Customer Account Manager

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream is embarking on a new chapter of accelerated growth as part of Froneri, a global leader in ice cream. The Customer Account Manager will focus on driving new business development and optimizing existing accounts through strategic partnerships in alternate channels, ensuring sustainable revenue growth and increased market share.

Responsibilities:

• Drive new business development and channel expansion by identifying, prospecting, and securing strategic partnerships across priority alternate channels including airports, theme parks, sports and entertainment venues, hospitality, and higher education, increasing brand distribution and market penetration
• Grow and optimize existing accounts through collaborative business planning, assortment expansion, promotional execution, and data-driven account management to deliver sustainable revenue growth, increased market share, and improved customer satisfaction
• Build scalable channel strategies by leveraging consumer insights, cross-functional partnerships, and distributor relationships to accelerate brand presence, maximize sales opportunities, and establish Dreyer's as a preferred frozen treats partner across emerging and established alternate channels
• Create new item presentations with data specific information to hold and gain shelf space
• Create and consistently modify sales forecasts in each category
• Negotiate monthly promotions with customer
• Understand customer contracts and work within guidelines to ensure policy compliance
• Manage trade spend to maximize profitability with maintaining good customer relations
• Analyze promotion effectiveness through data reporting
• Execute all Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream (DGIC) priorities
• Collaborate with team members to share best practices and drive Customer related initiatives, as well as other functional groups like customer facing supply chain, finance manager, and category sales development
• Become a quality agent by continuously checking our products in various stores and location. Provide feedback and challenge as necessary to help the organization understand the retail experience
• Frequent customer interaction to implement the annual plan, drive execution of the plan, gain distribution on new and d-build items, activate the customer category strategies, shopper marketing, and any urgent communications such as service level issues or product quality issues
• Identify gaps between customer plan and customer feedback and propose resolutions to gaps
• Ensure achievement of agreed Customer(s) targets/Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Category growth, Sales, Customer service and in-stock levels, etc
• Develop and execute a strategic business development plan to identify, prioritize, and secure new opportunities across targeted alternate channels, including airports, theme parks, sports and entertainment venues, hospitality, healthcare, and education, driving distribution, revenue growth, and market share expansion
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with prospective and existing customers through regular engagement, business reviews, industry networking, and collaborative planning to uncover growth opportunities, align on customer objectives, and position Dreyer's as a preferred partner
• Identify market gaps, competitive threats, and emerging channel trends by gathering customer feedback and industry insights, then develop and present solutions that support customer needs while accelerating business growth and brand penetration
• Lead the new business acquisition process including prospecting, pipeline management, customer presentations, contract negotiations, and onboarding activities to ensure successful account conversion and execution
• Partner cross-functionally with Category Management, Shopper Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Sales Operations to develop customer-specific strategies, support new item launches, and ensure seamless execution of growth initiatives
• Ensure achievement of agreed business development targets and KPIs, including new account wins, revenue growth, distribution gains, volume, profitability, and customer retention metrics, while maintaining a healthy pipeline of future opportunities

Requirements:

• Experience managing or selling into non-traditional retail channels such as airports, hospitality, theme parks, sports and entertainment venues, foodservice, higher education, healthcare, or other alternate channels
• Experience working with GPO's to create centralized demand of products
• Strong network of industry contacts and decision-makers across key alternate channels, with a proven track record of securing new placements, expanding distribution, and delivering profitable growth
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and be proactive in identifying customer issues, recommending solutions, and executing effectively to ensure resolution
• Proven track record in building effective relationships with customers and internal associates
• Strong negotiating skills to create win win outcomes for the company and customer
• Strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to achieve performance goals with minimum direction and supervision
• Demonstrated solid forecasting skills and the ability to research data from all internal reporting sights i.e. (Circana, PowerBI, Numertor, Kwikee, Run Report, Trade Rate Report)
• Demonstrated success developing new business opportunities while simultaneously growing existing accounts through strategic customer partnerships, distributor management, and joint business planning highly preferred
• Experience in Ice Cream category preferred
• College or Undergraduate degree preferred