Retail Education & Training Associate

Company Description: Instinct® is a rapidly growing, family-owned marketer and manufacturer of natural pet foods for dogs and cats. Instinct® is the Raw Brand, with a mission to get more raw nutrition into every bowl of dogs and cats, for proven healthier and happier long life. Our company mission is to Empower people to transform the lives of pets. We are committed to hiring and developing a team of passionate, performance-oriented professionals who love to win and make a positive difference

Position Summary: This pet passionate individual will represent and ‘own’ Instinct® raw nutrition in both the National Accounts and Regional Key Accounts. Working closely with the Retail Marketing Team and Key Account Managers, this individual will perform all retail associate training, in-store or digital education support, and necessary execution activities within a defined market geography and associated key accounts.

Primary Job Responsibilities

• Complete detailed customer visit and training reports (CRM)
• Manage and track travel and expenses
• This training will be delivered in multiple settings: via virtual and in person, in large group, small group and one-to-one environments
• Additional Responsibilities as needed:
• Make Instinct® fans and friends by sharing your knowledge and demonstrating your commitment to the success of the store with regular engagement and support
• Collaborate with Account Managers on account priorities
• Partner with Key Account Managers to ensure in-store and digital activation of the raw education experience; support the execution of robust in-store learning experiences for pet parents through visual merchandising and consumer education resources
• Fundamental understanding of Instinct® brand, products, nutrition, and strategy as it relates to retailer partners with the expectation of continued education within the role
• High level of nutrition knowledge and focus on product attributes, brand positioning, target consumers and key questions to match pet parent needs with the right product solution
• Represent the Instinct® brand on social media in stores and build retail associate influencer network
• Train and persuade retail sales associates on the superiority of raw nutrition
• Participate in retailer and distributor events with opportunities to educate pet parents on Instinct®
• Partner with Retail Marketing Team and other trainers to create memorable interactive content that continues to develop nutritional proficiency within retailers

Personal Attributes

• High-energy go-getter who thrives in a fast-paced environment
• Knowledge of, or aptitude for, learning detailed animal nutrition and product information
• Not afraid to dig in and take on a variety of tasks independently
• Enjoys meeting new people and talking to anyone
• Creative and outside-the-box thinker
• Loves to learn new knowledge and skill sets both independently and in groups

Required Experience

• Excellent communication skills, written and spoken
• Experience and comfort speaking in front of various sized groups and engaging audiences
• 1-2 years retail sales or training experience

Preferred Experience

• Digital/social media savvy
• Veterinary experience, including veterinary technicians and veterinary students
• Bachelor’s degree
• Pet industry experience

Travel Requirements:

• Reliable transportation
• Overnight travel ~50%+ and flexible hours based on the needs of the business that may include evening or weekends

Compensation and Benefits

Competitive compensation package includes health and dental insurance, life and AD&D insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, short and long-term disability, paid time off, Purpose Days off for company partner volunteer opportunities, and 401k with company match

Our Instinct is to CHAMPION Diversity

At Instinct, we are as passionate about our people as we are about the pets we call family. We are committed to inclusion, empowerment, and respect. We believe that just like our pets, what sets us apart unleashes our greatest strengths. We thrive on the ability to not only empower people to transform the lives of pets through raw nutrition, but also to empower each other to inspire a culture that celebrates our differences. Our unique approach to pet food is what makes us who we are as a company, and our individual identities are what makes us a successful, innovative, authentic team.