The Hershey Company is looking for an Associate Business Development Manager to deliver key retailer goals across Europe. In this customer-facing role, you will be responsible for achieving market financial objectives by developing and executing sales and trade marketing plans while managing distributor and retailer relationships.
What You'll Do
- Drive business growth through targeted customer marketing and sales plans, focusing on channel, category, and key customer strategies.
- Set clear trade, customer, category, and shopper programs with defined marketing, sales, and financial objectives.
- Manage customer marketing, field sales, and supply chain activities to deliver profitable growth via distributor partnerships.
- Identify and communicate strategic priorities across geographies, channels, customers, and categories.
- Monitor and report on strategic initiative implementation with all stakeholders.
- Create joint business plans with distributor partners and key customers in target markets.
- Establish and track metrics to measure progress toward business goals.
- Manage the trade spend budget, plan yearly activities, track budget vs actuals, and adjust as needed.
- Support market strategies in-store, delivering insights for optimal product, price, and promotion.
- Develop and track KPIs for sales and trade marketing execution via distributors.
- Deliver sales training to distributor teams.
- Oversee internal support for marketing, promotions, merchandising, analysis, and administration.
- Drive the distributor relationship and joint business performance.
- Co-own and co-lead the execution of a healthy profit and loss statement (P&L) for the market.
- Execute control and audit processes within the sales organization and with distributor partners.
- Coordinate financial reporting and funding requirements with internal and external partners.
- Understand distributor financials and influence distributor decisions to meet financial expectations.
- Co-plan and execute optimal inbound supply chain solutions with internal stakeholders.
- Ensure delivery of the right stock at the right time and price within the market.
- Share responsibility for product freshness at market and trade levels.
- Constantly seek improvements in Supply Chain KPIs, such as fill rates and product quality.
What We're Looking For
- Minimum of 7 years solid work experience in CPG.
- Proven experience in customer/trade marketing, including in-store activations, channel and category strategy, and shopper insights.
- Demonstrated sales experience in key account management and distributor management.
- Experience in Europe retail markets with indirect distribution models.
- Bachelor's Degree.
- Multi-market past management experience.
- Strong sales and negotiation skills.
- Self-starting mentality.
- Track record of project management.
- Strong results orientation.
- Excellent people leadership skills.
- Strong team player.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Clear understanding of financial analysis principles.
- Strong persuasion skills.
- Excellent analytical skills.
- Overall profile and track record demonstrating innovation and creativity to solve business problems and drive growth.
Nice to Have
- An MBA is a plus.
Team & Environment
You will work across internal teams such as finance, customer marketing, and category planning.
Work Mode
This is an on-site position based in Hamburg, Germany.
The Hershey Company is an equal opportunity employer.
