Retail Sales Strategy & Planning Lead

ML6 Search + Talent Advisory; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

ML6 Search + Talent Advisory is representing a leading client seeking a Retail Sales Strategy & Planning Lead to drive commercial performance across the North American retail business. The role interfaces Sales, Marketing, Category Management, Insights, Finance and Supply Chain to translate customer insights into actionable strategies.

The successful candidate will champion the annual planning process, support S&OP and forecasting, optimize trade investment and pricing, and enable the Sales

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in the CPG industry, focused on Retail Sales or Commercial Planning.
• Strong understanding of North American retail dynamics and channels.
• Customer-facing experience in CPG is preferred.
• Solid commercial and financial acumen including pricing and promotions.
• Ability to translate data and insights into clear recommendations.
• Experience working cross-functionally and influencing without direct authority.
• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead retail sales planning, annual planning, forecasting and S&OP to meet targets.
• Shape customer and channel strategy from retailer and shopper insights.
• Drive profitability through pricing, trade spend and RGM initiatives.
• Enable commercial execution of launches and promotions.
• Turn insights into actionable selling stories for the Sales team.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives across Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain and Insights.

Skills

Retail Sales Strategy

Cross-functional collaboration

CPG experience

NA retail landscape

Data to insights actions

Trade & pricing

Forecasting/S&OP

Communication & influencing

Education

University degree in Business or related

Job description

Our client is seeking a Retail Sales Strategy & Planning Lead to play a critical role in driving commercial performance across the North American retail business. This is a high-impact role at the intersection of Sales, Marketing, Category Management, Insights, Finance and Supply Chain, responsible for translating customer and channel insights into actionable commercial strategies.

The successful candidate will champion the annual planning process, support S&OP and forecasting, optimize trade investment and pricing, and help equip the Sales organization with the strategies, tools and insights required to execute with excellence. This is an opportunity for a commercially minded CPG professional who enjoys working across functions, solving complex business challenges and turning data and insights into measurable growth.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Lead retail sales planning — Drive the annual planning process, forecasting and S&OP while identifying and closing gaps to budget and sales targets.
• Shape customer & channel strategy — Translate retailer, shopper and category insights into actionable strategies and execution plans for the Sales team.
• Drive profitable growth — Partner with Sales and FP&A on pricing, trade spend, promotions and RGM initiatives to maximize ROI.
• Enable commercial execution — Support innovation launches, promotional strategies and go-to-market initiatives, ensuring plans are executed effectively.
• Turn insights into action — Partner with Marketing, Category Management and Insights to develop compelling selling stories and customer-focused commercial plans.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives — Bring Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain and Insights together to solve business challenges and deliver results.

What You'll Need To Be Successful:

• 7+ years of experience within the CPG industry, ideally with exposure to Retail Sales, Sales Strategy, Customer Development, Category Management, Revenue Growth Management or Commercial Planning.
• Strong understanding of the North American retail landscape, including evolving retailer, channel and shopper dynamics.
• Customer-facing experience within CPG is strongly preferred.
• University degree in Business, Commerce or a related discipline.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience with trade effectiveness, pricing, promotional strategy and RGM.
• Demonstrated ability to translate data and insights into clear recommendations and business actions.
• Experience working cross-functionally within complex organizations and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation and influencing skills.