Associat Manager, Customer Solutions & Active

Job Location: Hershey, PA
Open to remote

Summary
The Associate Manager Customer Solutions & Activations, Small Format, will specifically be supporting the Dollar channel (Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree).  This position is a pivotal member of the HSY Sales team with important responsibilities impacting the Dollar channel’s P&L.

Deliverables for this role include:

• Develop, create, and manage Dollar COT-specific merchandising solutions that drive secondary display locations and revenue/share gains while minimizing internal complexity and cost. 

• Ensure profitability of all creations through PTVCM tracking and management. 

• Identify Innovation, National, Promotional and Seasonal secondary merchandising needs and opportunities within Dollar customers and work with appropriate internal teams to develop insight-based strategies and solutions.

• Play an active role in the customer planning process to identify merchandising needs and holistic solutions that satisfy customer opportunities and meet internal hurdles and timelines.

• Provide valuable insights to Marketing partners helping to shape and develop successful innovation launches and consumer promotions

• Assist Marketing with Merchandise mix recommendations to assist with volume validations for program / innovation forecasting

• Remain connected to the Retail environment and actively participate in key customer appointments as needed to understand customer needs or present merchandising solutions.

Preferred location for this role is Central PA (Hershey office).  Remote work with occasional travel into Hershey will be considered.

Key business partners to include:  customer Sales teams, Omni-channel Marketing, Brand and Portfolio Marketing, Category Management, Operations Business Development, Supply Planning, Packaging, Finance and external agencies/suppliers such as Menasha, West Rock, PCA, TRG, etc.

Responsibilities
• Own the creation and management of Dollar-specific merchandising solutions including business case development and Accolade management. Specific focus on core packs, strategic brands and anchor events.

• Develop, maintain, and leverage key cross-functional relationships in Sales, Shopper Engagement, Marketing, Category Management, Operations, Packaging, Finance, Research and external partners to ensure merchandising solutions are best suited to the goals of driving effective activation, revenue and profit.

• Maintain close connectivity with the Retail and Sales team to fully understand the in-store environment, recognize executional issues, and identify new opportunities. 

• Present new merchandising solutions to customer KDMs as needed.

• Remain actively involved with Customer Team planning to identify future merchandising needs on core packs and anchor events within company processes and lead times.

• Maintain connectivity to other Customer Merchandising Managers to share best practices and prevent duplication in custom vehicle development.

• Understand and analyze syndicated and shopper data from Customers to identify merchandising opportunities and make fact-based strategic recommendations.  Primary focus on core packs and Brands.

• Actively manage customers’ merchandising portfolio to increase display performance and maximize revenue and profits while minimizing cost and complexity to the organization.  Evaluate vehicles as needed for rationalization.   

Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree required.
Experience: 5+ years’ experience in Sales, Category Management, Supply Chain and/or Marketing
Customer / channel experience preferred
 

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