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Job Number #173767 - Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Who We Are
Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!
Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.
 

Sr. Director, Kroger Customer Development

The Experience:

As the Senior Director of Customer Development (Sales team), you will be the strategic architect of our partnership with Kroger, one of Colgate-Palmolive’s most critical retail partnerships. You will lead our Cincinnati-based team to drive sustainable growth, optimize category performance, and deepen our relationship with Kroger’s merchant leadership. You will be responsible for the total P&L across our iconic brands within the Kroger ecosystem. This role requires a visionary leader who understands the nuances of Kroger’s go to market strategies, division / banner operations, Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) retail media solution, 8451 competence along with having an Omnichannel mindset to drive success on Kroger.com.  Our ideal candidate is an experienced and versatile business leader who has a proven track record of high performance, thinks big, and operates at depth. In addition, this leader has experience managing diverse teams in a highly dynamic business environment. 

• Joint Value Creation: Lead the development and execution of a multi-year profitable growth plan that aligns Colgate-Palmolive's corporate goals with Kroger’s strategic priorities and value proposition.

• Executive Presence: Serve as the primary face of Colgate-Palmolive to Kroger’s leadership, deepening relationships, fostering trust and high-level advocacy.

• Category Influence: Position our brands as a category thought leader by leveraging data-driven insights to influence Kroger’s assortment and shelf strategies.

• Office Leadership: Oversee the Kroger team’s field office, fostering high-performance culture that attracts and retains top-tier CPG talent.

• Cross-Functional Synergy: Lead a multi-disciplinary team across Sales, Category Management, Supply Chain, and Finance to ensure seamless execution.

• Mentorship: Coach and develop Account Managers and National Account Executives for future leadership roles.

• P&L Ownership: Manage the full Kroger P&L, including gross/net sales, trade spend, and profitability.

• Omnichannel Integration: Collaborate with digital teams to ensure "best-in-class" presence on Kroger.com and maximize ROI on KPM media investments.

• Forecast Accuracy: Partner with Demand Planning to ensure high in-stock levels, particularly during peak seasonal windows and promotional periods.

Responsibilities

• Able to lead and influence across multiple levels of the organization and effectively lead, collaborate, communicate and influence in a matrix environment. You take the lead by influencing the agenda through collaboration, negotiation and thought leadership. 

• Find creative opportunities to grow and improve the business across the board. Your ability to adapt and adjust the strategy, willingness to take risks, and incorporate findings into the strategy quickly is the main way you can succeed.  Leveraging insights, you are comfortable challenging the status quo.

• Proven ability to analyze relevant data, insights and information to identify opportunities and develop strategic plans to drive a commercial agenda.

• Grasp of the big picture and can clearly identify areas of opportunity

• Collaborate with key cross functional partners to identify opportunities for growth and build selling stories. 

• Proven experience leading and collaborating within cross-discipline teams, networking and building strong relationships with Insights and Analytics, Marketing, Supply Chain, Research & Development, and Sales.

• Strong oral and written communication skills; ability to effectively and efficiently educate and influence internal and external stakeholders at all levels

• Seeking opportunities to improve via creative solutions. You dig into the reason behind the numbers, are able to look at the results and find out the reasons for what is driving those results and guide the team accordingly. 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree

• 12+ years of proven CPG sales experience, with  specific working knowledge around managing Kroger and their overall go-to-market strategies. 

• Experience working and leading in a variety of retail environments, managing P&Ls and navigating global, matrixed organizations.

• Exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills, with a successful track record of building and leading high-performing sales teams.

• Familiarity with the in-market retail community and Kroger’s internal "way of working."

• Proven track record of navigating complex negotiations and securing "win-win" outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft Office or Google Suite proficiency (i.e, Sheets, Slides, Docs)  

• MBA

• Ability to travel as needed (25%)

Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $200,000.00 - $250,000.00 USD
Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.
Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements. Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive a minimum of 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on the employee's hire date within the calendar year). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws. Detailed information regarding paid sick leave entitlements will be provided to employees upon hiring and may be subject to adjustments based on changes in legislation or company policies.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives  to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.
Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.
For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.
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