Category Manager

About Us

At Zevia, we’re creating a world of better-for-you flavor—better for people and the planet. Our team is made up of courageous challengers and tenacious builders who are passionate about our mission. We’re solutions-oriented, always improving, and we operate with a healthy thirst for risk. We believe in staying true to our convictions while continuously learning and evolving.

At our core, we are people-centric. We care deeply, lead with empathy, and operate as one team—no egos, just a shared purpose. We strive to reflect the diversity of our consumer base within our organization and foster a culture of empathy and humility.

Together, we aim to impact global health, provide affordable better-for-you products, and protect the planet by reducing plastic.

We’re fighting the good fight to change the beverage industry for the better — and we’re just getting started.

Summary 

The Category Manager will report to the Sr. Director of Business Insights & Category Leadership and will be responsible for leading category insights, analytics, and storytelling efforts that support Zevia’s commercial strategy.

This role will partner closely with Sales to influence retailer decisions and improve performance across key accounts. The Category Manager will be responsible for integrating multiple data sources—including syndicated, shopper, retailer POS, and internal data—to develop insights that drive distribution, improve shelf placement, and accelerate growth.

The ideal candidate is highly analytical, commercially minded, and an effective communicator who can translate complex data into clear, actionable narratives. They will play a key role in positioning Zevia as a trusted category expert and strategic partner with retailers.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Analytics & Insight Discovery

• Analyze and integrate data from Syndicated sources (SPINS, Circana, Nielsen), Shopper panel data (Numerator) and Retailer POS platforms (Walmart Retail Link, Costco CRX) to Identify key business drivers and drainers across distribution, pricing, promotion, assortment, and merchandising
• Deliver clear insights on category trends, competitive dynamics, and shopper behavior
• Lead business driver and drainer analysis to discover new growth opportunities
• Utilize Zevia’s Next Gen AI-powered Insights platform to accelerate insight discovery and uncover non-obvious opportunities
• Translate data into concise, actionable insights to support selling priorities

Sales Partnership & Retailer Storytelling

• Serve as the primary insights partner to Sales, supporting Key Account Managers across top retailers
• Develop fact-based selling stories for: Line Reviews, Joint Business Plans (JBPs), New item sell-in
• Create and deliver customer-specific category insights presentations alongside Sales teams
• Influence retailer decisions through insight-led recommendations on assortment, placement, and shelf recommendations
• Ensure insights directly support commercial outcomes, including distribution gains, improved shelf quality, and increased velocity

Category Strategy & Shelf Impact

• Support category reviews and provide ongoing insights on macro trends, channel performance, and competitive activity
• Translate insights into recommendations that improve: Shelf placement and visibility, Sku velocity, Promo effectiveness
• Position Zevia as a trusted category expert and partner with retail customers

Required Competencies and Skills/Abilities:

• Ability to build relationships throughout many cross-functional teams, gather information across internal networks, and understand stakeholder needs in a proactive way
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and navigate through competing demands.
• Proven analytical skills across multiple data platforms and an aptitude for translating multiple sources of information into impactful presentations.
• Proven ability to present to any audience across multiple levels, internally and externally, with information that influences action on opportunities.
• Entrepreneurial and curious spirit that finds new areas across the organization where insights can influence and improve strategy and decision-making efforts.
• Direct experience with strong understanding of syndicated scan data, internal sales data, retailer portals, shopper panel data, and third-party industry trend data. 
• Experience with Consumer/Shopper panel data like Numerator or IRI/Nielsen Homescan.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office PowerPoint and Excel, comfortable with Power BI or other data visualization software/tools.
• Ability to work independently.

Required Education and Experience

• At least 3-5 years of Category Management experience in the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry with additional benefit from beverage and/or natural product experience.
• 4-Year degree preferred and/or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position is not a direct supervisor

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to (10 pounds). Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

Full time, exempt

Travel

Per business need, up to 25%

Work Authorization/Security Clearance

Must be eligible to work in the U.S.

EEO Statement

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified job candidates and employees. To that end, Zevia maintains a workplace free of discrimination and harassment on the basis of an individual’s race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), gender (including gender identity, gender expression, change of sex, and transgender status), sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health decisions, height, weight, age, any physical or mental disability (including gender dysphoria or similar gender-related conditions), medical condition, national origin, ancestry, marital status (including registered domestic partnership, civil union, or any other partnership status), familial status, caregiver status, military or veteran status (including unfavorable discharge from military status), genetic information, genetic testing, predisposing genetic characteristics, caregiver status, order of protection status, work authorization status, citizenship status, immigration status, conviction record or history, arrest record, pre-employment marijuana testing, credit history, salary history, Civil Air Patrol status, status as a victim of domestic violence, assault, or stalking, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal law (each, a “Protected Characteristic”).

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

What We Offer

• A collaborative environment, where everyone contributes and delivers
• A place where you can grow, develop and learn
• Competitive compensation that includes a base salary, discretionary bonus and stock options. See below for range.
• A comprehensive benefits package which includes:
  • An array of medical plans
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Group Life Insurance
  • Short-term disability + Long-term disability
  • Flexible Spending Accounts: Medical, Dependent and Limited Use
  • Health Savings Account
  • Accident Insurance
  • Critical Illness Insurance
  • Hospital Indemnity Insurance
  • Legal Insurance
  • Travel Assistance
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Pet Insurance
  • 401k Plan (Traditional and Roth)
  • Vacation, Personal/Sick Days, and Holidays
  • Professional development contributions
  • And of course, all the Zevia you can drink!