Senior Trade Optimization Manager

Kimberly-Clark; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

On-site fitness

Flexible savings

Education programs

Job summary

Kimberly-Clark is seeking a Senior Manager to support Grocery sales and lead Plan Optimization tool development. You’ll partner with Sales Capabilities, Planning, and Data Science to deliver data-driven recommendations for trade efficiency and profitability.

This role emphasizes optimizing promotions, pricing, and channel strategies while collaborating with multiple functions to drive business results. Hybrid work arrangements are available, with a focus on impactful analytics and leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or quantitative field; Master’s degree a plus.
• 10+ years of relevant experience with analytical skills and leadership in multi-category CPG.
• RGM or trade optimization tools/systems experience preferred.
• Proven ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication and ability to influence cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Optimize customer plans within brand guidance and trade investment.
• Analyze category, competitor, customer, and consumer data to support plans.
• Understand channel pricing relationships and reduce channel conflict.
• Develop eco-friendly, sustainable trade architecture and optimization methods.
• Support in-year financials and drive gap-management actions in promotions.
• Contribute to development of new solutions and capabilities.

Skills

Analytical mindset

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Data-driven decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or quantitative field

Master’s degree a plus

Tools

Trade optimization tools

Job description

You’re not the person who will settle for just any role. Neither are we. Because we’re out to create Better Care for a Better World, and that takes a certain kind of person and teams who care about making a difference. Here, you’ll bring your professional expertise, talent, and drive to building and managing our portfolio of iconic, ground-breaking brands. In this role, you’ll help us deliver better care for billions of people around the world. It starts with YOU.

We’re seeking a Senior Manager to support our Grocery sales teams and to lead Plan Optimization tool/system development. This position is an indispensable partner with our external sales teams along with internal cross-functional colleagues including Sales Capabilities, Sales Planning, BU Revenue Growth Management (RGM) and Data Science team. You will provide impactful analysis to deliver strategic trade efficiency/effectiveness recommendations to improve business results and drive best-in-class trade management. You will balance everyday and promotional spending to optimize positioning vs. competition and evaluate customer profitability. You are a key player in the development of analytics and insights to inform price/pack incentive structures, promotional strategies by PPG and expert at communicating recommendations and influencing implementation.

In this role, you will:

• Optimize Customer Plans within the Brand’s guidance and strategic trade investment:
  • Suggested retail pricing, list prices, retailer margin & discount curves
  • Promotion Strategy by brand/PPG (depth, frequency, duration, copromotion partners, promotion structure)
  • Retail strategies and preferred tactics
• Support Customer Plan recommendations with analysis of category, competitor, customer & consumer
• Understand Channel pricing relationships and develop solutions to reduce channel conflict
• Leverage and build learnings and methodologies to develop an organic and sustainable trade architecture and facilitate ongoing trade optimization.
• Support delivery of in year financials, driving gap management actions within promotion
• Actively participates in the development of new solutions, moving the organization forward in capabilities

About Us

Huggies®. Kleenex®. Cottonelle®. Scott®. Kotex®. Poise®. Depend®. Kimberly-Clark Professional®. You already know our legendary brands—and so does the rest of the world. In fact, millions of people use Kimberly-Clark products every day. We know these amazing Kimberly-Clark products wouldn’t exist without talented professionals, like you.

At Kimberly-Clark, you’ll be part of the best team committed to driving innovation, growth and impact. We’re founded on more than 150 years of market leadership, and we’re always looking for new and better ways to perform – so there’s your open door of opportunity. It’s all here for you at Kimberly-Clark.

Led by Purpose. Driven by You.

About You

You perform at the highest level possible, and you appreciate a performance culture fueled by authentic caring. You want to be part of a company actively dedicated to sustainability, inclusion, wellbeing, and career development.

You love what you do, especially when the work you do makes a difference. At Kimberly-Clark, we’re constantly exploring new ideas on how, when, and where we can best achieve results. When you join our team, you’ll experience Flex That Works: flexible (hybrid) work arrangements that empower you to have purposeful time in the office and partner with your leader to make flexibility work for both you and the business.

In one of our professional roles, you’ll focus on winning with consumers and the market, while putting safety, mutual respect, and human dignity at the center. To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business or other discipline that requires quantitative skillset. Master’s degree a plus.
• Experience: 10+ years of relevant experience with a demonstrated track record of analytical skill, leadership and sustained success across multi-category CPG companies. RGM or RGM-related experience and development of Trade Optimization tools/systems preferred.
• Demonstrated Performance:
  • Ability to proficiently conduct business and data analyses with data-driven recommendations for improvements and advancements.
  • Ability to create persuasive professional analyses presentations incorporating data, relevant insights and information.
  • Ability to understand and react to most recent market trends.
  • High degree of proficiency with current analytical tools available in the market.
  • Experience working across a broad range of RGM levers (pack, price, promo, mix, innovation, etc.), but specifically Promotion Optimization.
• Strong Analytical skills: Exceptional analytical skills including ability to proactively outline approach & fact base required for a business problem or opportunity.
• Strategic Thinking: Strong conceptual thinking skills and advanced understanding of trade management strategies
• Communication skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to actively participate in group discussions with individuals from various functions within the organization.
• Leadership skills:Strength in bringing together multiple functions to achieve results and drive recommendations.

Total Benefits

Here are just a few of the benefits you’d enjoy working in this role for Kimberly-Clark. For a complete overview, see www.mykcbenefits.com.

Great support for good health with medical, dental, and vision coverage options with no waiting periods or pre-existing condition restrictions. Access to an on-site fitness center, occupational health nurse, and allowances for high-quality safety equipment.

Flexible Savings and spending accounts to maximize health care options and stretch dollars when caring for yourself or dependents.

Diverse income protection insurance options to protect yourself and your family in case of illness, injury, or other unexpected events.

Additional programs and support to continue your education, adopt a child, relocate, or even find temporary childcare.

And finally, the fine print….

For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world. We actively seek to build a workforce that reflects the experiences of our consumers. When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, and DMV check.

Veterans and members of the Reserve and Guard are highly encouraged to apply.

This role is available for local candidates already authorized to work in the role’s country only. Kimberly-Clark will not provide relocation support for this role.

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