Retail/CPG Guide
Welcome to your guide to careers in Retail/CPG, with resources and connections to support your career journey. Choose what you want to learn about below:
I Want To…
Retail
Retail attracts candidates seeking to make a real-world impact and drive innovation, often by leveraging technology to transform business models.
Three popular career paths for MIT Sloan graduates in this industry include:
- Product Managers
- Marketing Managers
- Brand Managers
Operations-focused graduates may find opportunities as global sourcing or supply chain managers. Sloanies on quantitative career paths take roles as financial analysts and data analysts.
Consumer Package Goods (CPG)
CPG is a popular option for students pursuing marketing career paths, who often pursue food and beverage companies, and also find opportunities with health/wellness companies.
Graduates usually start as:
- Assistant or Associate Brand Managers
- Product Managers
- Marketing Manager
Candidates with strong quantitative and technical backgrounds may target financial analyst and data analysts positions, and a variety of roles involving digitization of supply chain and marketing.
Sample Roles
- Product Manager – Oversee the entire product lifecycle, from ideation to launch and beyond.
- Category Manager – Focus on a specific category of goods or services purchased by a company and are engaged in planning, supplier management, and performance.
- Marketing Manager – Develop and implement marketing strategies to promote products and services, driving business growth.
- Mobile Marketing Manager – Develop and execute strategies to promote products and services to consumers on their mobile devices, focusing on engagement, retention, and revenue growth through mobile channels.
- Brand Manager – Develop and maintain a brand’s identity and strategy, ensuring alignment with consumer trends and business goals.
- Global Sourcing Manager – Oversee global procurement to optimize cost, quality, and supply chain efficiency; builds and maintains relationships with international suppliers.
- Supply Chain Manager – Manage the flow of goods from suppliers to retailers, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
- Operations Manager – Oversee daily operations for retail, manufacturing, or distribution centers.
- Customer Experience Manager – Ensure customer experience drives satisfaction and loyalty.
Explore Current Industry Trends
McKinsey – Retail Insights
- Sporting Goods 2025: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity
- Eight Tech-Forward Imperatives for Consumer CTOs in 2025
- How Beauty Players Can Scale Gen AI in 2025
Podcasts: McKinsey Consumer + Retail Podcasts
Professional Events & Organizations
- National Retail Federation, January 2026
- Sustainable Fashion Forum (also has a job board)
Career Transitions
Nelly Mensah, MBA ’15
My Career Transition from Deloitte to Sephora
Nelly is currently VP of Digital Innovation at LVMH.
Retail & Consumer Goods Club
Join events and treks to learn more about the industry and prepare for recruiting.
Cultivate and practice skills to drive real change in CPG/Retail. Join the cohort to learn from world-renowned sustainability faculty and join a 650+ strong alumni network.
Action Learning:
Sustainable Business Lab (S-Lab) (15.878)
Translate sustainability challenges into future business opportunities, applying lessons learned in the classroom to host-organization projects that bring results and advance sustainability.
Retail & Consumer Goods Club
Join events and treks to learn more about the industry and prepare for recruiting.
MIT Sloan Industry Advisors
View the MIT Sloan Industry Advisors with a specialty in Retail/CPG
Explore the MIT Sloan Network
Find Retail/CPG contacts through MIT and MIT Sloan student, alumni, and company directories.
From our MBA Career Advisors
Retail/CPG: Recruiting Pathways and 5 Key Things to Know
Prepared by MBA Career Advisors for first- and second-year candidates in the 2-year MBA program.
Career Stories from Sloanies
Nelly Mensah, MBA ’15
My Career Transition from Deloitte to Sephora
Nelly is currently VP of Digital Innovation at LVMH.
MBA Hiring Trends (2022-2024)
This data is gathered from the MBA Employment Reports. Click the link to view the complete Industry Hiring Trends.
