Key Account Manager II

Advantage Solutions • Rochester, NY

116d

About The Position

The KAM II is a salesperson responsible for meeting sales quotas and expense budgets for assigned clients by managing sales programs, promotional spending, distribution levels, shelf placement and strategic planning initiatives. Our clients are defined as the manufacturers, vendors, or brands who have contracted Advantage as their sales force. Our customers are defined as retailers, wholesalers, or distributors, to whom we sell our clients’ brands. This teammate will collaborate with clients to develop strategic plans to accomplish the business goals and work with retailer associates (such as buyers, category managers, replenishment managers, and others) on Headquarter calls to implement the programs. This teammate will own the relationship with our clients. This teammate will make decisions regarding spending of our clients’ trade funds to drive increased sales, and will sign, implement, and execute contracts at our customers, on our clients’ behalf. This position also works closely with internal Advantage Solutions associates such as Customer Managers and order entry, claims, category management, schematics and retail associates to increase sales volume within a market. This incumbent may be dedicated to servicing one or multiple clients’ goals, while also encompassing customer relations and implementation. Clients will consist of Pioneering clients (manufacturers that do not currently have distribution in the customers the associate is responsible for), Regional clients (manufacturers not represented through a National contract but rather retain the services on a regional, market, or customer specific basis) or Tier 3 clients (manufacturers with minimal volume, sku counts, and commission revenue).

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience.
• 4-6 years of experience managing or working closely with key retailers, including department heads, category managers, buyers, and other retail stakeholders.
• Proven experience managing high-value accounts, developing long-term relationships, and delivering on customer objectives (e.g., sales growth, promotional execution).
• Strong sales presentation and development skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Working knowledge of syndicated data.
• Intermediate or advanced computer skills.
• Strong written communication and verbal communication skills.
• Conflict management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to provide cross-functional leadership.
• Well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle a fast-paced work environment.
• Flexible and adaptable, able to change and alter according to changes in projects or business environment.
• Ability to complete multiple duties with accuracy shifting from one to another with frequent interruptions and competing deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Drive our clients’ business at assigned customer. Increase distribution, grow sales dollars/units/share/other KPI’s, while staying on spend.
• Responsible for ensuring retail/merchandising execution and basic eCommerce execution.
• Achieves targeted income and expense budgets by implementing promotional and marketing strategies.
• Analyzes trends and results to identify growth opportunities and makes recommendations to clients and customers.
• Monitors and drives growth through efficient management of promotional spending within guidelines on assigned client.
• Meets budgetary goals by maintaining strict control and accounting of accrual and bill-back funds for assigned client.
• Meets expectation for managing period ending fund balance performance with no overspends vs. trade budget.
• Meets or exceeds Client’s goals for sales, distribution, share, pricing, shelving, and promotional volume.
• Launches strategies to pursue new opportunities.
• Implements retailer headquarter calls and penetrate key positions at the retailer to achieve sales goals.
• Ensure that all retail pricing and indirect order guides within the division is updated by regularly correcting discrepancies.
• Secure Client approved schematics for all Clients’ brands by providing direction and communication to our schematic, reset, and retail department.
• Ensure incremental sales through distribution of new products and maintenance of existing SKUs.
• Collaborate with category management team to develop retailer presentations by using database rationale such as SKU optimization, efficient promotion causal data, and lift analysis.
• Manage accounts to achieve the targeted ACV on Innovation.
• Builds and maintains effective client and retailer relationships in order to ensure customer access and client perspective.
• Demonstrates sales accomplishments and areas of opportunity by developing sales presentations for Customers and Clients.
• Implements Customer HQ Calls and demonstrates an ability to penetrate key positions at the retailer.
• Offers strategic input pursuant to annual business plans, problem solving, ongoing customer management.
• Provides timely and fluid communication on Client goals, programs, price changes, and priorities.
• Manages difficult situations, issues and conflicts to get to an effective outcome.

What This Job Offers

• Education Level: Bachelor's degree