Market Strategy Analyst

Blue Buffalo (BLUE), is one of the strongest and most recognized pet food brands in America, and the undisputed leader in Wholesome Natural pet food, the fastest-growing segment of the market. At over four times the size of the next largest brand in this segment, BLUE has become the new mainstream brand that’s delivering products that pet parents are looking for and connecting with them in a true, authentic way.

BLUE thinks of dogs and cats as family members and believes their food should be natural and healthy. In fact, this was the motivation for the Bishop Family’s decision to create the Blue Buffalo Company. When the beloved Bishop family dog, Blue, faced a variety of health issues, Bill and his two sons, Billy and Chris, set out to create a pet food that was made with only the highest quality natural ingredients—the kind of things a family member deserves. Fifteen years later BLUE has, in many ways, accomplished what the Bishops set out to do—help our dogs and cats live happy, healthy lives.

BLUE has a broad portfolio of natural pet foods, enabling pet parents to satisfy their pet’s specific dietary, lifestyle, and life-stage needs, offering them no-compromise product solutions.

OVERVIEW
Blue Buffalo Canada is seeking a Market Strategy Analyst who thrives in a fast-paced environment, is solution oriented, is efficient at data entry with a high level of detail and possesses the experience necessary to deliver insight driven recommendations. The MSA will provide pricing analytics support setting price strategy, tracking execution, and optimize market and trade strategy over time.

**KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES**:
INFLUENTIAL LEADERSHIP
- Provide support and guidance in pricing analytics for BLUE and competitive set to drive go forward recommendations
- Perform trade analytics and insights to optimize investment/ROI and provide recommendations to the Canadian sales team including frequency, depth, and instore conditions
- Influence BLUE’s sales and marketing merch plans while tracking competitive merch plans and impact
- Partner with sales and marketing in contribution to channel product assortment, distribution improvement planning, and developing a go to market strategy

EXECUTIONAL EXCELLENCE
- Partner directly with customer sales teams and work cross-functionally with marketing, demand planning, supply chain, legal, etc. to drive alignment
- Create, leverage, & maintain tools to address business problems and deliver business efficiencies - including but not limited to active customer SKU and pricing/spec lists and bi-weekly business reports
- Monitor customer, competitive and industry trends to ensure BLUE’s strategies and tactics remain relevant and competitive
- Assist with sales tactics to drive the ecommerce channel

PROBLEM SOLVING & ANALYTICS
- Gather and analyze syndicated data (e.g., from Nielsen, consumers, and/or customers) to identify SRM, and forecasting opportunities
- Integrate customer data and knowledge of Blue Buffalo’s trade strategy to make promotional recommendations and advance BLUE’s trade strategies
- Analyze and summarize key business learnings and sales trends back to the BLUE business

ENGAGING LEADER
- Model Engaging Leader behaviors to foster an inclusive environment, embrace a learning mindset and demonstrate personal accountability

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Pet enthusiast
- Bachelor’s Degree
- 1+ years of analytics-related experience.
- High-level learning agility and ability to adapt quickly to changing demands and needs of the business.
- Strong customer expertise, communication, business development and results orientation skills
- Efficient at data entry with a high level of detail
- Strong analytical skills and experience aggregating internal and external data sources (e.g., Nielsen, IRI, CPM, sales data) and ability to make recommendations for solutions based on information gathered and analyzed
- Proficient in software packages (Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint)

PREFERRED QUALFICATIONS
- Ability to thrive in a fast pace growing business environment
- Ability to work in a virtual team setting and display excellent communication skills and interpersonal qualities
- Possess the talent to interface directly and effectively with all levels within the organization