Customer Sales Executive

Job Location: Nashville, TN
Pay Level: 2A
This position will be posted internally until the close of business on November 7, 2024. 

Summary

• This role is responsible for collaborating with other Customer Sales Executives, Category Management personnel, and other support team members to grow Hershey’s business and achieve the assigned objective/plan including net sales, market share, and sales activity margin. Responsibilities include business planning & analysis, creating valued business partnerships with customers by becoming an advisor, achieving mutually beneficial agreements through skilled negotiation, understanding of the customer’s business needs and wants, leverage insights to build a business plan, and deploy supporting tactics to achieve financial objectives. 
• Areas of Responsibility
• 4 traditional seasons planning
• 3-year strategic planning
• Item creation
• Trade management
• Omnichannel marketing
• Planning and forecasting 

Expectations

• Achieve net sales, market share, trade spend, and sales activity margin targets for assigned customer(s) through simulating and planning incremental volume, pre and post analysis, and displaying core competencies and behaviors.  Judiciously manage and allocate trade funds (maintaining compliance with all Sarbanes Oxley policies) to achieve profitable sales growth.
• Collaborate with peers on the account, as well as cross-functional teams that include Customer Engagement, Supply Chain, Finance, Demand Planning, Category Management, and Shopper Insights to ensure proper communication and execution of customer plans.
• Effectively utilize the company’s analytical tools to drive profitable & predictable sales results.
• Build and maintain appropriate sales plans in forecasting system
• Manage trade fund budget to include clearing deductions
• Monitor and control customer expenses to include waste and supply chain costs
• Provide category analysis and consumer insights to customers as well as other category tools/consultation with category management partnership
• Collaborate on forecasting sales and share
• Achieve high levels of account penetration up and across the organization.

 
Dimensions

• Strong negotiation skills
• Ability to stand in the tension and navigate through frequent customer requests
• Need to toggle between firm and flexible negotiating style depending on the situation
• Creative problem solving
• Adaptable and open to possibilities
• Need to have an enterprise and channel mindset in every selling conversation
• Highly organized planner
• Attention to detail and excellent “multi-tasking” skills
• Deadline driven – Need to have a firm grasp on deliverables while juggling multiple projects at once – both internal and external.
• Strong understanding of Hershey internal and customer timelines is essential 
• Self-starter (and finisher)
• Excellent interpersonal skills with strong executive disposition
• Account penetration (up and across the organization) with proven ability to gain commitment and build strategic work relationships
• General Manager mindset (P&L, total enterprise)
• Highly collaborative with customer and internal partners/peers with ability to effectively manage relationships
• Internal (Supply Chain, Customer Service, Brand Team, Category Management, Shopper Insights, etc.)
• Customer (Merchandising, Marketing, Demand Planning, Demand Chain, In-Store experience)
• Results Driven/Competitive Mindset – Drive to win in everything you do 
• Strong presentation building/story telling skills – Clear, succinct, and compelling built on data
• Strategic Thinking – Ability to develop and utilize IDP strategies to achieve both short and long-term goals

Qualifications
Education

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Experience

• 7-9 years sales experience
• Prior sales and category management experience a plus

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