Job Description

Join boundless thinkers from all walks of life working together to feed the world. Take pride in working with powerful brands, including Purina Animal Nutrition, Nutra Blend, WinField United, Vermont Creamery, KozyShack, and more.

You'll join a global team committed to everything from the seeds that go into the ground, to the technology that improves crop yields and sustainability, to the nutrition that animals need, to marketing the final product.

Kroger Customer Development Manager

Land O'Lakes Dairy Foods division is a leading marketer of a full line of dairy-based consumer, foodservice and food ingredient products across the United States. This division also includes Global Dairy Ingredients that sells a portfolio of value-added dairy ingredients (specialty powders, milk powder, cheese, butter and whey) and offers expertise to large international customers.

Position Purpose: Achieve retail dairy/deli business objectives including sales volume, customer profitability, distribution, merchandising and pricing, customer business planning through effective management of assigned businesses and resources. The Cincinnati based Customer Development Manager will hold account management responsibility for key elements of the organization's portfolio at Kroger.

Lead and Manage the direct relationship between retail dairy/deli category objectives for Land OLakes and Kroger for the Cincinnati based sales team. The Customer Development Manager (CDM) is a thought leader and will lead the strategic selling efforts and executions of an assigned Land OLakes Product Portfolio at Kroger. The position represents Land OLakes with Kroger Category managers in negotiations, collaborative customer business planning, new item introductions, promotional planning, and retail execution. This person will be a product knowledge and category expert to support Kroger Category Managers in assigned categories. In addition, the CDM will collaborate with Land OLakes Category, Sales Operations, Finance and Customer Marketing to coordinate cross-functional sales strategies to deliver volume, revenue, profit, and share objectives that meet key corporate initiatives to grow Land OLakes portfolio of brands.

Sales Strategy

* Lead category strategy, CCO, CCP, and KOMPASS processes

* Tasked with driving profitable volume to align with annual business plan.

* Drive strategic content for monthly 84.51/Category Manager Meetings

* Deliver timely responses and solutions to Krogers questions and needs

* Customer support - Act as a consistent point of contact, work with LOL customer marketing and Kroger Category Leadership to deliver best-in-class sales strategy, forecasting and execution.

* Become a Kroger expert and disseminate key structural, process and policy information to key stakeholders at Land OLakes

* Develop, plan, optimize, execute and analyze trade budget for assigned products driving efficient and effective results within budget

Sales Management Administration

* Coordinate with Finance and Sales Operations partners to support timeliness of deduction repayment or processing, pricing changes, contract management and resolution of post-audit deductions.

Data Champion

* Collaborate with and support Category Inisghts and Analytics team to ensure data integrity, reporting methodology standards, and the identification and application of insights.

* Analyze data insights into Land OLakes products at Kroger. Use these insights to develop future selling strategies, optimize pricing and promotional planning, and inform cross functional partners of broader marketplace conditions

Experience-Education (Required):

* 4-year college degree or higher and 5+ years of consumer package goods and/or related sales experience; including strong knowledge of retail and/or club customers & channels

* Or 10+ years applicable work experience

Competencies-Skills (Required):

* Excellent analytical skills with the ability to process large amounts of data and develop recommendations and action plans

* Self-starting, goal directed with proven ability to achieve results through self and others

* Excellent organizational, communication, interpersonal, persuasive skills

* Strong financial (trade management) acumen

* Able to relate internal and customer business strategies for positive outcomes

* Ability to perform effectively in a team environment

* Ability to manage shifting and multiple priorities, motivated, self-starter, tactful, responsive manner with customer

* Proven ability to build effective multi-level cross functional relationships at large Retailers

Experience-Education (Preferred):

* MBA

* A broad range of CPG food industry experience

* Kroger Headquarter experience Competencies-Skills (Preferred):

* Skilled in 84.51/Stratum Data & knowledgeable on Kroger Precision Marketing

* IRI and/or Nielsen syndicated data usage

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including pre- and post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Neither Land OLakes, nor its search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.

Land O'Lakes endeavors to make Landolakesinc.com accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact the HR Solution Center at 844-LOL-HR4U (844-565-4748) M-F 8:00am-4:30pm CT.