National Account Manager

Beech-Nut Nutrition Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of privately held, Switzerland based food manufacturing company Hero Group. Beech-Nut is currently the second largest shareholder in the baby food category. Our mission is to provide just honest, real, great-tasting food that’s as close to homemade as possible. Because everybody deserves real food. Especially babies.

The Walmart & Sam’s Club National Account Manager is responsible for developing and driving sales for Beech-Nut through clear customer focus, effective business planning and a fact based approach to understand opportunities, strengths and objectives. The candidate for this position must possess experience that demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of Walmart and Sam’s Club including merchandising, promotion development, trade and shopper marketing event planning and possess the ability to utilize the appropriate techniques and skills to gain the customer support for identified opportunities

* Ensure achievement of account growth objectives * Build strong customer relationships that result in partnership opportunities which drive sales, market share and profit * Gain understanding of customer strategies and priorities to tailor Beech-Nut plans to achieve mutually beneficial results * Create Annual Customer Business Plan recommendations to Beech-Nut Home Office to gain alignment and ensure achievement of account growth goals in alignment with corporate and customer goals. Sell in and execute these plans to the Customer buyer and adjust plans throughout the year as business conditions dictate * Develop and execute the process of account specific trade marketing and promotional plans * Develop distribution recommendations for account to ensure optimal mix for SKU velocity and new item distribution * Develop merchandising, pricing and promotion recommendations for account to drive profitable growth * Effectively manage both internal and external resources dedicated to the account * Collaborate with cross functional groups to achieve common goals * Sales forecasting * Trade spending within budget **Supervisory Responsibility:** * Direct: Analyst (1) * Indirect: Broker Retail Team

**Education/Experience:** * Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent business experience * 7 plus years of field sales industry related experience * Demonstrated experience at Walmart and Sam’s club * Proficient computer skills in MS office, Email, Internet and database usage * Proficient in working use of industry data such as IRI, Nielsen, etc. **Preferred Skills/Qualifications** * Ability to manage a trade budget * Ability to manage volume forecasting * Understand a P&L and impacts from decision making can have on P&L * Broker management experience * Self-starter with customer operational experience (ie Retail Link for Walmart, Item submission procedures, line review process, nuances of working with these specific customers) * Classic CPG experience with demonstrated ability to also operate in a smaller more entrepreneurial environment * Previous experience providing strategy and direction to customers and employees * Must have the ability to quickly learn functionality of proprietary software, and syndicated data used to manage the business (TradePro, Nielsen, IRI) * Must be outgoing, positive and energetic * Must have the ability to work independently, self-starter, and be exceedingly responsible * Must have superior negotiating and influencing skills * Possess excellent verbal communication skills with a keen ability to listen, communicate (written and verbal), excellent grammar, and ability to follow-up effectively with all staffing levels and customers * Have the ability to respond to customers, vendors and co-workers in a diplomatic and positive manner * Possess excellent organizational skills * Be able to handle pressure skillfully * Ability to multi-task, prioritize and work efficiently * Ability to perform at high levels in a fast paced ever-changing work environment * Ability to anticipate work needs and follow through with minimum direction * Resides within Walmart headquarters market