CUSTOMER BUSINESS MANAGER

Hartz Mountain Corporation is a trusted name in pet care, dedicated to creating innovative products that strengthen the bond between pets and their owners. They are seeking a Customer Business Manager to oversee the strategic management of key grocery accounts, particularly Kroger, while leveraging data analytics to drive sales growth and optimize trade spend ROI.

Responsibilities:

• Achieve sales targets for overall territory, customer and category within approved trade spend budget through negotiations with the buyer on sales and product placement
• Develop, monitor, and continually revise assigned accounts’ annual business plans
• Analyze point of sale and other sales data; communicate trends, insights, and risks via performance reports to Hartz internal teams, and to accounts’ category/replenishment teams. Use data to update and adjust the customer business plan
• Identify opportunities for all category and line reviews on an ongoing basis, building a selling story to secure new business as well as increase existing distribution across all categories
• Ensure that retail margins and promotions fall within the published brand strategy for all items and categories, including proper shelf position
• Forecast customer events as required
• Build exceptionally strong relationships with key account stakeholders and brokers through consistent communication and meetings
• Collaborate closely with internal Brand and Customer Planning teams and external broker partners to pinpoint significant opportunities within these Major grocery accounts. Develop and implement strategies and programs aimed at generating profitable and incremental sales
• Understand and convey account strategies and goals to the internal Hartz team
• Attend/participate in industry and customer events, trade/trade show events, and company sales/marketing meetings
• Effectively manage the administrative responsibilities, including price change forms, deductions, and selling and planning schedules

Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in a Business-related discipline with 2+ years of direct sales experience (or 5+ years direct sales experience in lieu of degree), calling on national grocery headquarter accounts with a history of setting and delivering a growth agenda
• Experience with category management, fact-based selling techniques (point of sale and syndicated data analysis), and the ability to create, develop, and present this information compellingly from scratch
• Proven negotiation skills, demonstrated ability to finalize business, and expand current account list
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite programs
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed (25%)
• Kroger experience preferred and pet care industry a plus
• Proficient in the use of Kroger systems and all included vendor apps and reports to create and track metrics expected by customer scorecards is preferred