Director, Trade Strategy & Analytics

Mars; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 170,000 - 234,000; Full time

Job summary

Mars in Chicago seeks a Director of Trade Strategy and Analytics for its Away from Home business. You will lead development and execution of trade, pricing, and revenue growth management strategies, guiding a team of managers and cross-functional collaborators while leveraging data-driven insights to identify opportunities and accelerate growth.

You will partner with Sales, Commercial Strategy, Innovation, and Portfolio Management to deliver sustainable results, manage annual trade planning and

Qualifications

• 8+ years in foodservice trade strategy, sales finance, or related analytics.
• Knowledge of Foodservice/Away From Home industry dynamics.
• Experience with Excel, Word and PowerPoint is essential.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills across all levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Foodservice RGM agenda across pricing, mix, trade investment, PPA, and profitability.
• Develop foodservice trade strategies and investment frameworks for customers, distributors, and channels.
• Oversee annual trade planning, forecasting, and investment management.
• Partner with Sales to support customer planning and financial decisions.
• Analyze performance to identify risks and growth opportunities.
• Lead ROI analyses to optimize investment allocation.
• Support pricing, bids, and contract evaluations with financial modeling.
• Contribute to annual operating plan development and forecasting.
• Collaborate with Commercial Strategy and customer teams on growth opportunities.
• Drive governance and process improvements across trade planning & analytics.
• Lead assortment, mix, and profitability analyses.
• Deliver insights for strategic decision-making.
• Establish KPI dashboards and performance tracking.

Skills

Foodservice industry knowledge

Interpersonal communication

Analytical thinking

Excel

Tools

Vistex

Job description

Job Description:

As the Director of Trade Strategy and Analytics for our Away from Home Business, you will lead the development and execution of trade, pricing, and revenue growth management strategies that drive profitable growth and maximize the effectiveness of customer investments across the Away From Home business. In this role, you will lead a high-performing team of managers and individual contributors, leveraging data-driven insights and analytics to identify opportunities, optimize performance, and accelerate business growth. Success will require strong cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Commercial Strategy, Innovation, Portfolio Management, and Channel Strategy & Insights teams to develop and execute strategies that deliver sustainable results and advance our business objectives.

What are we looking for?

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in foodservice trade strategy, sales finance, revenue management, commercial analytics, or related commercial functions.

• Strong knowledge of the Foodservice / Away From Home industry, including customer, operator, consumer, and channel dynamics.

• Experience in Vistex is preferred.

• Highly skilled in computer and software applications, which are critical to effectively execute the job, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work with all levels of personnel within the organization.

• High degree of organizational skills and be self-sustained to effectively work independently from the Senior Director.

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Lead the Foodservice RGM agenda across pricing, mix, trade investment, PPA, and profitability

• Lead development of foodservice trade strategies and investment frameworks across customers, distributors, and channels

• Oversee annual trade planning, forecasting, and investment management processes

• Partner with Sales teams to support customer planning, budget management, and financial decision-making

• Analyze customer, channel, trade, and portfolio performance to identify risks and growth opportunities

• Lead trade effectiveness and ROI analyses to improve investment allocation and execution

• Support pricing, bid, and contract evaluation processes through financial modeling and commercial analysis

• Support annual operating plan development and ongoing financial forecasting processes

• Partner with Commercial Strategy and customer teams to evaluate growth opportunities and customer investments

• Drive consistency, governance, and process improvement across trade planning and analytics activities

• Lead assortment, mix, and profitability analyses

• Deliver insights to support strategic decision-making

• Establish KPI dashboards and business performance tracking

What to Expect from Mars

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.

An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is between the range listed below, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.The total compensation package for this position will include variable pay, medical and dental benefits, participation in 401k plan, and paid time off benefits.Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an applicant receives an offer of employment.

The pay range shown is applicable to all US locations listed within the job posting:USD 169,840.00 - USD 233,530.00