Customer Business Manager

Lactalis USA is a global dairy company offering a portfolio of well-known dairy brands and career opportunities focused on growth and development. The Customer Business Manager leads customer-specific strategies, manages retail and wholesale accounts, and drives sales growth, profitability, promotional execution, category performance, and customer relationships for Lactalis US Yogurt.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships to manage and grow assigned retail, wholesale, and indirect accounts, including Stater Bros., Smart & Final, Save Mart, Associated Food Stores, and URM
• Take personal accountability for achieving targeted sales budgets, top-line revenue, and bottom-line profitability through competitive market awareness and deep customer understanding
• Identify customer needs and align them with Lactalis US Yogurt product and service strategies to build mutually beneficial business plans
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales Planning, RGM, and cross-departmental teams to lead end-to-end sales planning, promotional execution, assortment optimization, and new item launches
• Partner closely with Revenue Growth Management (RGM) to optimize trade spending efficiency, maintain active ownership of trade management systems, and evaluate ROI on promotional investments
• Establish performance goals, oversee execution, track performance, and develop tools to hold assigned HQ broker teams accountable to corporate sales targets
• Analyze syndicated market data (Circana/IRI) and customer portal metrics to identify consumer insights, evaluate trends, and apply category management principles that drive distribution and share-of-shelf gains
• Monitor, evaluate, and report continuous sales performance against targets, proactively requesting organizational support as needed
• Lead cross-functional discussions between customer supply chain teams and internal operations to optimize forecasting, order fulfillment, and service levels
• Manage and participate in regional trade shows to maximize sales opportunities, strengthen industry presence, and ensure optimal return on event investments

Requirements:

• 5+ years of sales and sales management experience within the CPG/food industry
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint) required
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and personal selling skills required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a proven ability to collaborate effectively within a management team
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks, meet tight deadlines, and adapt in a changing work environment
• High degree of self-initiative with potential for ongoing career progression and leadership growth
• Ability to flex schedule as needed to accommodate travel and customer business demands
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field preferred
• Experience in direct sales as well as broker and distributor network management preferred
• Direct sales experience with key regional accounts (Stater Bros., Smart & Final, Save Mart, Associated Food Stores, and URM) strongly preferred
• Background in Category Management, Omnichannel Marketing, or syndicated data usage (Circana/IRI) preferred
• Experience working within a fast-paced or entrepreneurial company environment considered an asset