Commercial Development Manager - Gerber

Nestle Operational Services Worldwide SA•Arlington, VA

11d•$130,000 - $170,000

About The Position

The Manager, Commercial Development plays a pivotal role in developing and operationalizing the strategic commercial vision into actionable plans that drive category growth, customer partnership, and enable executional excellence for Gerber within the Nutrition division. This role is responsible for activating insight-led strategies, enabling omni-channel activation, and aligning cross-functional priorities to deliver short- to midterm business impact. The Manager serves as a connector between strategic planning, customer segmentation, and execution, ensuring that Commercial Development remains the engine of growth across channels and customers. This role will serve as a key commercial leader, driving WIC strategy and advancing critical medical marketing initiatives to support business growth and customer engagement.

Requirements

Minimum 4 years of experience in Sales or Marketing preferred.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Ability to collaborate effectively in cross-functional environments.
Knowledge of core business processes (e.g., Sales/Distribution, Customer Planning and Leading, Financial Reporting, Training, HR Policies, Traceability, Quality Fundamentals).
Knowledge of Strategic and Integrated Commercial Planning process.
Knowledge of Customer Best Practice, Market Intelligence, Category/Channel/Shopper trends, and shopper insight into actionable ideas.
Demonstrated financial expertise in evaluating return on investment (ROI) and applying strategic revenue management (SRM) principles.
Demonstrated knowledge of business-driving technology solutions (e.g., Circana/Nielsen, BW, PBI reporting) and internal/external industry insights and trends.

Nice To Haves

Preferred experience includes WIC-approved products, engagement with state WIC agencies, and medical marketing initiatives.

Responsibilities

Accountable for achieving sales volume, market share growth, and trade spend targets for assigned categories/segments.
Integrate internal priorities and insights into actionable commercial strategies.
Co-create 4P strategies (Product, Price, Promotion, Placement) in partnership with cross-functional teams.
Leverage consumer and shopper insights to inform planning and execution.
Champion a culture of insight-driven decision-making and continuous learning.
Develop and refine channel strategies that reflect market dynamics and growth opportunities.
Ensure channel strategies are integrated into customer plans and innovation pipelines.
Partner with Strategic Planning Managers to align channel priorities with long-term strategic goals.
Support the development and refinement of customer segmentation models to prioritize strategic partnerships.
Collaborate with Sales function on building Key Customer MBS strategies, including e-commerce and gateway partners.
Ensure customer plans are integrated with innovation pipelines and portfolio strategies.
Lead the creation and deployment of Commercial Action Plans (CAP) to enable execution across national and channel plans.
Facilitate Align Sessions to ensure cross-functional alignment on priorities and executional tactics.
Translate long-range strategies into short- and midterm commercial plans that reflect both internal priorities and external market dynamics.
Develop and execute New Item Execution Plans, integrating brand objectives, growth drivers, and activation tactics into CAPs.
Drive omni-channel planning and activation, ensuring consistency and relevance across physical and digital touchpoints.
Partner with Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain to ensure seamless execution of channel strategies.
Build and maintain an omni-channel strategy and execution playbook.
Contribute to the creation & execution of multi-year distribution strategies that prioritize growth opportunities.
Support governance and feedback loops to ensure continuous improvement and responsiveness to market shifts.
Own and drive growth for assigned categories, ensuring strategies and plans deliver sustainable market share and revenue expansion.
Collaborate with Strategic Planning Managers on MBP/IBP building blocks and content.
Serve as a key liaison between Commercial Development and functions including Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain.
Ensure strategic alignment and executional readiness across teams.
Establish regular touchpoints with key stakeholders to drive collaboration and accountability.