Trade Strategy Manager Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Kinder's is seeking a talented Sales Strategy Manager who is passionate about being part of a team of hard-working people focused on bringing the future of flavor to consumers everywhere.

Overview 

The Sales Strategy Manager will play a pivotal role in shaping and driving execution of Kinder's sales strategy, including development of merchandising, assortment, pricing, and shelving (MAPS) strategies and tactics, aligning with business and brand objectives. Reporting to the Director of Sales Strategy, this individual will operate as a highly collaborative individual contributor, partnering closely with Field Sales, Trade Finance, and Marketing teams to ensure sales plans are aligned, customer-ready, and grounded in data.

Key Responsibilities of this Role 

Sales Strategy and Planning 

• Contribute to the development and execution of customer and channel level sales strategies aligned to brand and business priorities.
• Provide customer/sales perspective to the Brand and Innovation teams in support of the development and implementation of product pipeline.
• Support development and execution of go-to-market strategies for new products, ensuring successful product launch and market penetration.
• Support account planning to identify opportunities, incorporate category and competitive insights, and integrate brand strategies at the customer level.
• Advocate internally for customer and channel specific items and programs.

Pricing & Promotional Trade Strategy 

• Lead the development of pricing, promotional, and trade strategies, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and market dynamics
• Assist in developing Grocery account level trade targets by product group, in collaboration with Sales Planning and the Director of Sales Strategy
• Drive the execution of GTM trade strategy to ensure promotional plans and spending are in line with budget and account level trade targets

Category Launch Specialist 

• Develop compelling selling stories leveraging brand/shopper plans and syndicated data to support the Sales team in driving distribution and optimizing in store presence.
• Clearly communicate our strategic business objectives, SKU priorities, merchandising guidance, and off shelf merch vehicles to our Sales and Broker teams, while holding them accountable via quarterly reviews and KPI tracking.
• Support execution tracking, reporting, and quarterly business reviews.

Cross Functional Partnership 

• Partner with Field Sales and Sales Ops to drive execution of key Go-To-Market strategies at the channel and account level.
• Collaborate with Trade Finance and Field Sales to optimize promotional activity and trade spend at the channel and customer level.
• Report progress through clear communication and KPI dashboards.

Qualifications and Experience 

Position-Specific Skills Required 

• Ability to excel in a highly cross-functional and collaborative environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate insights into action.
• Deep understanding of internal selling within a CPG environment, including MAPS, revenue growth management, category insights, shopper marketing and promotional plans.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously; can adapt to a quickly changing market environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to tell a clear story through data
• Experience with syndicated data (IRI/Nielsen/Spins) or retailer-specific data tools.

Education / Experience 

• Bachelor's Degree required
• 4-6 years of experience in Sales Strategy, Trade Marketing, or Sales Planning, preferably within CPG.
• Frozen category experience a plus
• Track record in agile, creative thinking and ability to work with internal cross-functional partners and external customers to translate into business results.
• Experience working in and/or supporting Grocery and Natural channel(s) is a plus.
• Proven strategic thinker excited by a dynamic and high-growth organization.
• Data-driven decision maker with experience developing / communicating business cases and customer-facing selling materials.
• Experience developing sales plans / forecasts including projected trade spend impacts.

Personal Characteristics 

• Business builder who owns and drives results.
• Growth mindset with an excitement to learn (and teach).
• Thrive in a dynamic, lean, and agile environment.
• Self-starter who takes initiative and speaks their mind.
• Excited to be part of a fast-moving team with the ability to be a leader and a follower.
• Enjoy making decisions and finding ways to say 'yes' as often as possible to impactful and important priorities.

Things About the Way We Work 

• No two days here are the same. 

• We try to be good team members and good communicators, but we don't live by hierarchy and structure - everyone is a difference maker here. 

• We make a lot of decisions in the face of incomplete information - our team embraces ambiguity and tries to make good decisions fast rather than great decisions slow. 

• We believe our job is to take smart risk, not to eliminate risk. 

• We believe in growing our skills and becoming a better company with more managerial expertise, but we are an entrepreneurial company at heart. 
• We aren't trying to be average - we want to do exceptional things and we are willing to work hard to achieve them. 

 

Pay Transparency

The expected starting salary range for this role is $113,000- $133,000 per year. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range based on the location of the role. The amount a particular employee will earn within the salary range will be based on factors such as relevant education, qualifications, performance and business needs.