Key Account Manager I

Key Account Manager I

As a Key Account Manager, you will play a pivotal role in overseeing and optimizing the strategic aspects of our sales process. Your primary responsibilities will include building and nurturing client and customer relationships, drawing on your customer expertise to deliver valuable insights and recommendations tailored to their specific needs. You will take ownership of the annual planning processes, collaborating closely with clients to set goals and objectives that align with both their business objectives and industry trends.

In this role, you will actively identify new business opportunities by staying abreast of market trends, leveraging data-driven insights, and fostering a deep understanding of client needs. You will advocate for and secure favorable plans on behalf of our clients, ensuring mutually beneficial agreements with our customers. Furthermore, your role will involve close interaction with our customers, where you'll establish and maintain deep relationships to influence product, placement, promotion, and pricing to drive successful outcomes for our clients.

Take this opportunity to join North America's leading business solutions provider and build your career working with amazing people in a growing industry! Apply today!

What we offer:

Full-Time Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life)
• 401(k) with company match
• Training and Career Development
• Generous Paid Time-Off

Responsibilities:

• Strategize, develop, and execute effective sales programs to achieve revenue and market share objectives
• Own client(s) P&L and achieve aligned financial targets for company/client income vs. expense budget goals
• Pursue new strategic growth opportunities at clients by collaborating with the Client Team Leads
• Share market insights for strategic decision making with clients, based on thorough market research, competitor analysis, and trend identification
• Lead strategic negotiations on behalf of clients to maximize profitability and maintain positive relationships
• Coordinate sales presentations by demonstrating effective sales strategy implementation and accomplishments
• Establish and align on challenging sales targets that are achievable and in line with overall client business/strategic objectives
• Adjust sales strategy and make informed decisions based on data-driven insights by monitoring and analyzing performance metrics
• Meet and/or exceed the client's goals for sales, distribution, pricing, shelving, and promotional volume by co-working with all related departments for the assigned set of customers
• Manage and maximize client marketing/promotional funds to achieve sales goals by optimizing within financial guidelines
• Secure client-approved brands' schematics by coordinating and communicating with schematic, reset, and retail departments
• Push volume-producing merchandising at assigned customers to achieve incremental growth
• Ensure incremental sales through the distribution of new products and the maintenance of existing SKUs in coordination with Customer Specialists
• Establish strategic contacts at key retailer positions by implementing successful customer headquarters calls
• Drive in-store strategic execution by plans (e.g., promo plans, price edits, etc.) in coordination with Customer Specialists
• Generate and share regular, insightful strategic reports on sales activities, performance against targets, and market trends to the market leadership team
• Communicate insights and align the broader market team to ensure resources and support for the specific client and/or customer initiatives' success
• Increase strategic coordination within the team by facilitating communication, opportunities, challenges, and workflow among members representing the same clients and/or selling to the same customers

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in sales, grocery, and CPG
• Strong sales presentation, interpersonal, and development skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle a fast-paced work environment
• Track record of building and maintaining customer/client relationships
• Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and web browsers
• Working knowledge of syndicated data and driving insights
• Proven track record in sales

Job Will Remain Open Until Filled

The Company is one of North America's leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management, and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics, and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

o Drive our clients' business at assigned customer. Increase distribution, grow sales dollars/units/share/other KPI's, while staying within budget guidelines
o Responsible for ensuring retail/merchandising execution and basic eCommerce execution

o Achieves targeted income and expense budgets by implementing promotional and marketing strategies
o Analyzes trends and results to identify growth opportunities and makes recommendations to clients and customers
o Monitors and drives growth through efficient management of promotional spending within guidelines on assigned clients
o Meets budgetary goals by maintaining strict control and accounting of accrual and bill-back funds for assigned clients
o Meets expectation for managing period ending fund balance performance with no overspends vs. trade budget.o Meets or exceeds Client's goals for sales, distribution, share, pricing, shelving, and promotional volume
o Launches strategies to pursue new opportunities
Implements retailer headquarter calls and penetrate key positions at the retailer to:
o Achieve sales goals by managing and maximizing manufacturer marketing and promotional funds while staying within financial guidelines
o Ensure that all retail pricing and indirect order guides within the division is updated by regularly correcting discrepancies
o Secure Client approved schematics for all Clients' brands by providing direction and communication to our schematic, reset, and retail departments
o Ensure incremental sales through distribution of new products and maintenance of existing SKU's
o Collaborate with category management team to develop retailer presentations by using database rationale such as SKU optimization, efficient promotion causal data, and lift analysis
o Manage accounts to achieve the targeted ACV on Innovationo Builds and maintains effective client and retailer relationships in order to ensure customer access and client perspective that we are connected and engaged with key stakeholders
o Demonstrates sales accomplishments and areas of opportunity by developing sales presentations for Customers and Clients
o Implements Customer HQ Calls and demonstrates an ability to penetrate key positions at the retailer
o Offers strategic input pursuant to annual business plans, problem solving, ongoing customer management. Finds the intersection of retailer and client objectives and drive win/win scenarioso Provides timely and fluid communication on Client goals, programs, price changes, and priorities to include all necessary people and information
o Manages difficult situations, issues and conflicts to get to an effective outcome

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct Reports
- This position does not have supervisory responsibilities for direct reports

Indirect Reports
- This position does not have guidance or mentoring responsibilities for indirect reports

Travel and/or Driving Requirements

- Travel and Driving are essential duties and function of this job

- Travel up to 20 %

Education Level: (Required): High School Diploma/GED or equivalent experience
(Preferred): Bachelor's Degree

Field of Study/Area of Experience: 1-3 years of experience in applicable field

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

* Strong sales presentation and development skills
* Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
* Working knowledge of syndicated data
* Intermediate or advanced computer skills
* Strong written communication and verbal communication skills
* Conflict management skills
* Demonstrated ability to provide cross-functional leadership
* Well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle a fast-paced work environment
* Flexible and adaptable, able to change and alter according to changes in projects or business environment
* Ability to complete multiple duties with accuracy shifting from one to another with frequent interruptions and competing deadlines

Environmental & Physical Requirements

Office / Sedentary Requirements: Incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of the job. Work is performed primarily in an office environment. Typically, requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time (66%+ each day), ability to hear telephone, ability to enter data on a computer and may require the ability to lift up to 10lbs.

Additional Information Regarding Job Duties and Job Descriptions
Job duties include additional responsibilities as assigned by one's supervisor or other manager related to the position/department. This job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position. The Company reserves the right at any time with or without notice to alter or change job responsibilities, reassign or transfer job positions, or assign additional job responsibilities, subject to applicable law. The Company shall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable a qualified applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment as required by the law.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of associates so classified.

The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity in all employment practices without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental disability, or any other category protected by law. As part of this commitment, the Company shall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable an applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment as required by law.