Customer Development Manager, Walmart Strategy & Insights at Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. – Ontario, California

The Customer Development Manager, Walmart Strategy & Insights, serves as the primary category and analytics lead, supporting Walmart by translating data into insights that drive profitable and sustainable growth within an EDLP retail environment. This role is responsible for shaping category strategies, supporting Joint Business Planning (JBP), and driving modular, pricing, and assortment decisions through rigorous, fact-based analysis.

Acting as a trusted advisor to Walmart merchants and internal sales leadership, this individual leverages Retail Link, syndicated data, and shopper insights to identify growth opportunities, solve performance challenges, and strengthen Ajinomoto’s position as a category leader at Walmart.

Walmart Category Leadership

• Serve as the category insights lead for Walmart, supporting frozen category growth through disciplined, data-driven recommendations.
• Develop fact-based category strategies aligned to Walmart’s EDLP philosophy, focusing on everyday value, productivity, and shopper relevance.

Joint Business Planning & Strategic Support

• Support Walmart Joint Business Planning (JBP) by delivering insights that inform annual plans, scorecards, and growth initiatives.
• Partner closely with the Walmart sales team to identify opportunities across assortment, pricing, innovation, and modular execution.

Analytics & Insights Development

• Lead the development of Walmart-specific category reviews, performance analyses, and customer presentations.
• Integrate Retail Link, syndicated data (Circana), and shopper insights to identify trends, risks, and growth opportunities.
• Analyze item, modular, and store-level performance to inform assortment optimization and execution priorities.

Pricing, Assortment & Modular Support

• Provide analytics to support pricing, pack architecture, and item productivity within an EDLP framework.
• Support modular reviews by identifying optimal assortment, facings, and shelf strategies to drive category and brand performance.
• Evaluate innovation performance and whitespace opportunities to support disciplined item introductions.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain to align on Walmart strategies and execution plans.
• Identify performance gaps and root causes, recommending corrective actions grounded in data and retailer priorities.

Thought Leadership & Capability Building

• Serve as a trusted insights consultant to internal leadership and the Walmart account team.
• Share Walmart-specific learnings and best practices across the broader sales organization.
• Educate cross-functional partners on Walmart analytics, Retail Link insights, and EDLP-based decision-making.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Experience

• 5–10 years of CPG experience with demonstrated exposure to Walmart or other EDLP retailers strongly preferred.
• Background in Category Management, Sales Analytics, or Retail Strategy.

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency with Walmart Retail Link, including item-, store-, and modular-level analysis.
• Strong experience with syndicated data platforms (Circana) and shopper insights tools.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills; strong Microsoft Office proficiency.
• Familiarity with space planning and modular tools preferred.

Core Competencies

• Deep analytical capability with a strong understanding of Walmart’s operating model.
• Ability to translate complex data into concise, merchant-ready recommendations.
• Strong influencing and communication skills across sales, customers, and leadership.
• Highly collaborative, action-oriented, and results-driven.
• Strategic thinker with the discipline required for EDLP retail environments