Customer Development Manager - Pet Specialty

Blue Buffalo Canada Ltd; Toronto; On-site; CAD 99,000 - 148,000; Full time

Job summary

General Mills Canada is seeking a Customer Development Manager to own the commercial strategy for regional distributors and customers across Canada. You will collaborate with distributor managers, retail buyers, and merchants to grow sales, strengthen distribution, and implement effective promotions.

You will use Excel, Tableau dashboards, POS data, and Nielsen insights to build persuasive selling stories, identify opportunities, and lead negotiations with regional accounts and distributors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 4+ years in customer-facing roles in CPG, grocery, retail, or distributor management.
• Experience leading plans from selling through execution.
• Strong analytical skills with POS, Nielsen, and category data.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint to turn analysis into compelling customer presentations.
• Experience with promotions, trade funding, and merchandising.

Responsibilities

• Own regional distributor and key account relations across Canada.
• Lead sell-in to execution discussions, including business reviews and promotional planning.
• Develop annual merchandising and customer plans aligned with analytics and long‑term priorities.
• Lead joint business planning and negotiations with regional accounts.
• Develop and execute promotional plans and distribution programs with distributors in the field.
• Analyze ROI and financial performance of customer activities.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Negotiation

Decision-making

Planning

Organization

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

COMPANY OVERVIEW

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one another and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Customer Development Manager, you’ll own the commercial strategy and day-to-day relationships for regional distributors and key customers supporting General Mills’ Pet business in Canada. You’ll work closely with distributor managers, retail buyers, and merchants to grow sales, strengthen distribution, and bring effective promotions and customer programs to life.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own the strategic direction and relationship for regional distributors and regional key account customers across Canada.
• Lead customer conversations from sell-in through execution, including business reviews, line reviews, innovation discussions, distribution opportunities, promotional planning, and performance follow-up.
• Build annual merchandising and customer plans that connect analytics, customer strategy, trade strategy, and Pet's long-term business priorities.
• Lead joint business planning sessions and negotiations with regional key accounts and distributors.
• Develop and execute promotional plans, distribution programs, and customer activities, working with distributors to implement them in the field.
• Own customer-specific trade investment and promotion planning, evaluate return on investment, and manage the financial performance of the business.
• Lead events and customer initiatives from initial opportunity through final execution, including item selection, customer offers, point-of-sale execution, confirmation of in-store activity, and retail feedback.
• Use Excel, Tableau dashboards, point-of-sale information, Nielsen or other category data, and customer data to identify trends and opportunities, turn insights into clear, persuasive selling stories, and recommend promotions, assortment, distribution, pricing, and other growth initiatives.
• Identify new accounts and routes to market that can expand the regional business.
• Partner with Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Category and Insights, pricing and revenue‑management teams, and national retail teams to maximize in‑store presence, consumer impact, inventory availability, and profitable growth.
• Complete customer requirements such as deal sheets, promotional execution materials, customer presentation decks, innovation reviews, forecasts, and post‑promotion analysis.
• Share customer learnings and sales trends with the broader Pet business and identify process improvements that increase executional effectiveness.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 4+ of customer‑facing experience in consumer packaged goods (CPG), grocery, retail, key account management, customer development, retail buying, distributor management, or a related commercial role.
• Experience managing customer or distributor relationships and leading plans from selling through execution.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to aggregate and interpret internal and external data sources such as point‑of‑sale, Nielsen, syndicated, category, and customer data.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, with the ability to turn analysis into a compelling customer presentation and recommendation.
• Experience with promotions, trade investment, merchandising, forecasting, financial analysis, or customer‑specific business planning.
• Strong planning, organization, negotiation, decision‑making, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a matrixed, cross‑functional organization with partners in Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain, Category and Insights, Revenue Management, Legal, and Sales.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute customer strategies, support new business development, and deliver high‑quality store‑level execution.
• Ability to work primarily from the Mississauga office and travel regularly to customers and distributors across Canada.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in the pet category or pet‑specialty retail, including familiarity with customers such as PetSmart or Pet Valu.
• Experience leading joint business planning, customer negotiations, promotion building, trade funding, forecast accuracy, and post‑promotion evaluation.
• Experience managing customer P&L or other financial responsibilities tied to a customer or channel.
• Experience identifying new routes to market or developing distributor‑led growth opportunities.
• Passion for pets and interest in the pet specialty channel.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

International relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered. Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in Canada on a full‑time basis. General Mills will not sponsor applicants for this position for work visas. The posting for this position is to fill an existing vacancy within the organization.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet minimum age qualifications in the country in which the job is located.

SALARY RANGE

The salary range for this position is $98,500-$147,850 / Annually.

At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences, performance, and skills for their current role.

The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, education, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range.

The salary range for this position is: $98,500 - $147,900 Annual

At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences, performance, and skills for their current role.

The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to expertise, skills, and relevant work experience. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range.

Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package.

BENEFITS

Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance.

COMPANY CULTURE

New possibilities. Bold thinking. Real heart. Build remarkable brands with remarkable people. At General Mills, we make food the world loves. Across 100+ markets, we come together to create, innovate and grow. Here, you’ll do meaningful work and help to lead the future of food at a company that stands for good.

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