Description:
The Digital Category Consultant is responsible for shaping and scaling best‑in‑class digital shelf strategies that drive profitable growth across Hershey’s total snacking portfolio and priority customers. Serving as the Category Leadership authority on the digital shelf, this role partners closely with internal and external cross‑functional teams to develop, test, learn, and scale online merchandising principles across top e‑commerce platforms including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Kroger, and OnDemand retailers.
This role leads digital test‑and‑learn agendas and translates data, shopper insights, and experimentation into actionable, retailer‑specific strategies. The Digital Category Consultant owns the evolution of “perfect screen” practices across total snacking — including PDPs, taxonomy, online assortment, search, and content — ensuring Hershey’s categories win at the moment of purchase.
The ideal candidate is deeply data‑curious, forward‑thinking, and experimentation‑driven, with a passion for turning insights into scalable solutions. This role is critical to delivering 1–3 year digital shelf strategies and advancing Hershey’s leadership across the CMG Aisle, Salty Aisle, Seasonal Aisle, Transaction Zones, and Protein Category.
Role Responsibilities:
Digital Shelf Strategy & Subject Matter Expertise
- Serve as the subject matter expert on the digital shelf, defining best‑in‑class online merchandising standards and solutions that drive scalable, accelerated, and profitable growth for Hershey’s portfolio and retail partners
- Own and evolve perfect screen frameworks across total snacking, including product detail pages (PDPs), taxonomy/navigation, online assortment optimization, search, ratings & reviews, and rich content
- Develop platform‑specific strategies across Amazon, Walmart, Target, Kroger, and OnDemand retailers, recognizing unique shopper behaviors, algorithms, and execution requirements
Test & Learn Leadership
- Lead digital test‑and‑learn agendas in partnership with Category Leadership, Customer Teams, Media, and Insights, identifying high‑impact opportunities across content, assortment, search, taxonomy, and digital media
- Design, analyze, and scale evidence‑based tests focused on media effectiveness, conversion, ROI, and shopper engagement across priority categories and retail platforms
- Translate test results into clear learnings, recommendations, and scalable playbooks, accelerating speed‑to‑market and continuous improvement
Analytics, Insights & Performance Measurement
- Leverage data, insights, research, and experimentation to inform 1–3 year digital merchandising strategies
- Synthesize disparate data sources into simple, compelling narratives that drive decision‑making for both internal partners and external customers
- Establish success metrics and learning agendas that balance short‑term performance with long‑term capability building
Cross‑Functional & External Collaboration
- Partner closely with Sr. Managers of Category Leadership, Consumer/Shopper Insights, Media, and Sales to align digital strategies across the enterprise
- Serve as a key contributor to GCIC/MCIC digital merchandising solutions, presenting insights and recommendations as a trusted advisor
- Engage confidently with retailers and external partners at all levels, using data and insights to influence strategies and decisions
Desired knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- Strong knowledge of search engine optimization, digital merchandising and digital marketing
- Ability to collaborate with cross functional partners internally (including senior leaders) to leverage insights to activate and scale solutions across the enterprise
- Demonstrate strong business judgment and decision-making skills; ability to identify, prioritize, and articulate high impact initiatives
- Proven ability to translate insights into sound merchandising / marketing / promotional / product optimization recommendations (prescriptive selling)
- Experience working with Omni retailer data (Amazon Brand Analytics, Walmart Connect, Kroger 84.51, Instacart etc); and Experience working with Syndicated data (Circana, Nielsen IQ, Numerator etc)
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:
- Education –
- Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or comparable field degree;
- MBA Preferred.
- Experience –
- At least 2+ years’ experience in digital media & digital commerce