Commercial Strategy Manager

Job Purpose:

To support, and in some cases lead, the commercial go to market strategies and trade objectives for the Nutrition categories that enable delivering plan. The role involves multifunctional interaction particularly with marketing to define and design the plan and sales to implement based on fact-based data, market learnings, and measurable KPIs.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Support the process to define where to play and what it takes to win for the categories and brands. Hence setting out a clear commercial & category strategy and translating this into the tactics that the sales team need to execute (Price*, Promotion, Distribution, Display and Merchandising).

Assist in the design of the toolkit that enables the commercial team (CS&I and Account Managers) to deliver the commercial strategy & tactics. This includes preparation and delivery of concept selling stories for relevant brands/categories, setting clear commercial guidelines, and working with Account Managers to tailor your category/brand plans to their customers.

Be the category expert in relevant categories, using data and insights to shape internal strategy and deliver results externally. Develop relationships with account managers, marketing managers, data resource contacts, and other resources to create, execute, and measure a comprehensive category strategy.

Tracking of Sales fundamentals (share of shelf, share of SKU, display) for relevant categories, and development of plans to improve. Analyze in store activity to understand return on investment to improve future activity. Reporting to Business Unit Leadership team on initiative performance, highlighting opportunities and barriers to success, and recommending course correction plans. 

Lead the commercial input for relevant existing brands and NPD in the stage gate and budgeting process, providing customer, category, and shopper input into category plans

Knowledge and Experience:

A Bachelor’s degree required or an equivalent combination of education &/or experience.

Typically, a minimum of 6 years relevant experience and 2 years supervisory experience required.

Must have experience that demonstrates a track record in achieving sales targets through effective negotiation and executional excellence.

Personal drive to achieve and able to prioritize differing demands from customers internal and external.

Sound personal organization skills.

Very strong analytical skills using IRI/Nielsen and syndicated data metrics to diagnose business trends.

Capable of combining multiple data points into a clear, concise, and compelling PowerPoint sales deck.

Must be able to influence others by considered thought and argument.

Ability to use data and personal contacts to identify market trends and ensure the business is advised of same so that it is in the best competitive position.

Current awareness of legal framework and forthcoming legislation that will affect the business and ensure colleagues/subordinates are apprised of same.