Category Leader Pet Retail - Pet Specialty

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. We’re driven by our vision of ‘Food and Companionship Enriching Life’ and our approach to sustainability – the Elanco Healthy Purpose™ – to advance the health of animals, people, the planet and our enterprise.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Business Unit Overview:

The Pet Retail team is part of the US Pet Health organization, focused on driving the success of Elanco’s pet health portfolio across retail channels including Pet Specialty, E-Commerce, FDM/Mass, and other key retailers. Following the integration of Bayer Animal Health’s consumer brands, Elanco offers a comprehensive suite of pet care solutions across flea & tick, supplements, grooming, and more.

To meet the growing needs of this channel, the team is expanding its capabilities with dedicated resources to drive both strategic planning and commercial execution across our priority retail partners.

Your Role: Category Leader – Pet Specialty

The Category Leader – Pet Specialty is responsible for leading category strategy, business analytics, and insight development across key Pet Specialty retailers, including PetSmart, Pet Supplies Plus, and other specialty partners. This individual will serve as a strategic thought partner to the Pet Specialty Sales and Customer Marketing teams and will play a key role in advancing customer relationships through data-driven category storytelling.

This role is responsible for developing and delivering regular business reviews, identifying whitespace opportunities, and supporting promotional and assortment planning efforts. The Category Leader will be externally facing and engage directly with retail partners alongside Elanco’s Key Account Managers (KAMs), while also collaborating closely with internal cross-functional teams including Sales, Marketing, RGM, and Insights.

Your Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary category lead for Elanco’s Pet Specialty accounts, delivering clear, insight-based recommendations to drive mutual growth.

• Analyze data from retailer POS systems, Elanco shipment/sales data, and syndicated sources (e.g., Nielsen, IRI, Yipit, Stackline) to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.

• Own the creation and delivery of customer-ready presentations, dashboards, and reporting tools that inform strategic decision-making and support Joint Business Planning (JBP).

• Support assortment and merchandising strategies, promotional planning, and new item launch performance tracking.

• Lead or contribute to monthly and quarterly business reviews with retail partners in partnership with Sales.

• Collaborate with internal cross-functional teams to ensure category strategies are aligned with broader brand, channel, and financial goals.

• Proactively identify category opportunities to position Elanco as a trusted advisor to Pet Specialty retailers.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field (MBA preferred)

• Minimum 2 years of experience in Category Management, Business Analytics, Shopper Insights, or related discipline

• Legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):

• Experience working with syndicated data platforms (e.g., Nielsen, IRI, Yipit, Stackline)

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail

• Excellent communication skills and ability to translate data into compelling stories

• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and influence both internal and external stakeholders

• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) preferred

• Experience working with or supporting Pet Specialty, Pet Retail, or other customer-facing roles preferred

Additional Information:

• Travel: 20%

• Location: Global Elanco Headquarters - Greenfield, IN - Hybrid Work Environment

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco Benefits and Perks:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:

• Multiple relocation packages

• Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)

• 8-week parental leave

• 9 Employee Resource Groups

• Annual bonus offering

• Flexible work arrangements

• Up to 6% 401K matching

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status