Senior Key Account Manager - Beauty

Advantage Solutions; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) with company match

Training and career development

Generous paid time-off

Job summary

Advantage Solutions seeks a Senior Key Account Manager to drive growth for assigned clients in the Chicago area. You will manage trade funds, negotiate/customer agreements, and partner with retailers to execute strategic plans.

You will collaborate across internal teams and lead the effort to maximize client performance, including merchandising and eCommerce initiatives, while traveling up to 20% as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• Strong selling, negotiation, and account development skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and fast-paced.
• Proven track record with customer relationships and growth.
• Knowledge of syndicated data and market analytics.
• Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.

Responsibilities

• Drive client business growth by increasing distribution, sales dollars, unit sales, market share, while staying within budget.
• Ensure excellence in retail merchandising and support eCommerce initiatives.
• Meet P&L objectives and manage business for assigned clients.
• Develop and execute marketing strategies based on trends and results.
• Drive revenue growth by managing promotional spend and identifying new opportunities.
• Meet or exceed client goals for sales, distribution, pricing, shelving, and promotions.
• Identify and provide services that support client objectives.
• Develop strategies to pursue new business opportunities.
• Manage marketing funds to achieve sales goals with financial compliance.
• Secure planograms and schematics for client brands with internal teams.
• Conduct customer HQ calls and build retailer relationships.
• Organize resources to retain and grow client relationships.
• Navigate internal resources to support client initiatives effectively.
• Facilitate communication on opportunities and challenges within the team.
• Attend client meetings, business reviews, and planning sessions.

Skills

Sales leadership

Relationship building

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Presentation skills

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Business or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

*********REQUIRED: EXPERIENCE CALLING ON OR WORKING WITH UTLA OR SEPHORA********

Position Summary

The Senior Key Account Manager (Sr. KAM) is responsible for achieving sales objectives, managing expense budgets, and driving business growth for assigned clients. This role oversees sales programs, promotional spending, distribution expansion, shelf placement, and strategic planning initiatives to maximize client performance.

Our clients are manufacturers, vendors, or brands that have contracted Advantage Solutions as their sales force. Our customers are retailers, wholesalers, and distributors to whom we sell our clients' products.

The Sr. KAM partners closely with clients to develop and execute strategic business plans that achieve growth objectives. This role regularly collaborates with retailer stakeholders, including buyers, category managers, replenishment managers, and other decision-makers, to implement sales programs and drive results.

This position owns client relationships and is responsible for managing client trade funds to maximize sales performance. The Sr. KAM has authority to negotiate, implement, and execute customer agreements on behalf of clients.

The Sr. KAM also works cross-functionally with internal Advantage Solutions teams, including Customer Managers, Order Entry, Claims, Category Management, Schematics, and Retail teams, to support sales growth and excellence. This role may support one or multiple clients and is responsible for customer relationship management and program implementation.

Clients may include:

• Pioneering Clients: Manufacturers seeking new distribution opportunities within assigned customers.
• Regional Clients: Manufacturers represented on a regional, market-specific, or customer-specific basis rather than through a national contract.
• Tier 3 Clients: Manufacturers with smaller sales volumes, SKU counts, and commission revenue.

Advantage Solutions is one of North America's leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management, and marketing services for manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of consumer packaged goods. The company services a variety of trade channels, including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics, and home improvement retailers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers with access to the best products available in the marketplace.

What We Offer:

• Full-Time Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life)
• 401(k) with company match
• Training and Career Development
• Generous Paid Time-Off

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Drive client business growth within assigned customer accounts by increasing distribution, sales dollars, unit sales, market share, and other key performance indicators while remaining within budget.
• Ensure excellence in retail merchandising execution and support eCommerce execution initiatives.
• Achieve profit and loss (P&L) objectives and effectively manage the business for assigned clients.
• Develop and execute marketing strategies while analyzing business trends and results to meet client revenue and expense goals.
• Drive revenue growth through effective management of promotional spending and identification of new business opportunities.
• Meet or exceed client goals related to sales, distribution, pricing, shelving, and promotional activity.
• Identify and provide available services that support customer and client business objectives.
• Develop and execute strategies to pursue new business opportunities.
• Manage manufacturer marketing and promotional funds to achieve sales goals while maintaining financial compliance.
• Secure approved schematics and planograms for client brands through coordination with schematic, reset, and retail teams.
• Conduct customer headquarters calls and build relationships with key retailer decision-makers.
• Organize and lead business unit resources to retain and grow client relationships.
• Navigate internal organizational resources to support client and customer initiatives effectively.
• Facilitate communication regarding opportunities, challenges, and workflow among team members.
• Attend and actively participate in all client meetings, business reviews, and strategic planning sessions.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct Reports

• This position does not have direct supervisory responsibility.

Indirect Reports

• This position does not have direct reports but may delegate work, provide guidance, offer direction, and mentor indirect team members.

Education and Experience

Required Education:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience

Field of Study Preferred:

• Business or related field

Experience:

• 8+ years of relevant sales, account management, or consumer packaged goods (CPG) experience

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Strong sales presentation, account development, and negotiation skills
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Proven track record of building and maintaining successful customer and client relationships
• Working knowledge of syndicated data and market analytics
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other business applications

Travel Requirements

• Travel is an essential function of this position and may require up to 20% travel.