HOW YOU WILL MAKE HISTORY HERE…
As the Customer Sales Lead, you will drive joint business planning and commercial execution for the Hannaford Bakery, Salty, Cookie/Cracker, and Deli businesses. You will shape strategies that fuel net sales, volume, trade efficiency, profit, and share growth across your assigned categories. By developing strong relationships with key customer partners and leveraging insights, you will influence Distribution, Shelving, Merchandising, and Pricing (DSMP) outcomes and deliver results that matter.
Must be willing to travel to Hannaford HQ (Maine), Camden, NJ World Headquarters, and market locations. Candidates located regionally to Maine preferred.
WHAT YOU WILL DO…
Utilize the E4 system to build optimal customer plans that drive portfolio performance.
Develop and execute trade promotion strategies focused on improved ROI.
Monitor and update customer business plans and manage trade budgets, spending, and volume to deliver sales objectives.
Apply shopper and category management practices to identify trends and growth opportunities, leveraging Shopper Insights and Category Management resources.
Partner with Sales Strategy to deliver collaborative marketing programs aligned with brand and customer priorities.
Conduct post-event analyses to evaluate promotional effectiveness and optimize future plans.
Lead category business reviews to highlight performance, consumer trends, and growth opportunities.
Translate brand strategies into action by influencing key decision makers, including buyers, category managers, and merchandising teams.
Build accurate monthly forecasts using delivery, consumption, and inventory data; identify risks or opportunities proactively.
Sell in new items and work with customer partners to secure optimal distribution.
Lead cross-portfolio seasonal platforms (Back to School, Holiday, Big Game, Summer) to drive volume, profit, and share growth.
Identify and activate incremental volume and in-line space opportunities; guide Retail execution of customer-specific plans.
Proactively monitor and manage DSMP principles across categories.
WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH…
Key customer stakeholders including buyers, category managers, merchandising leaders, and marketing teams
Internal cross-functional partners across Sales Strategy, Category Management, Finance, Field Operations, and Supply Chain
Retail execution teams responsible for in‑store implementation
WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE… (MUST HAVE)
Bachelor’s degree
5+ years of CPG sales and/or category management experience
Experience as an account manager (Hannaford preferred)
Strong problem-solving, analytical, technical, and negotiation skills
Demonstrated interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
Solid understanding of P&L management, forecasting, trade management, and supply chain dynamics
Ability to build productive relationships at multiple levels within a customer organization
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU HAVE… (NICE TO HAVE)
DSD experience
Deep knowledge of Category & Brand Management
Experience managing complex customer relationships and competitive environments
Join our talent community
We’re proud to be a purpose-driven company. Our goal is simple: to connect people through food they love. It’s the reason we innovate, grow, and show up every day because food brings people together.