Associate Account Executive: Club

Utz Quality Foods is seeking an Associate Account Executive: Club to join our Sales team. The Associate Account Executive-Club plays a crucial role within our dynamic team, contributing to the success of our Club Sales division. This multifaceted position involves diverse responsibilities focused on enhancing our relationships with key partners such as Costco and BJ's. This position will be responsible for developing customer relationships, with the primary purpose of driving sustainable top- and bottom-line growth. Key responsibilities include overseeing day-to-day operational tasks, managing Costco trade spend, and providing essential support to ensure seamless business operations. This role requires a proactive and detail-oriented individual who can effectively manage various aspects of Club Sales. The Associate Account Executive will play a pivotal role in maintaining and improving our relationships with key partners while ensuring the efficiency and success of our operations.

Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership:
  
  
  
  • Lead day-to-day operational tasks to facilitate smooth Club Sales operations.
  • Track Costco trade spend and generate monthly reports for Costco buyers.
  • Schedule and track product demonstrations while ensuring accurate recording.
  
  
  
  
• Financial Management:
  
  
  
  • Conduct weekly deduction meetings with Utz AP to address financial matters.
  • Monitor CRX weekly sales and prepare comprehensive reports for the VP.
  
  
  
  
• Documentation and Compliance:
  
  
  
  • Manage New Item/Buydoc processes efficiently.
  • Act as the primary contact for Costco annual audits, ensuring compliance.
  
  
  
  
• Price Sheet Maintenance:
  
  
  
  • Maintain up-to-date and accurate price sheets for Costco and BJ's, including trade rates.
  
  
  
  
• Buyer Engagement:
  
  
  
  • Phone, email, virtual and in person outreach to assigned customers to develop relationships and acquire new business.
  • Serve as the main point of contact for Costco and BJ's buyers, addressing queries related to pricing, buydoc requests, demo scheduling, and other day-to-day requests.
  • Develop and nurture strong relationships with buyers to enhance collaboration.
  
  
  
  
• Sales Support:
  
  
  
  • Prepare materials and utilize tools (syndicated data, PowerBi, CRX, etc) to develop fact-based presentations that will result in KPI achievement.
  • Proactively track sales results, identify opportunities, and close gaps across customer base.
  • Handle sample requests, coordinate shipments to buyers, and follow up with customers.
  
  
  
  
• Travel and Relationship Building:
  
  
  
  • Occasionally travel to buyer business meetings with the VP of Sales to foster deeper customer relationships.
  
  
  
  
• Customer Relationship Building:
  
  
  
  • Proactively build and strengthen relationships with key customers, focusing on BJ's and Costco.
  • Act as a primary point of contact for Costco and BJ's buyers, addressing inquiries and ensuring customer satisfaction as related to assigned duties of this position.
  
  
  
  
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  
  
  
  • Serve as the liaison between Club Sales and cross-functional Utz teams, including customer logistics and AP.
  • Assist in facilitating effective communication with brokers, especially in areas such as new item set up forms, demos, and accrual management.
  
  
  
  
• Data Management and Analysis:
  
  
  
  • Enter promotional plans and check requests into the Business Planning (BP) system.
  • Analyze CRX data to identify opportunities for maintaining and expanding distribution on existing business, as well as discovering unique opportunities for incremental sales and profit.
  • Partnership Development:
  • Build and nurture strong cross-functional partnerships internally, fostering collaboration and sharing best practices consistently.
  
  
  
  
• Compliance and Reporting:
  
  
  
  • Ensure compliance with all company policies, instructions, and directions to fulfill company objectives and maximize sales profits.
  • Stay alert to competitive products and merchandising practices, keeping management informed of updates.
  • Special Reports and Market Insights:
  • Prepare and submit special reports as requested by management or based on observed competitive conditions in the marketplace.
  • Provide insights on market trends, product acceptance, and competitive conditions.
  
  
  
  
• Non-Essential Functions:
  
  
  
  • Develop and enhance partnerships by actively participating in customer events, industry functions, and entertainment activities, ensuring alignment with company standards.
  • Perform other duties as assigned, contributing to tasks that may not fall within the core responsibilities but positively impact and support the overall outcomes of the company and department objectives.
  
  
  
  

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college with a focus on business, preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3+ years of proven experience in a related position within the consumer products goods industry, with direct communication with customers.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Professional communication with customer account contacts and cross-functional teams at Utz.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft business software, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook and Power BI preferred.
• Familiarity with Costco CRX is preferred.
• Ability to effectively utilize computer equipment for extensive work requirements.
• Strong analytical and assessment skills.
• Ability or willingness to learn to analyze and evaluate multiple data sources to derive actionable insights.
• Ability or willingness to learn trade accrual management and reporting.
• Ability or willingness to learn the Costco auditing process.
• Willingness and ability to remain flexible and perform at high levels during peak demands, especially in periods of high sales volume and activity.

External Recruitment Process

• Easy Application (5 mins): Introduce yourself and answer a few key questions to get started.
• Engaging Chat Interview (20-25 mins): Share your experiences in an online chat, highlighting how your values align with ours.
• Live Interview: Selected candidates will meet with the hiring manager to explore their alignment with the team and overall Utz company culture.

Base Salary: $60k to $75k

Continuously Pursuing Excellence!

Here at Utz, we have a passion for exciting and delighting consumers with delicious snack foods made from high quality ingredients. After over a century with a strong family heritage, our diverse portfolio of brands includes Utz, Zapp's, Boulder Canyon, and On the Border. Our associates are the reason for the success of this company, so it is important we provide a supportive, caring and inclusive environment that offers opportunities for career growth and advancement. We also help take care of our associates by providing benefits, resources, and programs that ensure they live their healthiest lives. Our benefit package includes medical, dental, and vision plans, an employer match 401k, profit sharing plan, employee stock purchase plan and much more. Join our world class team and help us become the fastest growing pure-play U.S. snacking company of scale!

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

• 7+ years proven sales experience in a related position within the consumer products goods industry with direct account responsibility.
• 3+ years of experience utilizing syndicated data.
• Must possess excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate several sources of data to develop actionable insights.
• This position requires extensive use of computer equipment. Must have a demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft business software to include Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook. Familiarity with Nielsen or IRI programs is preferred.
• Requires a valid driver's license.