Customer Manager

Customer Manager

The Customer Manager serves as the primary sales expert for designated customer accounts, providing strategic insights and ensuring the execution of joint business plans. This role collaborates closely with Key Account Managers (KAMs), order entry, claims, schematics, and retail sales associates to meet all client and customer standards. The Customer Manager acts as a critical link between the KAM team and stakeholders at assigned customers.

The Customer Manager partners with customers to develop strategic plans, achieve business goals, and work with retailer associates (buyers, category managers, replenishment managers, etc.) during headquarter calls to implement programs.

Essential Responsibilities

Drive client business at assigned customers by increasing distribution, growing sales, and achieving KPIs within budget guidelines.
• Analyze customer data to develop sales plans and presentations; manage and coordinate sales activities.
• Serve as the conduit between customers, KAMs, and clients for product line presentations, new item introductions, and display selling.
• Manage and delegate KAM and client initiatives, including pricing parity, business trackers, photo requests, and special projects.
• Ensure timely and accurate responses from customers to KAM teams and clients, including promotional forecasts.
• Develop selling recommendations to drive long-term business growth.
• Attend and present at client and management team meetings.
• Conduct customer meetings focused on promotional events and displays.
• Build and maintain relationships with buyers and support departments; assist with tactical issues such as POs, cost changes, and contract execution.
• Sell displays, promotions, and new item introductions, present business reviews.
• Utilize customer scan data to build product distribution recommendations.
• Monitor and present pricing disparities; achieve parity pricing inline and versus competition.
• Complete weekly photo and pricing requests per client needs.

Client Quota Achievement

• Meet or exceed client goals for sales, distribution, share, pricing, shelving, and promotional volume
• Launch strategies to pursue new opportunities.

Client KPI Achievement

• Execute retailer headquarter calls and penetrate key positions to:
• Achieve sales goals while managing promotional funds within financial guidelines.
• Ensure accurate retail pricing and order guides.
• Secure client-approved schematics and communicate direction to internal teams.
• Drive incremental sales through new product distribution and SKU maintenance.
• Collaborate with category management to develop retailer presentations using data-driven insights.
• Achieve targeted ACV on innovation.

Business / Category Reviews

• Build and maintain strong client and retailer relationships to ensure engagement with key stakeholders.
• Develop and deliver sales presentations highlighting accomplishments and opportunities.
• Provide strategic input for annual business plans and ongoing customer management, driving win-win solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct Reports: None
• Indirect Reports: May delegate tasks and provide guidance, direction, and mentoring.

Travel Requirements

• Travel is an essential function of this role.
• Some overnight travel required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Experience: 2-4 years in sales or retail; CPG industry knowledge preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Familiarity with designated customers preferred.

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to motivate, inspire, and manage conflict effectively.
• Sound judgment and decision-making capabilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook) and web browsers.

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 Responsibilites

* Drive our clients' business at assigned customer. Increase distribution, grow sales dollars/units/share/other KPI's, while staying within budget guidelines
* Manage and coordinate Sales Activities, through sales analysis of customer data, sales planning, and sales presentation.
* Conduit between Customer(s), Key Account Managers and Clients through product line presentations, new item presentations, display selling.
* Manage and delegate KAM and Client Divisional Initiatives (i.e. achieving parity pricing vs. inline and competition, maintain up to date Team Business Trackers, photo request presentation, and special requests).
* Secure/ensure timely and accurate responses from customer(s) to KAM Team/Clients which includes promotion forecast.
* Manage selling recommendations from the customer(s) to grow and build the business long-term.
* Attend and present in client meetings at designated customer(s)
* Attend and present in Management Team meetings.
* Conduct and manage customer(s) meetings focusing on client promotional events, displays, etc.
* Build relationships with buyers and support departments at customer, works with KAM to recommend growth plans, execute plans, assist with tactical issues such as PO's, cost changes, contract execution and ensuring retail/merchandising execution.
* Develop and leverage relationships with key influencers and decision makers in assigned customers.
* Sell displays, period promotions, present business reviews, and new item introductions.
* Build and present product distributions based on previous performance using the customer scan data.
* Present pricing disparities in assigned customer based on client recommendations; achieve parity pricing inline and vs. competition.
* Take weekly photos based on client request and needs.
* Acquire weekly pricing for clients based on their product (s).
Client Quota Achievement
o Meets or exceeds Client's goals for sales, distribution, share, pricing, shelving, and promotional volume
o Launches strategies to pursue new opportunities

Client KPI's Achievement
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 Innovation

Business / Category Reviews
o 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 scenarios

Supervisory Responsibilities

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

Indirect Reports
- May delegate work of others and provide guidance, direction and mentoring to indirect reports

Travel and/or Driving Requirements

- Travel is not an essential duty and function of this job

Minimum Qualifications
Education Level: (Required): Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience

- 2-4 years in sales or retail experience and knowledge of CPG industry

Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously

Knowledge and experience with designated customers preferred

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

- Excellent written communication and verbal communication skills
- Ability to motivate and inspire
- Good interpersonal skills
- Demonstrate conflict management skills
- Excellent decision-making skills
- Ability to exercise sound judgment
- Ability to work effectively with management
- Ability to ensure a high level of service and quality is maintained
- Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and web-browsers

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.