Top Locations of Accepted US Offers
Boston
NYC
Miami
Houston
Chicago
Los Angeles
San Diego
Salary Summary
| Mean Base Salary | Median Base Salary | 25th-75th Percentile | |
| 2024 | $146,500 | $153,500 | $132,750-$159,250 |
| 2023 | $146,688 | $146,250 | $137,500-$156,500 |
| 2022 | $140,100 | $141,000 | $95,200(low)-$185,000(high) |
| 3-Year Summary | $145,979 | $145,00 | $105,000-$157,500 |
MBAn Hiring Trends (2024)
Sample Job Titles
Consultant
Data Analyst
Decision Scientist
Machine Learning Scientist
Senior Data Analyst
Salary Summary
| Mean Salary | Median Salary | Range (Low-High) | |
| 2024 | $126,438 | $125,000 | $90,000-$181,500 |
| 2023 | $124,667 | $124,000 | $120,000-$130,000 |
Job Sites
Career Central (CDO)
Search jobs posted for candidates in MIT Sloan’s portfolio of programs.
MBA Exchange Job Board
Search by industry or keyword. See also:
MBA Exchange Leadership Development Programs (AB InBev, J&J, Bayer, + more)
Handshake (CAPD)
View jobs posted for all MIT students – undergraduate, masters, and PhD-level roles.
Job + Internship Sites
Job boards across MIT, including targeted industry and internship job board
Where Sloanies Have Accepted Opportunities
Retail
Best Buy | Corporate Jobs
CVS Health | Corporate Jobs | Tech/Data Jobs
Gap | Jobs
H-E-B Grocery | Corporate Jobs
Target | Corporate Jobs
Urban Outfitters | Home Office Jobs
Walmart | Corporate Jobs
WayFair | Jobs
Luxury/Beauty
Chanel | Jobs
Estée Lauder Companies | Jobs
Louis Vuitton | Jobs
Sporting Goods + Toys
Dick’s Sporting Goods | Corporate Jobs
Mattel | Jobs
New Balance | Jobs
Nike | Jobs
Patagonia | Jobs
Topgolf Callaway Brands |Jobs
YETI | Jobs
Restaurants + Meal Kits
Restaurant Brands International | Jobs
GoTo Foods (portfolio includes Cinnabon) | Jobs
HelloFresh | Jobs
Farmer’s Fridge | Jobs
Consumer Package Goods
Food/Nutrition
General Mills | Jobs
The Hershey Company | Jobs
The Kraft Heinz Company | Jobs
Mars | Jobs
Mondelez International | Jobs
Nestlé | Jobs
Ocean Spray | Jobs
Premier Nutrition | Jobs
Beverages
Anheuser-Busch InBev | Jobs
Bevi | Jobs
Ocean Spray | Jobs
PepsiCo | Jobs
Talking Rain Beverage Company | Jobs
Health
Bayer | Jobs
Johnson & Johnson | Jobs
Procter & Gamble | Jobs
Unilever | Jobs
Paper Products
Kimberly-Clark | Jobs
Professional Events & Organizations
- National Retail Federation, January 2026
- Sustainable Fashion Forum (also has a job board)
Big Interview
Practice your interviewing skills and get AI feedback to improve your score.
Top Research Resources
Top databases for company and industry research.
Consulting Industry Insights:
McKinsey – Retail Insights
Bain – Retail Insights
BCG Retail Industry Insights
EY – Retail Industry Trends
CB Insights: Consumer + Retail
MIT Library Guide: Marketing
MIT Library Guide: Supply Chain
Click to see career advisors and coaches for your academic program:
MBA/LGO/MSMS | MFin
MBAn | SFMBA | EMBA
MIT Sloan Industry Advisors
View the MIT Sloan Industry Advisors with a specialty in Retail/CPG
MIT Alumni Advisors Hub
Connect with MIT alumni who have volunteered to be your thought partner. Search by industry and the type of support you are seeking.
