Customer Category Manager, Kroger

Ready for more than just a job? Build a career with purpose.

At Lactalis in the USA, we're committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our people to learn, grow, and thrive-whether you're just starting your journey with us or looking to take the next step in your career. From day one, we offer the tools and support to help you succeed.

As the world leader in dairy, Lactalis is a family-owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Each day, we're proud to produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together.

In the US, we proudly offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani Italian cheeses and ricotta, President specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone's cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond cheddar, and Parmalat milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi's, Stonyfield Organic, Brown Cow, Oui, Yoplait, Go-Gurt, :ratio, Green Mountain Creamery, and Mountain High, along with a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun, Gopi, and Arz.

At Lactalis, we live by our core values-Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity. We foster a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone's unique background and ideas are valued.

Even if you don't meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help us shape the future of dairy.

From your PASSION to ours

The Customer Category Manager (CCM) is responsible for the selling efforts with their assigned customers as a member of a Customer Business Team (CBT). The position represents Lactalis Heritage Dairy to the Customer's Category Management and Buying Office personnel. The CCM manages assigned customers and responsibilities effectively and acts as a liaison between Lactalis Heritage Dairy CBT and the Customer's HQ Team. They will be responsible for all the selling activities across the Lactalis Heritage Dairy portfolio for their assigned customers. The CCM delivers revenue and profitability, pursues business strategies to grow the company franchises through the use of customer-specific programs, provides category management expertise to the customer, ensures that coordinated cross-functional sales value is delivered to the customer through implementation of the sales plan and shelving objectives.? This CCM position is for Kroger.

From your STORY to ours

• Effectively partner with their assigned customers to build rapport at all levels and to fully understand the customer, their business, and the marketplace
• Responsible for achieving base business objectives of assigned customer (revenue, share growth, margin contribution, authorizations, distribution, optimal shelving)
• Regular category & business reviews with the Customer's Category Managers & Key Account Management personnel to affect positive business growth
• Achieve CBT new item authorization and distribution goals with their assigned customer
• Oversee trade spending & promotional programs
• Achieve promotional revenue objectives by tactic, price point, drive period & selling vent for their assigned categories and customer
• Effectively execute Lactalis Heritage Dairy pricing strategies for all assigned categories for the customer
• Provide key inputs for demand planning & the S&OP process
• Develop sales/account plans to meet customers' objectives while operating within corporate initiatives and guidelines (i.e., customized SKUs, operational targets, etc.)
• Partner with internal cross-functional team (i.e. Category Leadership, Supply Chain, Finance, Business Unit Sales, Marketing, etc.)
• Work with broker/Retail team to manage execution of all assigned category objectives for the customer
• Responsible for maintaining files and business documentation as directed by Lactalis Heritage Dairy Policy & the CBT to thoroughly document business transactions with the customer

From your EXPERTISE to ours

• Bachelor's Degree?
• 5 years of experience in customer management, account management, and/or retail sales management for a CPG company (OPTIONAL: Kroger or High-Low customer experience is a plus)
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with the Customer and gain their trust and respect
• Strong personal selling skills and negotiation skills
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written
• Self-motivated, ability to operate independently
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and create action plans
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines within specified time constraints
• Ability to demonstrate strong problem solving and decision making skills
• Ability to succeed in a collaborative team environment
• Ability to adapt in a changing work environment
• Ability to use consumption scan data (OPTIONAL: Market6, IRI Unify, and Tableau experience is a plus)
• Strong Excel skills * Solid working knowledge of computers and related systems including proficiency in Microsoft Applications
• Ability to travel (up to 15%)

At Lactalis, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of affordable benefits and coverage options. We support insurance costs significantly, contribute generously to retirement plans, and offer Paid Time Off from day one. We are committed to your professional growth, providing training and development opportunities, including Education Reimbursement. Join us and grow your career.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities. Further, any division of the Company that is an Affirmative Action Employer will comply with all related legal obligations.