Senior Business Development Manager – Kroger & Harris Teeter

Kinder's•Cincinnati, OH

2h•$120,000 - $140,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Kinder's is a rapidly growing CPG company, aiming for $1 billion in revenue, and is seeking adventurous and fearless individuals to join their team. This role is responsible for driving profitable growth for Kinder's by leveraging deep expertise in Kroger’s ecosystem, including 84.51° and Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM). The position involves building strategic partnerships, developing Joint Business Plans, and ensuring best-in-class execution across both brick-and-mortar and digital platforms. The ideal candidate will combine customer-centric thinking, data-driven decision making, and entrepreneurial ownership to accelerate Kinder’s growth within Kroger’s merchandising and shopper platforms.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
10+ years of CPG sales or customer leadership experience, with direct Kroger and/or Harris Teeter experience required
Strong understanding of Kroger systems and tools, including 84.51°, Stratum, KPM, and retailer portals
Proven track record of delivering results against Kroger-specific KPIs
Deep expertise in category management, shopper insights, and trade promotion within Kroger’s operating model
Demonstrated success navigating Kroger’s matrixed merchandising organization
Strong analytical and financial acumen, with the ability to translate Kroger data into actionable insights
Experience working with brokers supporting Kroger divisions and Harris Teeter
Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence across multiple levels of the organization
Proven leadership capability, with people management experience or readiness to lead
High ownership mindset with a bias for action, adaptability, and results
Willingness to travel (20%)

Responsibilities

Own and strengthen relationships with Kroger and Harris Teeter merchants, category managers, and leadership, positioning Kinder’s as a category growth partner aligned to Kroger’s Customer 1st strategy.
Develop and execute Joint Business Plans (JBPs) that deliver against Kroger scorecard metrics, same store sales, share growth, household penetration, and profitability.
Leverage 84.51° insights, Kroger Plus shopper data, and loyalty analytics to identify opportunities and shape customer-specific growth strategies.
Build compelling, data-driven selling stories using syndicated data (Circana/IRI/Nielsen) alongside Kroger-specific insights to influence assortment, shelving, and promotional decisions.
Lead assortment optimization and item authorization processes, identifying voids and expanding Kinder’s distribution through new item presentations and innovation pipelines.
Partner with Kroger teams to execute digital-first strategies, including Kroger.com, pickup & delivery, and Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) activation.
Own sales forecasting by leading promotional planning and execution within Kroger systems, including trade promotion management (TPM), event planning, forecast alignment, and post-promotion ROI analysis.
Manage trade investment across Kroger and Harris Teeter, ensuring efficient allocation of billbacks, scan funding, and shopper marketing dollars.
Deliver best-in-class in-store execution by influencing planograms (POGs), displays, secondary placements, and seasonal merchandising events.
Lead off-shelf programs, including shippers, pallets, and cross-merchandising initiatives aligned with Kroger’s merchandising calendar.
Partner cross-functionally with Kinder’s marketing, supply chain, finance, and insights teams to deliver seamless execution and support Kroger-specific initiatives.
Monitor performance against Kroger KPIs, proactively identifying risks and opportunities and implementing corrective actions.
Lead line reviews, category reviews, and top-to-top presentations, grounded in Kroger-specific insights and shopper data.
Support and drive alignment with Kroger initiatives such as Our Brands collaboration, personalization, and eCommerce growth.