Sales Planning Manager
About The Position
The Sales Planning Manager supports the Sales team with the analysis and planning discipline needed to deliver the annual plan. The role manages sales forecasting and account-level pacing to plan, provides ongoing trade promotion analysis, and monitors trade spend so overspend and underspend can be identified and explained early. Reporting to the Director of Customer Strategy & Planning, the manager partners with Sales, Finance, and Marketing to keep plans accurate and reconciled and supports the Director on trade investment decisions. Success requires strong analytical skills, sound commercial judgment, and the ability to drive alignment without direct authority. The role also develops internal reporting on forecast pacing, trade spend, and retail distribution; works across Sales, Brand Marketing, Finance, and Analytics; and improves planning processes, data accuracy, and tools. Employees are responsible for upholding Amy’s Food Safety and Quality Policy, following Food Safety and Sustainability programs, and participating in required training. Travel is minimal, as required by business needs. A remote or hybrid work option is available.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from a four-year college or university, or equivalent experience.
- At least 5 years of experience in sales planning, trade marketing, revenue management, demand planning, or commercial analytics in CPG.
- Strong analytical skills, including interpreting sales, financial, and trade data, identifying trends, and translating insights into recommendations.
- Hands-on forecasting experience, including building, maintaining, and tracking account-level sales forecasts against plan.
- Working knowledge of CPG sales channels, trade investment, promotional planning, and customer planning processes.
- Ability to partner across Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain and drive alignment without direct authority.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presenting clear recommendations to leadership.
- Strong organizational and project management skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including large data sets and model building, and PowerPoint skills.
- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business documents, reports, and data.
- Ability to calculate and interpret discounts, percentages, trade rates, ROI, and financial projections.
- Ability to solve practical business problems, manage varied situations where standardization may be limited, and interpret written, oral, or data-driven instructions.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in the food and beverage industry.
- Experience with trade management systems such as Telus, demand planning tools such as Arkieva, syndicated category data such as Bedrock, SPINS, or Circana/IRI, and/or BI platforms.
Responsibilities
- Run the annual sales planning process, collecting inputs, managing timelines, and ensuring plans align with company volume and revenue objectives.
- Partner with Sales to build and maintain account-level sales plans aligned with customer strategies, distribution goals, and approved trade investment levels.
- Manage the sales forecast with Sales and track pacing to the annual plan by customer and channel; identify underperforming and overdelivering accounts and report results regularly.
- Keep the sales pipeline accurate, including current line review status, distribution decisions, and investment commitments.
- Reconcile commercial inputs across Sales, Marketing, and Finance so systems of record reflect the same plan; explain variances, root causes, and recommended corrective actions to leadership.
- Provide ongoing trade promotion analysis, including post-event lift, ROI, and efficiency, and use results to improve future plans.
- Build promotional calendars with Sales that meet trade investment guardrails, including minimum net unit pricing, efficiency, and ROI.
- Partner with RGM to confirm planned promotions meet guardrails before approval and escalate exceptions to the Director.
- Monitor trade spend against budget by customer and channel, identify the sources and reasons for over- or underspend, and recommend actions proactively.
- Support Finance with monthly analysis and insights on trade spend variances to plan by customer.
- Build working relationships with Sales, Brand Marketing, Finance, and Analytics counterparts to inform and execute plans.
- Develop internal reporting on forecast pacing, trade spend, and retail distribution for Sales and leadership.
- Identify and address process gaps that slow planning, reduce data accuracy, or create rework; document standard processes and planning tools.
- Uphold Amy’s Food Safety and Quality Policy, follow Food Safety and Sustainability programs, and participate in required training.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- Flexible Spending Accounts.
- Mental health support through Modern Health for employees and their families.
- 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.
- Financial wellness support at no cost.
- Referral Rewards and Scholarship Program.
- Tuition reimbursement.
- Paid parental leave.
- Paid Time Off for vacations and sick days.
- Nine paid US holidays annually.
- Amy’s product discount reimbursement.
- Remote gym discounts.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
