Director-Club Channel Sales

Apply Job Type Full-time Description

Lactalis USA is currently seeking candidates to join our Sales team.

Lactalis, the world leader in dairy, is a family-owned business with more than 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals worldwide, committed to nurturing the future by providing healthy and delicious dairy products that bring people together every day.

We offer an enviable range of dairy brands including Galbani®, Président®, Kraft® Natural Cheese, Cracker Barrel®, Black Diamond®, Parmalat®, Siggi’s®, and Stonyfield Organic® in addition to several brands imported from our affiliates in Europe.

At Lactalis, our core values of AMBITION , ENGAGEMENT , and SIMPLICITY are at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to building a safe, diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace and we know that our candidates come from many different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.

If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we still encourage you to apply and share with us your STORY , your PASSION , and your EXPERTISE ! You may be just the perfect candidate for this or other roles within our company.

From your PASSION to ours

The Director, Club Channel Sales is responsible for leading the development, execution and delivery of the Sales strategic plan for the Lactalis US Yogurt ( LUSY ) business at Costco and BJ’s.

The Director is focused on ensuring top and bottom-line growth targets are met for their Channel and that sales are maximized through strong partnerships with our HQ sales team, cross-functional team (including Supply Chain, Industrial, Finance, Marketing) and our sales broker teams.

The role is expected to build a strong relationship with our designated Brand Champion at Costco and work closely with them and the commercial team to co-build our innovation pipeline and long-term rotation strategy.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include :

• Lead Field Sales and Channel Strategy for the LUSY Branded and Private Label business at Costco US and BJ’s.
• Develop strategic plans to deliver targets, including rotational strategy, accrual management and development of long-term innovation pipeline.
• Partner with the Commercial Executive Team (including VP of Sales and CEO) on overall channel growth & profit targets, pricing, and trade investment.
• Collaborate cross-functionally, including Sales Strategy, Finance, Marketing, Project Management, and Supply Chain, to ensure that the Club channel sales strategies and priorities are clearly understood, aligned and integrated into the overall Commercial initiatives.

Heightened focus on forecasting, customer service and capacity management.

• Partner with Costco International to ensure cohesive approach to managing Private Label volume commitments and Supply Chain communication.
• Promote and support the development of Direct Report(s), providing a culture of coaching and enabling meaningful growth opportunities.
• Review the financial results of Club channel and trade investment plans & ROI, comparing them with the stated objectives and acting appropriately to correct unsatisfactory performance and results.
• Key member of the LUSY Sales Leadership Team and Lactalis US Yogurt Sales Leadership team. Opportunities to interact with the global Lactalis team to share best practices.
• Other responsibilities as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities :

• Act as a role model, challenge the status quo, collaborate with leaders and team to build alignment and engagement - enhancing their ability to achieve goals.
• Responsibilities, focused specifically on the Natural Channel Field Sales team, include overseeing interviewing, hiring, and training employees;

planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing issues and resolving problems either directly or through direct reports.

Travel Requirements :

• Domestic travel : 30-50% of the time; potential opportunity for Global travel
• Required to attend key monthly in person in our New Hampshire office (Up to 3 times a month)

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following :

Education & Experience

An advanced degree in business or related field is preferred

Specialized Knowledge

• 8+ years of experience in CPG sales; at least 5 years managing customers (direct sales and / or broker-distributor management) is preferred.
• Experience with Costco and a thorough understanding of their buying and promotion strategy is required (direct sales, sales strategy and / or channel management).
• Experience in food industry, manufacturing, and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) is preferred.

Skills / Abilities

• Highly motivated and results-oriented, with a proven ability to think fast on your feet and adapt to changing situations.
• Strong skillset in both traditional Account Management as well as General Management.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Costco and BJ’s needs, expectations, and financial motivators to develop and deliver appropriate sales plans.
• Thorough understanding of trade accrual management, sales plan development and P&L’s.
• Demonstrated experience partnering cross-functionally to develop and commercialize innovation / line extensions, manage monthly / annual forecasts and ensure accurate demand plan.
• Ability to plan, implement and manage initiatives to ensure successful delivery of the sales plan
• Ability to reach agreements in the company's interests & objectives in a long-term sustainable perspective while taking into account multiple factors such as negotiation power, market environment, and constraints.
• Ability to develop, analyze and interpret relevant data to produce and adapt effective sales reports
• Ability to provide a holistic and systematic perspective on strategic issues and leverage them to articulate and give a clear vision of the future.
• Must be a dynamic leader passionate about the Club channel.
• Demonstrated experience building strong teams and developing people.

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.