Director Sales

Advantage Solutions•Cincinnati, OH

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Director of Sales – Kroger Team At our Company, we grow People, Brands, and Businesses! We are seeking a Director of Sales who will be responsible for the overall management of Advantage’s Kroger grocery/center store business. This position is responsible for achieving the market’s Profit and Loss (“P&L”) targets and generating new growth opportunities for our clients. It is a pivotal role in the management of the team members responsible for achieving client deliverables related to each client’s budget and bonus objectives. The Company is one of North America’s leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today. Position Summary Responsible for the overall management of assigned market(s). Title of Director Sales (vs. Sales Manager) is awarded based on a combination of the market’s volume, number of customers and associated complexity, and the market’s strategic importance. The position is responsible for achieving the market’s Profit and Loss (“P&L”) targets, generating new business opportunities, and managing the business unit operations. It is a pivotal role in the management of the team members responsible for achieving client deliverables related to each client’s budget and bonus objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree required or equivalent experience in Sales
7+ years experience in sales, consumer packaged goods, and/or food brokerage organization or equivalent
(3) successfully managing a P&L, budgeting and forecasting, and managing client expectations either personally or through a team
(4) years previous experience with managing direct reports
Extensive understanding of the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry (Kroger experience strongly preferred)
Ability to research and analyze data effectively – proficient with Stratum (84.51) and Circana dashboards
10+ years of experience in sales, consumer packaged goods, and/or food brokerage organization or equivalent
5 years successfully managing a P&L, budgeting and forecasting, and managing client expectations either personally or through a team
5 years previous experience with managing direct reports
Conflict management skills
Well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle a fast-paced work environment
Good interpersonal skills
Ability to make oral presentations
Team building Skills
Decision making skills
Extensive understanding of the CPG industry
Ability to work effectively with management
Flexible and adaptable, able to change and alter according to changes in projects or business environment
Excellent written communication and verbal communication skills
Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and web-browsers
Ability to complete multiple duties with accuracy shifting from one to another with frequent interruptions and competing deadlines
Ability to exercise sound judgment
Ability to direct, lead, coach, and develop people
Ability to research and analyze data effectively
Demonstrated ability to provide cross-functional leadership

Nice To Haves

Extensive understanding of the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry (Kroger experience strongly preferred)

Responsibilities

Manage business unit resources to deliver EBITDA objective within the organization.
Identify revenue opportunities and align business unit resources to gain those new revenue opportunities.
Strategize with and mentor a team of Key Account Managers to grow client relationships and Kroger business.
Develop and maintain strong cross-functional relationships at the mid to senior level of the organization.
Manage and lead staffing priorities so that workload balancing/utilization is maximized.
Ability to anticipate future market changes so that resources can be adjusted; accordingly, this includes planning for new revenue growth as well as customer shifts/consolidations.
Achieve P&L targets: Manage business unit resources to deliver EBITDA objective.
Drive revenue growth: Identify revenue opportunities and align business unit resources to gain those new revenue opportunities.
Client Management: Work with the BDM to organize business unit team to retain and grow all client relationships. In conjunction with the BDM, ensure that a plan is in place with each client to achieve client Key Performance Indicators (“KPIs”) to create “raving fans”.
Customer Relationships: Work with all roles that have direct customer responsibility to build and nurture strong customer relationships at the mid to senior level of the organization; help sales associates establish a pattern of regular communication and business reviews to create “raving fans” of our customers.
Team Leadership: Manage and lead staffing priorities so that workload balancing/utilization is maximized. Engage associates so that they are a part of the ongoing solution. Set and communicate clear expectations.
People Development: Manage talent to meet future business needs by identifying high potential(s) within the team, create and implement individual development plans for high potential(s), identify a successor, and effectively manage associates who are not satisfactorily achieving the Company, client, and/or customer performance/business objectives.
Forecasting: Ability to anticipate future market changes so that resources can be adjusted accordingly; this includes planning for new revenue growth as well as customer shifts/consolidations.