Director of Sales Strategy

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Company Description : Instinct is a rapidly growing, family-owned marketer and manufacturer of science-based 100% natural pet food 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 lives.

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 live by our 4 values of championing raw, empowered to make a difference, collaborating as one team, and striving for excellence through continuous learning and improvement.

Our home office is located in St. Louis, Missouri, with our Center of Excellence Raw Food kitchens in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Position Summary : This critical role will oversee the Sales Strategy and Retail Marketing function, leading the development and execution of integrated retail marketing strategies, category management optimization, and the Integrated Business Management (IBM) process to include commercial planning and sales forecasting.

They will help maximize Instinct revenue growth performance through strategic planning and effective deployment of our trade and shopper marketing resources and deliver increased market share and financial objectives.

Primary Job Responsibilities :

Develop and lead the Sales Strategy function including : Integrated Business Management (IBM) process across all retail channels (brick & mortar and e-commerce);

Category Management including 6P retail strategy; Revenue Growth Management; and Shopper Marketing to deliver organizational objectives.

• Own and develop with a Continuous Improvement mindset the IBM process as the critical central point between marketing, sales, supply chain, finance, and retail marketing teams.
• Bring a data-driven category leadership approach to Retail Marketing strategy with customers that delivers on sales and velocity expectations to deliver financial plans.
• Build and maintain relationships with key retail partners to ensure alignment of Instinct priorities with retailer goals and objectives.
• Oversee the planning and execution of integrated omni-channel retail marketing campaigns and go-to-market strategies that drive sales growth across product platforms.
• Drive customer strategy and net sales optimization inputs through the Annual Customer Planning Process with Joint Business Planning (JBP) for strategic customers in partnership with Sales.
• Establish KPIs to measure the success of retail marketing and category management to ensure ongoing performance optimization using IBM inputs and analytics, including promotional analysis and competitive tactics.
• Lead, empower, and develop a high-performing team currently consisting of 4 Retail Marketing; 1 Revenue Growth Manager;

6 Field-Based Sales and Veterinary Support.

Personal Attributes :

• Must be willing to both lead and dig in where necessary to support and drive business goals in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to effectively work cross-functionally and positively contribute and influence the team’s effectiveness.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail with a high level of accuracy.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to leverage data and consumer inputs to drive strategic decision-making.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Required Experience :

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or related field; Master’s or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years progressive sales and / or marketing experience in CPG industry, including at least 5 years of leadership experience in Sales Strategy / Retail Marketing.
• Exceptional data analytics with syndicated customer POS / Loyalty data systems.
• Proven expertise in category management and Integrated Business Management.

Travel Requirements :

• Periodic travel to attend strategic customer planning and review meetings.
• Annual travel to Lincoln, NE for Company Rally.

Compensation and Benefits :

Highly 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.

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