Trade Planning Manager - Kroger

Join a dynamic team at General Mills and make a real impact on our #1 grocery account!

We're seeking a passionate and results-driven Trade Planning Lead to join our Kroger Planning team. In this role, you'll be key in driving our trade marketing strategies, ensuring our products are effectively positioned and promoted to maximize sales, executing promotional efficiency, and building leadership skills in direct management of associates.

What you'll do:

• Lead with data: Provide analytical and trade planning support to our sales team, leveraging data to identify opportunities and optimize performance.
• Build strong relationships: Serve as the key liaison between the sales team and cross-functional partners, including Product Sales Managerss, Trade Director/Trade Marketing Manager, Brand, Strategic Growth Channels, Supply Chain, and Finance teams.
• Drive strategic initiatives: Collaborate on omnichannel planning, supporting the relationship with Kroger's inventory buying group and the National Retail Organization.
• Develop and mentor: Lead and manage a team of associates as direct reports, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.

What skills are needed to be successful:

• A strategic thinker: You can translate data into actionable insights and develop winning strategies.
• A collaborative leader: You thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy working cross-functionally.
• A results-oriented individual: You're driven to achieve goals and have a strong bias for action.
• An engaging communicator: You can effectively communicate with both internal and external stakeholders.

This role is based out of our Kroger Cincinnati Business Center (KBC) in Cincinnati, OH.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

EXECUTIONAL EXCELLENCE

• Take personal accountability and ownership for results, deeply understands consumers, deliver market-leading innovation and prioritize what's important
• Maintain accurate planning and spending information in the trade planning system; educate others on the importance of trade planner accuracy
• Integrate customer data and knowledge of GMI's trade strategy to make promotion and incentive recommendations to advance GMI's trade marketing strategies
• Implement and evaluate the trade strategies for a specific category or customer and make recommendations for improvements
• Participate in the design of promotional programs and coordinate their implementation with key customers

PROBLEM SOLVING & ANALYTICS

• Gather and analyze syndicated data (e.g., from Nielsen/IRI, consumers, and/or customers) in order to identify opportunities to drive sales volume through distribution, shelving, merchandising, and pricing.
• Leverage enterprise-wide problem-solving tools to address business problems

SELLING EXPERTISE & LEADERSHIP

• Provide selling teams with support and guidance on trade tools provided by GMI's central trade planning team
• Assist with the development of customer presentations
• Support the development of joint business plans with customers by defining opportunities, providing key information, and preparing presentation materials

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree required
• 2+ years of relevant industry experience in sales, account management, trade funding, category management or other relevant experience
• Successful demonstration of analytical skills using various data sources (e.g., Nielsen, IRI, CPM, sales data)
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior experience working with Kroger
• Prior experience working for CPG with an understanding of merchandising planning

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best - bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what's next.