Job Description

About MPG & Wodika Devine

Market Performance Group, LLC (MPG) & Wodika Devine are innovative consulting and sales management services companies that specialize in helping manufacturers and retailers define a better path forward to accelerate growth and profitability. We are an experience-based team that revels in the opportunity to collaborate with our clients - from large multinational firms to small, entrepreneurial startups - to achieve stronger marketplace performance. The MPG & Wodika Devine leadership team bring over 20 years of experience, having held significant roles at major consumer packaged goods and retailing organizations. This background and bias for action, combined with diverse management and project experiences, positions MPG as a valuable resource for a wide variety of client initiatives.

Job Overview

The successful Sales Manager for Meijer & Walgreens is tasked with working closely with high priority regional and national customers on behalf of MPG and Wodika Devine. The successful candidate will be accountable for consistent improvement of sales, distribution, and market penetration with strict adherence to achievement of all goals within assigned budgets. The ideal candidate will be in the Grand Rapids, MI or surrounding area.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Establish robust short-term and long-term objectives for key customers, as well as strategies to ensure delivery of goals. Ensure that customer objectives are closely aligned with client goals
Achieve all assigned and mutually agreed upon client and customer objectives within assigned trade investment budgets
Establish and achieve specific MBOs that are closely aligned with the company and client objectives
Develop a proactive communication protocol and discipline with all stakeholders to include clients, customers and company management. Ensure that all relevant information, positive or not, be conveyed in real time supported by relevant facts and, where appropriate, recommendations and options for alternative actions
Leverage all relevant data including customer POS, syndicated data (Nielsen), factory shipments and other industry sources to create and deliver fact-based customer and client specific proposals and recommendations.
Work effectively and productively within the MPG team to include support resources, peers and management to achieve client intimacy and the achievement of company goals

Required Skills and Capabilities

Highly preferred – experience working with Meijer, and/or Walgreens
Ability to think critically about the client, partner goals
Ability to effectively understand client’s analytical needs
Effective and efficient project management skills with the ability to prioritize, multi-task, and keep projects moving and on time
Strong communication and presentation skills that will allow for success in a virtual team environment
Ability to manage successfully in the matrix environment, able to build positive working interfaces across dotted line reporting relationships
Robust knowledge of consumer products industry and category, brand, and retail strategies

Skills and Experience

Hands-on, self-starter that takes the initiative to address all business threats and opportunities.
Ability to apply a level of analytical rigor with the understanding of POS & syndicated data.
Proficient in developing and delivering high quality fact-based presentations, both internally and externally.
Strong planning and organizational skills, with the ability to manage the sales process effectively.
Must understand the dynamics of both the Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail industries.
Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a position of Account Management, required.
Bachelor’s degree, 4+ years’ relevant experience in sales or a sales related field, working with Meijer and/or Walgreens, or combination of both.
Experience working in an internal sales support role i.e., Sales Operations, Sales Strategy/Channel Marketing, or Category Management/Analytics is a plus.
Knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Experience & Education

4 year degree preferred
Strong and diverse experience managing large and complex retailers in the NE and or Midwest markets. (must have)
Experience working for both a manufacturer and a broker as well as a background in trade marketing or brand marketing (these in some combinations are a highly desired / nice to have)
Strong analytical skills: ability to extract the key insights and call to action from various data sources (must have)
Exceptionally strong oral and written communication skills (must have)
Elevated level of computer literacy in Microsoft products, Nielsen/Circana data, etc. (must have)
Dedicated team player – willingness to do what is necessary to achieve team success (must have)
Effective and efficient project management skills with the ability to prioritize, multi-task, & keep projects moving
Knowledge of consumer products industry & category, brand, & retail strategies
Ability to listen, understand, & resolve competing priorities

Benefits

We offer a generous package of health benefits, medical, dental, vision, STD/LTD, paid maternity/paternity leave and life insurance. Our compensation program provides market industry base salary, bonuses, 401K match. You will receive a generous amount of paid time off, through vacation, sick time, personal days, service and holiday time.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year

Benefits: