Director, Grocery West - Grocery Pillar

Job Location: Chicago

Want to make an impact?

Reporting to the VP of Sales for the Grocery Pillar, the Director of Grocery West, will develop, plan and help drive business initiatives through collaboration with cross functional partners to achieve company objectives while managing the complex array of customers in the West. This includes the management and development of (5) Account Managers of varying levels and accounts. He/she will lead in plan development across the Everyday Confections, Fruit Snacks and Seasonal businesses to deliver profitable, sustainable growth and share gains for Ferrara.

• NOTE - This role can be remote*

Ways you will make a difference

Manage direct customer relationships across the indirect and direct customer base in the West while developing the account manager team. This includes developing and executing the optimal account plans and programs to deliver our annual goals and objectives. Manage and engage the Ferrara Broker partners and network for effective development and execution of our annual goals and initiativesDevelop Performance objectives and measurements for five direct reports that align with employee’s career development and aspirational goalsAs part of the Grocery Leadership Team - participate and support key Pillar growth initiatives and strategiesLead coordination and development of JBP’s, QBRs, Innovation Summits, Strategic Customer & Commercial Reviews with customer SVP-VP, Directors and internal CCO/CMO audiences.Lead the Sales annual process, coordinating all cross-functional needs, adhering to Ferrara timelines: Modular Line Reviews, Feature Submissions, Samples, Item Setup, Forecasting, Monthly Demand Reviews, and Annual PlanningBuild and retain long-term, collaborative relationships for Ferrara with retailer executives via excellent customer-service and account penetrationEstablish internal relationships to effectively influence and collaboratively achieve business objectives and outcomesDevelop and implement 2-3 year plans and strategies to deliver profitable, sustainable growth on Ferrara businessesLead in development and support execution of contingency plans to maximize growth while mitigating risksEffective cross-functional collaboration with Category Leadership, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, Finance, and Retail Merchandising to maximize customer execution and business resultsOwn the Grocery West IBP process and forecasts accuracy Meet or exceed company growth objectives while adhering to trade budgets and guidelinesProvide constructive input and feedback to continuously improve Ferrara processesDemonstrate the company’s core valuesAdhere to company policies and proceduresPerform other duties as assigned

Skills that will make you successful

Preferred to reside in the Western geography (PST-CSTs Time Zones). Ability to travel as requiredTrack record of leading an effective and engaged teamA Collaborative & Influential Self-starter who proactively identifies business risks and opportunities with drive to pursue initiativesDetail oriented. Strong organization skills and ability to manage processes effectivelyAnalytical mindset. Understanding of Retailer data and syndicated data (IRI)Ability to influence through fact-based recommendations, and create and deliver strong presentations across functions and levels, internally and externally

Experiences that will support your success

Minimum of Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree is a plusMinimum of 8 years of Sales experience working with Grocery Retailers or similiarMinimum of 2 years of people managementExpertise in understanding and executing merchandising strategies and execution in Confections, Fruit Snacks and Seasonal categoriesExperience in P&L management and sales forecastingExperience in Customer/Channel Marketing, Category Management, and/or Sales Operations is a plusExperience working in Confections is a plusProficient in Microsoft Office suite, emphasis on Excel and PowerPoint