Associate Director, Channel Strategy Planning & Operations Cooking Aids & Mini Meals US

Unilever•Hoboken, NJ

1d•$146,200 - $219,400

About The Position

The Associate Director leads Category Strategy & Planning across Unilever’s U.S. Cooking Aids & Mini Meals portfolio, primarily including Knorr Bouillon, Meal Makers Ready to Heat and Non Ready to Heat, and Soups, Gravy and Sauces. The role is part of the Category Strategy & Planning organization, which leads category strategy, channel and customer planning, and category and shopper insights for the U.S. Cooking Aids & Meal Makers business within the Foods Business Unit. The position partners with Field Sales, Business Development, Category Strategy, Category Management, Marketing, Finance, Net Revenue Management, Supply Chain, and Trade Marketing to develop commercial strategies and retailer plans across omni-channel and pure-play customers. It represents the voice of the customer, channel, and shopper in cross-functional leadership and planning, embedding relevant insights in short- and long-term brand and customer plans that align with retailer strategies and support profitable growth for Unilever and its customers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
At least 10 years of experience in Customer Development, Account Management, Trade Marketing, Category Strategy, and/or Brand Marketing Operations within the Consumer Goods industry.
Retail, eCommerce, and omnichannel customer experience required.
Strong CPG food business and retailer acumen.
Results-driven ownership mindset and demonstrated ability to achieve goals and KPIs.
Analytical thinking, data-driven decision-making, and ability to influence through strategic storytelling.
Excellent oral, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to adapt communication across disciplines and leadership levels; executive presence.
Ability to collaborate with cross-functional partners to solve business problems with a solution-focused mindset.
Ability to encourage ownership, resolve issues where they arise, and hold others accountable for delivery.
High comfort level using IRI/Nielsen POS data and Numerator panel data.
Senior stakeholder management and strategic influencing skills.
Talent catalyst capabilities for direct reports and ability to mobilize cross-functional partnerships.
Strong organizational and prioritization skills; ability to adapt to dynamic environments using personal analysis and delegation.
Passion for high performance, ability to manage ambiguity and market volatility, and an agile approach to finding solutions.
Ability to envision and plan across multiple years, understand the broad and long-term impact of decisions, and apply end-to-end process thinking.

Nice To Haves

MBA preferred.
Food industry experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead profitable growth for the U.S. Cooking Aids & Mini Meals business, using an entrepreneurial, challenger mindset to improve competitive performance and category momentum.
Translate data into insights and actionable commercial plans aligned with the Category Growth Strategy and key Category Value Drivers.
Develop and deliver out-year plans with Category Strategy and Marketing, including annual TCT Materials and the Foods Summit to launch the next customer planning cycle.
Own channel and customer financial delivery, including annual growth targets, trade investment budgets, and forecasts that ladder to the business P&L and top- and bottom-line KPIs.
Set and deploy category channel strategy, ensuring disciplined customer investment across channels and customers.
Lead commercial analytics to investigate business opportunities, including distribution gaps, in-market execution, and competitive dynamics.
Partner with Net Revenue Management/RGM on pricing, PPA, and promotional effectiveness to improve return on investment and in-market execution.
Represent customer, channel, and shopper perspectives in internal IBP and external JBP processes, and represent category and brand priorities with strategic customers and internal sales teams.
Partner with field sales and cross-functional teams on Perfect Store activation, national cross-category and cross-customer programs, and innovation launch planning and execution.
Provide input to in-year performance market-share assessments and S&OP pacing risks and opportunities.
Contribute to the OP Annual Planning Process, commercialization planning, and MBR input to S&OP, Handshake, and Perfect Store processes.
Manage and develop direct reports, mobilize cross-functional partnerships, and hold individuals and the organization accountable for delivery.