationships to influence category decisions and joint business planning. Present insights and recommendations that position the company as a preferred category advisor.
Data-Driven Decision Making:
Utilize syndicated data sources (IRI, Nielsen, etc.) and shopper analytics to measure performance, evaluate promotional effectiveness, and refine trade strategies. Translate complex data into actionable insights for internal and external stakeholders.
Team Leadership & Development:
Lead and mentor a high-performing trade marketing and category management team. Cultivate a culture of ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement while developing future leaders within the organization.
Budget & Financial Oversight:
Manage trade spending, promotional budgets, and investments with strong financial discipline. Ensure optimal allocation of resources to deliver maximum return while maintaining cost efficiency.
Process & Operational Optimization:
Enhance trade execution processes, streamline reporting structures, and improve workflow efficiency across teams. Implement tools and best practices to elevate speed-to-market and retail execution excellence.
Brand & Shopper Engagement:
Partner with brand marketing to translate brand positioning into compelling shopper-focused programs. Ensure that every trade initiative reinforces brand equity and enhances the consumer experience at point of sale.
What the Client Is Looking for in You
As the VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management, the client is seeking a strategic, data-driven leader with the ability to transform category insights into revenue-generating strategies. You should be a forward-thinking, results-focused executive who understands how to maximize brand presence, influence category decisions with retailers, and elevate trade marketing effectiveness across multiple channels.
Extensive Experience in CPG Trade & Category Leadership
The ideal VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management brings deep experience within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, coupled with a proven track record of driving category growth, improving shelf placement, and enhancing retail activation. Experience working with national retailers, syndicated data platforms (IRI, Nielsen), and joint business planning is strongly preferred.
Strategic Thinker with Strong Commercial Acumen
The client wants a leader who can design and execute strategic trade programs that support brand priorities while improving profitability and market share. You must excel at converting consumer insights and shopper analytics into actionable strategies that deliver measurable business results.
Analytical & Data-Driven Decision Maker
You should have a strong analytical mindset, with the ability to evaluate data from multiple sources and translate it into meaningful recommendations. Expertise in pricing, promotional planning, assortment optimization, and merchandising will be critical to success in this role.
Collaborative Leadership & Influencing Skills
The role requires a leader who excels at cross-functional collaboration. You will work closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure seamless execution of trade programs. The client values candidates with the ability to influence internal teams and external retail partners to achieve shared goals.
Retail & Customer Partnership Excellence
You should be adept at building strong relationships with major retail partners. The ideal candidate understands retailer dynamics, category expectations, and how to position the organization as the preferred advisor and category thought leader.
Team Builder & Talent Developer
The VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management must be a strong people leader capable of coaching high-performance teams. You should foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and operational excellence while developing talent for future leadership roles.
Commitment to Executional Excellence & Continuous Improvement
The client seeks a leader who sets high standards for flawless execution and constantly looks for ways to improve processes, tools, and systems. A mindset focused on continuous learning, scalability, and performance enhancement is essential.
FAQs About the Role – VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management – Consumer Packaged Goods
1. What are the key responsibilities of the VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management?
As the VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management, you will lead trade strategy development, category growth initiatives, and promotional planning across major retail partners. Your role includes driving assortment optimization, enhancing in-store brand visibility, and leveraging consumer and retailer insights to boost revenue and market share. You will collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure seamless execution of trade marketing programs and category strategies.
2. What qualifications and experience are required for this position?
The ideal candidate should have extensive experience within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, specifically in trade marketing, category management, or shopper marketing. Expertise in syndicated data tools (IRI, Nielsen) and retail analytics is essential. The client is seeking someone with strong strategic planning skills, proven success in driving category growth, and experience working directly with key retail partners. A degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field is required—an MBA is preferred.
3. What leadership qualities are essential for success in this role?
The client is looking for a proactive and collaborative leader who excels in cross-functional influence and team development. As the VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management, you should be analytical, strategic, and able to translate data-driven insights into business decisions. Strong communication skills, the ability to motivate teams, and a commercial mindset focused on results and execution are critical.
