CUSTOMER BUSINESS MANAGER

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Description

Sales Key Account Manager- Kroger (Remote- OH or KY)

About Us:

Join Hartz, where our love for pets drives everything we do. With over 95 years of commitment to pet care excellence, we are a trusted household name across the United States. Innovation is at the heart of our mission as we continuously strive to provide products that nurture the special bond between pets and their owners, ensuring they experience nothing but Unconditional Love.

As leaders in the pet care industry, we are dedicated to pioneering advancements that enhance the well-being of pets, leading to happier, healthier, and longer lives. Our success is fueled by the passion and dedication of our diverse team members, who bring their unique perspectives and talents to every aspect of our work.

We are committed to cultivating an inclusive and supportive work environment where individuals from all backgrounds and identities are valued and empowered to thrive. At Hartz, your contributions matter, whether collaborating in the office or embracing the flexibility of a hybrid or remote work arrangement. Together, we empower our employees and furry companions to make a meaningful impact within our company and beyond. Join us in shaping the future of pet care and experience the joy of making a difference, one pet at a time.

What We Offer ...

• Remote Work Schedule: Work remotely from your home office.
• Competitive Compensation & Benefits: Receive a generous 401(k) match with immediate vesting.
• Generous Paid Time Off: Enjoy up to 34 paid days off annually, plus additional paid leaves.
• Paid Parental Leave & Insurance: Company-paid parental leave, along with Life & Disability Insurance.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Includes Medical, Dental, Vision, Healthcare FSA, and Mental Health Assistance program (EAP).
• Tuition Reimbursement & Career Growth: Access to tuition reimbursement and other learning and development opportunities.

The Role ...

We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a motivated and hands-on sales professional to serve as the Customer Business Manager for the West Grocery Territory, overseeing the strategic and end-to-end operational management of a significant retail portfolio. You will directly manage the Kroger account, including key divisions such as Harris Teeter, while also establishing and expanding our business with the Giant Eagle account. Additionaly, you will managethe distributor relationship with Central Pet & Garden (CP&G).

Candidates must have prior experience working with the Kroger account and demonstrate proficiency in Kroger systems and processes, including navigating Kroger's digital platforms, understanding their promotional planning tools, and managing Kroger-specific business requirements. You will be directly accountable for driving sales revenue and maximizing long-term Hartz category volume by achieving sales targets, category volume, and profit goals for the overall territory.

Success hinges on your ability to cultivate exceptionally strong relationships with key account stakeholders and brokers. You will leverage fact-based consumer, product, or market insights derived from analyzing POS and syndicated data to build data-driven annual business plans and flawlessly execute promotional strategies. By identifying and securing new business opportunities and building a compelling selling story for all category and line reviews, you will establish yourself as a trusted industry expert who actively leads the agenda for profitable and incremental sales growth.

In this position, you will work remotely from your home base, located in the Cincinnati, OH/KY metropolitan area.

Your Responsibilities ...

Strategic Sales and Business Planning

• 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.

Account and Relationship Management

• 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.

Operations and Administration

• Effectively manage the administrative responsibilities, including price change forms, deductions, and selling and planning schedules.

Requirements

You'll Need ...

• Education and Experience: 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 Kroger headquarter accounts with a history of setting and delivering a growth agenda; pet care industry a plus
• Customer Specific Systems Proficiency: Proficient use of Kroger systems and all included vendor apps and reports to create and track metrics expected by customer scorecards. Includes:
• Kroger + Harris Teeter specific:
• 84.51/Stratum -- all POS Reporting
• Supplier Hub
• Lavante - claims processing
• Claim Trax - claims processing
• DemandTec -- promotional management/setup (rollers)
• Prism/KAP/CAAM -- promotional management (Coupon submission and setup
• (LCM, MY Magazine), Digital marketing (search and browse, onsite ads, etc).
• 1 Sync (item management and setup)
• Vestcom (item tags, New Item, Brand Equity)
• Catalina (promotional offers, May pet month, etc.)
• Circana POS data (rest of market and shopper data)
• Creation and presentation of all customer line review materials
• Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) with proven negotiation skills, coupled with the demonstrated ability to finalize business, and expand the current account list
• Sales & Presentation Skills: 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
• Software Proficiency: Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite Programs
• Business Travel: Willingness and ability to travel as needed (25%)

If this sounds like a good match and you want to learn more about this exciting role, get in touch with us today!
Hartz is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age or any other characteristic protected by law.