Customer Development Manager, Retail Strategy & Insights

Ajinomoto Foods North America

10h

About The Position

The Customer Development Manager, Retail Strategy & Insights, plays a pivotal role in driving growth across the CPG channel by leading category and consumer insights that power business strategies and execution in close partnership with the Sales Team. This individual is the go-to expert for category and shopper analytics, transforming data into compelling stories and actionable recommendations that advance Ajinomoto-branded and customer businesses. You will partner closely with Sales, Marketing, and cross-functional teams to identify opportunities, address performance challenges, and deliver strategic guidance that drives incremental category growth, brand performance, and retailer engagement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
5–10 years of relevant CPG industry experience (supplier, retailer, or broker).
Proven track record in Category Management, Sales, or Business Analytics.
Advanced proficiency with syndicated and POS data tools (Nielsen, Circana, Retail Link, 84.51, etc.).
Experience using shopper card data systems (e.g., EYC, Stratum, Circana, Luminate).
Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills; proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Skilled in data visualization and storytelling.
Exceptional written and verbal communication.
Collaborative mindset with strong interpersonal skills.
Creative thinker with the ability to influence and inspire action.
Positive, team-oriented attitude and a passion for driving results.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with space management software preferred.

Responsibilities

Drive Growth: Achieve sales and profit objectives within the CPG channel through strategic insights, category leadership, and collaboration with sales partners.
Strategic Collaboration: Partner with sales leaders to uncover and pursue new business opportunities, including innovation launches and growth initiatives.
Insight Development: Lead the development and presentation of category reviews and business analyses to internal and external stakeholders, identifying opportunities and recommending clear actions to grow both the category and Ajinomoto brands.
Data Integration: Leverage all available data sources — syndicated, shopper, and POS — to support fact-based recommendations and business decisions based on brand and company share, distribution, and velocity.
Customer & Broker Partnership: Build and maintain strong, consultative relationships with key customer stakeholders to influence category strategies and execution in partnership with Brokers.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with internal teams across Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure alignment and execution of growth plans.
Business Problem-Solving: Proactively identify performance issues and recommend data-driven solutions that address root causes and unlock opportunities.
Thought Leadership: Serve as a trusted business insights consultant to both Ajinomoto leadership and retail partners, providing innovative, actionable ideas to drive mutual growth.
Knowledge Sharing: Communicate learnings and best practices across the sales organization to enhance team capabilities and elevate execution excellence via consistent performance summaries and category trends.
Mentorship: Educate, coach, and influence cross-functional peers by sharing insights, fostering collaboration, and driving the adoption of data-led strategies.
Pricing & Promotion Strategy: Analyze market promotional tactics, strategies, and effectiveness to support trade spend optimization and retail media spend optimization.
Planogram Management: Manage and support store planograms by working with sales and merchandising teams to optimize shelf layouts, ensure compliance with retailer guidelines, and drive category growth through effective product placement strategies.
Retailer Specific Support: Providing sales teams with retailer-specific trends on category growth opportunities, assortment, and product offerings to support incremental distribution or planogram placements.