Ad & Promotions Planning Manager

C&S Wholesale Grocers•Miami, FL

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Keep our communities fed. Our focus is simple but meaningful — from our distribution centers to our offices, every employee of C&S and our family of companies works to help feed local families, neighbors, and communities. As an Ad and Promotions Planning Manager, you are responsible for planning, communicating, and executing promotional strategies for Independent customers. You will drive relationships, promote sales opportunities, and ensure promotional plans are targeted and relevant to assigned customers and regional teams to maximize gross margin, sales, and market share. You will develop and communicate promotional plans, including cost, suggested pricing, and product recommendations that support national and regional sales opportunities. You will lead cross-functional weekly ad meetings and play a key customer-facing role, providing local and regional expertise to both customers and internal teams. The Ad and Promotions Planning Manager will work closely with Demand Planning and Category teams to manage seasonal allocations, regional and seasonal fluctuations, and flawless execution of new item launches. You will also collaborate with the data analytics team to provide retailer promotional effectiveness reporting using syndicated data, including Nielsen and Numerator, tailored to specific regions.

Requirements

In-depth knowledge of their discipline and a basic understanding of related disciplines, with the ability to manage multiple, diverse tasks that are interrelated across processes.
Ability to apply various procedures, policies, and precedents to solve complex problems and develop innovative solutions.
Experience managing budgets and exercising expenditure authority, with the ability to navigate ambiguity or emerging situations independently.
Strong ability to work autonomously, lead projects or functional teams, and use sound judgment to achieve objectives.
5-7 years of professional experience in advertising, marketing, promotions, or sales; wholesale/retail experience preferred.
Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent experience, training, or knowledge in lieu of a degree.
Strong financial acumen.
Proven communication skills and the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives.
Extensive experience measuring promotional effectiveness, including working with syndicated data sources such as Nielsen and Numerator.
Working knowledge of marketing and promotions, including key strategies in Ad, Digital, and Print.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to lead with impact and influence across teams.

Responsibilities

Leading execution of merchandising and promotional plans with Independent customers in the assigned region(s).
Communicating and ensuring product, cost, pricing, and promotions align with customer needs.
Partnering with category managers and merchandisers to negotiate with vendors and develop overlay programs for ad groups, including securing vendor funds to support regional marketing programs and amplify selling opportunities.
Assisting in building and implementing promotional plans, including item selection, cost, suggested retail price, and supporting ads that deliver growth objectives.
Providing competitive insights and customer feedback to Category teams to ensure competitive plans that drive sales and achieve financial targets.
Ensuring promotional plans optimize return on investment through trade promotions, customer-specific marketing, and additional sales opportunities.
Negotiate overlays and secure funding to drive incremental sales and gross margin for C&S and Independent customers.
Leading weekly ad proofing sessions and providing feedback to category teams and marketing for substitutions, swaps, and canceled promotions.
Serving as the liaison between Category Teams and Customers to communicate information necessary for successful execution of advertising and marketing programs.
Managing the regional calendar of promotional activities in alignment with the corporate merchandising calendar.
Collaborating with Category and Commercial teams to educate internal stakeholders and customers on trends and effective strategies.
Communicating with Demand Planning on promotional forecasting and managing seasonal allocations, regional fluctuations, and flawless execution of new item launches.
Completing relative pricing evaluations, preparing the front-page layout for the “How to Go to Market” strategy, and sharing with Independent customers to ensure alignment.