Customer Strategy Manager - Northern NJ
Sr. Mgr., Customer Strategy
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Senior Sales Strategy Manager is responsible for driving achievement of forecast, budget and OGSM for the assigned business while instituting strategic business plans that integrate, align and achieve business and customer goals. This position will lead the commercialization business planning process by influencing go-to-market strategies that drive profitable growth, product launches, and coordinate the efforts of commercialization planning to drive business success. This position serves as a liaison between sales and marketing as well as other cross functional partners by providing voice of customer. This person also needs to be effective in influencing marketing and brand strategies all while being a source of retailer and competitive insights for their partners and customers. Special projects are an integral part of this role and the ideal person should be comfortable operating in a dynamic, fast past environment.
Responsibilities include:
Business Planning
- Leads business planning process by developing analytics & insights to support marketing strategy, preparing timelines & communication of the process, and conducting collaborative planning cycles with customer teams.
- Communicates & coordinates key strategies, insights, and initiatives between field and internal teams as well as gains alignment across a matrix environment to support goal achievement.
- Develops and manages promotional programs, such as special packs & in-store displays, to support customer sales, while monitoring performance to track and report results.
- Partners with internal team members to develop and execute the revenue growth management strategies in order to drive topline and bottom line growth.
Analytics
- Leads cross-functional team members in development, evaluation, & implementation of the 4Ps by evaluating trends, developing insights, & translates findings to drive business performance improvement both internally & externally.
- Influences business processes and requirements related to pricing, trade promotions, category management, & inventory management including cross-functional collaboration with marketing, supply chain, trade, and finance on forecasting to sales input across responsible brands.
- Develops and ensure the execution of all trade related expenses to improve P&L performance, including tracking & influencing to ensure trade funding is maximized within allocated investment.
- Creates & influences assortment & merchandising recommendations.
QUALIFICATIONS
Requirements and Skills
- 7+ years prior experience in consumer package goods required.
- Experience in direct customer sales required.
- Prior experience in business analytics and/or customer marketing required.
- Must have at least one prior manager-level role
- Ability to work effectively within a fast-paced, complex matrix, changing environment.
- Ability to influence decision-makers up and down two or more levels, with and without direct authority, to ensure a fully-aligned customer/company business plan.
- Demonstrate effective communication and negotiation skills. Strong presentation skills and ability to tailor skills and presentation style to a variety of key decision makers.
- Ability to devise and deliver persuasive presentations, based on data-driven insights and facts, to gain support for business strategies and/or initiatives.
- Ability to develop and oversee the execution of project plans and to implement, execute and draw conclusions from a variety of customer, shopper and category studies.
- Ability and passion to coach and develop reporting staff members.
- Ability to manage funds and resources to deliver the greatest outcome for the company.
- Ability to identify and assess risk and prioritize competing demands.
- Knowledge of computer technology, analytical software programs, MS Office Suite and database management, including development of queries and assessment of data to draw accurate conclusions.
- P&L management and strong financial acumen
- There will be 25% or more travel time required
- A BS or BA degree is required