Working with our Sales Division, you will oversee the promotional ("trade advertising") activity for the retail trade (our customers). You must have CPG experience for this role. Primary duties include performing promotional analysis to help determine the success of promotional/trade advertising activity, collaborating with Sales, and volume forecasting. The financial side of this position includes oversight of accurate data entry, handling accruals, and verifying volume forecasts and contract approvals, as well as monitoring promotional spends. This position has one direct report.
Primary Functions:
Review promotional / ad event projections and actualizations; perform event resolution and evaluation of balances; collaborate with Sales to ensure planned volumes and spends are accurately represented in the system
Perform high-level analytics relating to promotional spending; this includes trade (promotion) analysis and assessments with Sales, and reviewing and managing trade promotion agreements
Identify performance drivers and drainers to determine best course of action to optimize ad/promotion spending
Work closely with Sales to improve pre-event planning and post event actualization/reconciliation
Assess the impact of changes in promotional strategies and price points based on consumption and historical data
Leverage our technology and sales system platforms to perform predictive modeling and optimization of promotional spend; this means overseeing our Trade Promotion Management (TPM) system, currently Exceedra, to ensure timely and accurate data entry and maintenance of volume forecasts, as well as trade promotions
Partner with Sales and Broker teams to plan and provide insights into promotional efficiencies
Attend monthly reviews of sales forecast (for our lines of business) and confirm that the trade promotional system is updated with any notable changes
Collaboratively optimize promotional spending with Sales, review promotions with our top retailer customers, and determine which are the most effective
Maintain an efficient environment for the accuracy of trade accruals, valid volume forecasts, and verified contract approvals
Monitor promotion/ad execution and perform post event analytics
Create and maintain Power BI and Excel reports for sales and trade teams for quick access to relevant dashboards and spending estimates
Work directly with Trade Analyst(s) to ensure a controlled environment of accruals and reconciliations; escalate potential risks or challenges to Promotion Manager
Provide coaching, direction, training, and feedback to analyst(s) as needed to maintain accurate representation of spending
Review and record any unfavorable adjustments over $10K related to trade spending at month end
Participate in and/or lead projects impacting the Trade Team
Develop and document standardized methodologies for trade promotion processes; develop reporting toolkit to support assessment of key trade health metrics and scorecards
Collect, input, evaluate and report data in order to increase sales productivity
Assist sales managers in developing and reviewing volume and trade advertising spending trends; improve volume and trade promotions forecasts
Technical duties range from basic use of MS office to troubleshooting daily reporting issues; maintain data integrity within sales operations systems
Create and analyze monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, as well as ensure all trade spend and deduction information is recorded accurately
Spearhead system upgrades and implementations; assist with systems testing and training; work with IT to implement system enhancements for trade promo system (Exceedra) and other sales reporting tools
Assist in compiling monthly trade review data for team and send out to field sales teams
Build and maintain solid business relationships with internal and external partners, including but not limited to, Sales, Finance, Customer Service, AR, AP, and IT
Develop, coach, mentor direct report(s)
Qualifications & Skills Requirements:
Must have experience in the CPG industry or working with promotional advertising for the Food/Drug/Mass trade
Must have 3-5 years' experience in a trade promotions/deductions environment
B.S./B.A. in Finance or Accounting preferred, or 3-5 years business-related experience
Must have experience in a supervisory role
Must be experienced in the development of standardized tools, methodologies, and business processes aimed at improving Trade Promotion/Trade Advertising efficiencies to meet current and future business needs
Must possess strong leadership skills, as well as written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey complex information to broad audience is critical for this role
Ability to solve problems, think logically to develop solutions and provide insight
Sharp attention to detail and intense sense of urgency required
Ability to capture and document business and reporting requirements from multiple sources
Ability to coordinate and manage simultaneous data analysis requests of varying size and scope
Excellent organizational skills with ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines
Strong demonstrated knowledge of Trade Promotion Management tools, as well as MS Office (proficiencies in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)
Must have experience with Power BI
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work independently, within a team environment, and comfortable collaborating and presenting in a formal setting