Sales Team Leader, Grocery

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you'll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman's, and Pangburn's have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let's continue making chocolate lovers happy!

A day in the life...

Russell Stover is looking for a Team Leader, Sales to lead the strategic development of our grocery customers in the Eastern part of the US. You will need a CPG background to champion Russell Stover Chocolates and be responsible for creating and executing customer solutions for RSC's Every day and Seasonal offerings. As the Team Leader, you will be instrumental in leading a team of 4 sales professionals and be responsible for supporting and managing cross-functional teams. You will create growth by leveraging appropriate mix, promotion, and pricing activities. This position reports to the Director of Wholesale Sales and can be located Kansas City, or remotely in the Eastern part of the US, within 1 hour of a major airport.

What you will be doing...

• Leading a team of four sales professionals, encompassing responsibilities such as providing support and guidance, conducting training sessions, setting goals, performing performance reviews, and managing employee relations
• Building & managing the day-to-day relationship with grocer buyers, analysts, and item specialists
• Growing revenue and brand relevance with strategic customers
• Driving growth and meeting company objectives
• Building an annual budget, managing monthly revenue expectations, and confirming customer commitments
• Leveraging consumption data with a clear understanding of the customer strategy and landscape
• Achieving true net sales growth through accurate performance analysis, forecasting and planning for the everyday inline business
• Negotiating promotional plan using performance analysis, forecasting, and planning insight on seasonal and everyday categories
• Leveraging trade or budget experience to optimize trade spend to obtain the best ROI
• Ensuring consistent forecast accuracy for everyday items on a monthly and annual basis
• Developing and executing assortment reviews for key customers
• Developing and executing new item presentations to meet current and future objectives
• Developing and executing ongoing distribution objectives
• Planning and implementing promotional plans
• Working cross functionally with a variety of groups to meet established timelines and expectations
• Collecting competitive activity on an ongoing basis and performing as a category expert
• Providing category management and analytical support to the team using 84.51/Market 6 platforms
• Managing the weekly and seasonal internal business reviews using POS and category data through 84.51/Market 6 platforms
• Managing the E-Comm business by collaborating with external and internal partners

Do you have what it takes?

(Basic Qualifications)

• 7-10 years of experience in a combination of sales, category, and analysis
• Accomplished account management experience with grocery stores
• Demonstrated leadership internally and externally
• Strong forecast accuracy and business planning acumen
• Extensive knowledge and expertise with channel and/or customers
• Experience with promotional planning/deduction management systems or proven experience with financial management related to promotional product spending, travel and entertainment expense management and creating financial recommendations utilizing basic ROI analysis
• Experience using Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Ability to travel up to 30% to client sites

Do you stand above the rest?

(Preferred Qualifications)

• Bachelor's degree
• Direct experience in confection and/or seasonal grocery
• High level of follow-up, availability, and responsiveness to internal and external partners
• Good organizational and time management skills
• Strong analytical and computer skills
• Exhibit high level of focus and account penetration using sophisticated analysis and presentation skills
• Demonstrated ability in public speaking and making effective customer presentations

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.

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