4. What challenges can I expect in this role?
You may encounter challenges such as fluctuating category trends, competitive retail pricing dynamics, shifting consumer behaviors, and retailer-specific execution complexities. The role requires agility, adaptability, and a strong understanding of category dynamics to create strategies that consistently outperform competitors and complement brand objectives.
5. How does this role influence the company’s growth and profitability?
Your insights and strategies will directly impact velocity, market penetration, and trade ROI. As the VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management, your ability to improve shelf placement, optimize assortment, and design promotions that drive conversion at retail will significantly affect revenue, brand visibility, and category dominance.
6. What is the company’s culture and working environment like?
The organization fosters a collaborative, fast-paced, and results-oriented culture. Innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement are highly valued. In this role, you will be empowered to influence decision-making, lead cross-functional alignment, and drive impactful business outcomes.
What Remuneration Can You Expect from This Job?
As the VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management for a leading Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) organization in Cincinnati, OH, you can expect a highly competitive compensation package tailored to attract top-tier executive talent with proven expertise in trade and category leadership. The remuneration for this role typically includes:
1. Base Salary
The base salary for a VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management in the CPG industry varies depending on company size and experience level. For a Fortune-level or large CPG corporation, the annual base salary typically ranges from $200,000 to $300,000, with potential for higher compensation based on expertise, track record, and channel complexity.
2. Performance-Based Bonuses
In addition to the base salary, this role offers annual performance bonuses tied to success metrics such as category growth, trade ROI, retail execution, and market share expansion. Bonus opportunities generally range from 25% to 60% of the base salary, depending on company and individual performance.
3. Long-Term Incentive Plans & Equity
To reward long-term impact and strategic contribution, many CPG giants provide equity-based incentives—such as Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), performance shares, or stock options. This ensures alignment with company success and creates significant upside potential for long-term value creation.
4. Profit-Sharing & Strategic Incentive Programs
In some organizations, senior leaders participate in profit-sharing or long-term incentive programs. These rewards are typically linked to multi-year performance benchmarks and encourage sustained contributions to category growth and trade strategy execution.
5. Executive Benefits & Perks
The compensation package often includes comprehensive executive benefits, which may include:

Full healthcare coverage (medical, dental, vision)
401(k) with company match or enhanced executive retirement plans
Travel and expense allowances
Executive wellness and leadership development programs
Paid relocation support (if required)

6. Signing Bonus & Relocation Assistance
Depending on candidate fit and relocation requirements, companies may offer a signing bonus or relocation package. Signing bonuses can range from $25,000 to $150,000+, depending on the industry demand and candidate seniority.
Total Compensation Potential
When combining base salary, bonuses, and long-term incentives, total compensation for a VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management can range from $275,000 to $600,000+ annually. In large, publicly traded CPG organizations, packages may exceed this range due to equity and long-term incentive earnings.
How to Apply
If you are a data-driven, strategic leader with proven success in trade marketing, category management, and retail channel strategy within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, we invite you to apply for the VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management position. This is a high-impact opportunity to shape trade strategy, lead category growth initiatives, and influence decisions at major retail partners while driving measurable business results.
To apply, please submit your resume along with a concise cover letter highlighting your experience in trade and category management, retailer collaboration, promotional planning, shopper insights, and cross-functional leadership. Be sure to emphasize specific achievements such as category growth metrics, ROI improvements on trade spend, or successful retail activation programs that demonstrate your ability to drive revenue and market share.
This role offers the chance to make a significant strategic impact at a CPG industry leader—shaping category direction, enhancing brand visibility, and driving profitable growth. Apply today to take the next step in your executive career as the VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management based in Cincinnati, OH.
For more information or to explore similar opportunities, visit our CPG Executive Search page.
Tags:
VP of Trade Marketing & Category Management | Trade Strategy Leadership | Category Growth | Shopper Insights | Retail Activation | CPG Executive Jobs | Consumer Packaged Goods Leadership