Senior Manager, Sales & Operations Planning

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Founded in 1888, Lee Kum Kee, a Hong Kong-based global food company, specializes in creating condiments and sauces that promote Chinese cuisine worldwide. With more than 200 products to choose from, Lee Kum Kee takes the mystery out of cooking authentic and delicious Asian foods in the comfort of your kitchen. Lee Kum Kee is committed to providing authentic and innovative condiments and sauces featuring the highest quality ingredients. Armed with a unique management culture, stringent quality control, superb and innovative products, coupled with the century-long brand reputation, Lee Kum Kee has achieved unanimous recognition and won numerous prestigious awards.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Market Development Manager is responsible for working with customers (distributors, key accounts, retail and/or food service end point) in assigned territories and working closely with the GM to achieve the annual net sales & profit targets, executing and monitoring promotional activities within the A&P budget, working with direct guidance from GM as it relates to business planning and customer strategy and executing business strategies and tactics as directed.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Develop, implement, and evaluate trade and shopper marketing initiatives, based on insights.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with colleagues across levels and functions.
• Monitor and evaluate competitor activity and products.
• Working in close collaboration with cross functions (such as sales & marketing, Accounts & Finance, Supply Chain, Headquarters, etc) to achieve the company’s goals.
• Execute various sales and marketing projects, including management and administrative duties.
• Understand and execute marketing plan sales material; monitor trade activity execution.
• Analyze potential or existing problems and know how to correct them as proactively as possible through analytics of the accounts, knowledge of accounts, and the relationships built with the customer.
• Responsible for providing customers with legal documents and certificates necessary to legally register LKK products to comply with local food regulations.
• Maximizing all sales opportunities through alignment.
• Manage Sales Distributors & direct Retail accounts to maintain relationships with all other customers and execute LKK plans to drive profitable and sustainable sales growth.
• Responsible for product and service development plans to meet market needs.
• Forecast sales volume & trade dollars, maximize trade investments and efficiencies aligned to business objectives.
• Responsible for directing sales forecast activities and setting performance goals accordingly.
• Represent the Company at trade association meetings, food shows, tradeshows, etc. to promote products.
• Manage new product launches and expand distribution of LKK products.
• Proactively execute operations to solve customer challenges, from the new product setup to on-time deliveries.
• Develop and implement strategic sales plans to meet annual corporate and sales volume goals.
• Other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time.
• Monitor accounts receivable and sales transactions in a cross-functional role with Accounts & Finance, and Sales Operations.
• Direct channel development activities and coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals.
• Travel to assigned territories to meet with existing and potential customers to negotiate trade terms and discuss marketing plans to achieve sales targets.
• Review market analysis to determine customer needs, establish trade programs, and offer promotional activities. Understand syndicated data and consumption-based analytics from a topline perspective.
• Foster positive relationships with existing customers; explore and develop more business opportunities. Timely handle customers’ inquiries.
• Maximize store visits weekly and submit weekly visit reports along with store visit checklists.
• Develop and evaluate new markets/territories through distribution channels to promote products.
• Deliver sales presentations to key clients in coordination with Brokers and Sales Distributors to maintain relationships, negotiate, and close deals while elevating the expectations of broker responsibilities.
• Prepare quality business plans, budgets, presentations, and reports as required.
• Business Planning/Financial Accountability: Conduct sales analytics, using available insights to provide solutions to customer needs.
• Evaluate customer-specific reports and standardized IMS/LDIA/IRI reports; handle expired and damaged products.
• Directly manage key focus customers located in Eastern Canada.
• Partner with business analyst and marketing team in reporting and analytics.
• Business and category analysis, develop & present category management solutions.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

A. EDUCATION, SKILLS and EXPERIENCE

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and be insured as the position requires travel by automobile in the assigned territory.
• Ability to work within a matrix organization.
• Ability to troubleshoot problems.
• Strong analytical and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work independently in cross-functional teams to achieve established goals.
• Good understanding of AC Nielsen reports & experience in operating SAP.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy of data entry.
• Must be organized, dependable, punctual, professional, and ethical with an ability to multi-task and prioritize accordingly to meet deadlines.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office suite: Word, Excel, Outlook & PowerPoint.
• Demonstrated ability to manage trade spending.
• Minimum a Bachelor’s degree in Business or related discipline from an accredited university/college with a minimum of 5 years of experience in fast-moving consumer goods.
• Strong business and financial acumen: business analytics skills, customer P&L agility, ability to plan, track and evaluate trade management.
• Strong technical, report-running and analytical abilities.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in CPG/Retail Sales/Key account management, including Loblaw, Walmart, Sobeys, Metro & etc.
• Ability to make recommendations for solutions based on information gathered and analyzed from the systems previously mentioned.

B. LANGUAGE SKILLS

• This individual must possess excellent English communication and presentational skills both written and verbal. The individual will conduct presentations in large and small group settings.

C. MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• The individual must be able to interpret an extensive variety of technical sales instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• The individual must be able to apply mathematical concepts to compute rates, discounts, percentages, and draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Ability to define problems through data gathering and analysis, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

D. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The individual must travel to meet business needs.
• Specific vision abilities are required by this job including close vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and fingers to perform daily job functions (computer and office equipment use).
• There is occasional lifting and the need to be able to lift 50 pounds.
• The employee is required to stand, sit, kneel, and walk when performing essential job functions (visits to restaurants, customers).

E. WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• The position requires ability to travel – more than 30% of the time this position is expected to be out of its home office.
• On occasion, the candidate may travel to Zone office in which the noise level in the work environment is light to moderate.
• The position is often home office settings, with traveling to secondary locations such as customer/user sites.

It is Lee Kum Kee’s policy to seek and employ the most qualified persons in all jobs in a manner that will ensure equal employment opportunity as well as administer personnel actions in a manner as to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability or protected veteran status. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.