WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

You are the key liaison between Customer Business Development and Brand/Supply Chain/Finance/ Insights/Category Management. You will lead the development & deployment of a channel strategy for your brand and drive profitable growth.   The Customer Strategy & Planning Manager is a key business partner to the business unit leadership team, setting and deploying channel strategy for their category and deploying holistic customer investment across customers to deliver profitable growth.  This role represents the customer in core organizational processes including S&OP, Innovation Business Planning, and Net Revenue Management.

By working cross functionally, you will deliver the following:

• Develop Customer Facing Category Strategy with key business partners to translate and localize category strategy into Channel and Category marketing plans by customer/region/channel

• Develop and implement price and promotional strategy, for customer/region/channel focusing on shopper

• Oversee the development of robust in store brand execution for key retailers/channels bringing brands to life in store

• Lead convergence of category plans between brick & mortar and e-commerce and execution of customized offering

• S&OP – lead consolidated Customer Business Development (CBD) input and own ‘output’, drive CBD business performance; Drive business performance for months 1-3 including gap closure activities

• Deliver Trade Category Toolkit, Contribute to Integrated Business Plan & Innovation Process Management and support new product introduction for listing into mix

• Input into innovation/renovation business cases, i.e. pack size by channel, pricing, distribution targets & trade margins

• Drive distribution and product availability across channels at the point of purchase

• Develop insights and opportunities to drive mix management and Holistic Customer Investment (Trade, Shopper Marketing, In-Store etc)

• Engage with Net Revenue Management team and execute (Decisions on Levers 3-5) & Trade Investments for the category/ channel

• Support key CBD retailers at customer facing meetings

• Facilitate planning and design for National Sales Meeting for subcategory

You will also manage category trade budget, monthly MRF releases (forecast), cross-channel pack/pricing strategy, and brand specific tentpole execution.

This role will also have a direct report as a support resource.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree required5+ years relevant experience in CPGExcellent communication and relationship building skills, strong attention to detail, proficient in analytics, ability to coordinate across various functions, and ability to manage and prioritize actions across multiple brands/customersProven ability to influence others and take a standCandidate should exemplify Standards of Leadership – bias for action, accountability, consumer/customer focus, growth mindset, building talent and teamsStrong understanding of Customer operations and channel driversHolistic business thinking exposure with clear evidence of addressing business challenges and delivery

Skills

Required Proficiency in Microsoft Office Programs (Powerpoint, Word, etc.)Proficiency in the following systems: IRI, SSAS, SKU Master, LivewireExperience with EVG Canned Reports a plusExperience in Pigment, Anaplan a plus
 

Leadership

You are an inclusive motivator of people. Your team deliver with real passion, growing and learning from each other whilst delivering quick wins.You are still responsible for your own results and as a manager, you also need to motivate others to deliver with passion, creating an inclusive and engaging climate around you. You can balance challenge with support and coaching. You understand the wider business context and you are emotionally intelligent enough to motivate people to deliver what is needed.

Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) BehaviorsPERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Has emotional intelligence to take feedback, manage mood and motivations, and build empathy for others.PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Generates intensity and focus to motivate people to deliver results at speed. Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results.TALENT CATALYST: Invests in people – coaches individuals and teams to realize their full potential. Creates an inclusive climate, empowering everyone to be at their best.PURPOSE & SERVICE: Has humility, understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside Unilever.CONSUMER LOVE: Invests time inside and outside to understand the needs of consumers.BUSINESS ACUMEN: Creates sustainable growth with purpose, engaging different partners across the system for change.

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Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. 

For more information about your Federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal and Pay Transparency Non discrimination Provision.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.