The primary role of the Customer Business Manager position is to develop and nurture sustained business relationships with two of the largest U.S. distributors, UNFI Natural and KeHE, and their downstream retail customers. The Natural Channel CBM will directly manage our Foods, PC, and BW business units.
WHAT YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES WILL BE
This position requires excellent customer engagement skills and will manage all aspects of the commercial plan for the Natural Channel business, including:
- Lead a 3-person dedicated broker team, as well as indirect cross-functional partners, to deliver the collective KPIs required of the overall team.
- Lead both near-term and long-term Joint Business Planning (JBP), including the development of strategic platforms and other growth drivers to achieve growth targets across Foods, PC, and BW categories in the Natural Channel.
- Work with the Business Development Team and internal Brand and CS&P teams to ensure plans are resourced and that spend and volume are synchronized to deliver the JBP.
- Create and operationalize the Natural Channel customer strategy, including all components of the go-to-market plan such as “Big Bets,” innovation execution, trade investment ROI, and the integration of shopper marketing plans with merchandising plans.
- Cross-functionally lead all aspects of operational delivery of the business plan, including initiating growth platforms, forecasting and retail inventory level management, supply chain compliance, managing deductions, and balancing trade investment.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED
Experiences & Qualifications
- Undergraduate bachelor’s degree required.
- 5–7+ years of experience in the CPG or retail industry.
- Experience working with distributor networks and broker sales teams is a plus.
- Working knowledge of SPINS/Nielsen, Evergreen, and customer POS data is strongly desired.
- Ability to build strong relationships with multiple levels of management internally and externally.
- Strong financial and business acumen, including P&L ownership, customer planning, effective internal/customer communication, and analytical skills.
- Skilled in verbal and written communications to work with the Sales Leadership Team, Business Development Team, CS&P, and Brand Team.
- Resilience: Thrive on challenges and confidently navigate ambiguity with numerous support groups to deliver growth initiatives.
- Growth Mindset: Ability to present and sell new ideas and techniques to all Natural Channel and Unilever personnel to achieve profitable sales growth and turnover targets. Always seeking to optimize and evolve.
- Ownership Mindset: Ask challenging “why” questions and take full accountability for successes and failures.
- Big Picture Thinking: Connect the dots and develop strategic plans to deliver growth.
Pay: The pay range for this position is $103,000 to $154,400. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs.
Bonus: This position is bonus eligible.
Long-Term Incentive (LTI): This position is LTI eligible.
Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate, they can choose from a range of benefits including, but not limited to, health insurance, including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage; retirement savings benefits; life insurance and disability benefits; parental leave; sick leave; paid vacation and holidays; and access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.
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At Unilever, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive/succeed. All applicants will receive fair and respectful consideration, and we actively support the growth and development of every employee.
Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities.
For more information on your federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal
Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.
If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected]. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.
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Skills Required
- Undergraduate bachelor's degree
- 5-7+ years of experience in the CPG or retail industry
- Experience working with distributor networks and broker sales teams
- Working knowledge of SPINS, Nielsen, Evergreen, and customer POS data
- Ability to build strong relationships with multiple levels of management internally and externally
- Strong financial and business acumen, including P&L ownership, customer planning, and analytical skills
- Skilled verbal and written communications
- Resilience (ability to navigate ambiguity and challenges)
- Growth mindset (ability to present and sell new ideas)
- Ownership mindset (accountability for successes and failures)
- Big picture thinking and strategic planning ability
Unilever Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Unilever and has not been reviewed or approved by Unilever.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as comprehensive, spanning medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and occupational health support alongside a 24/7 employee assistance program. Wellbeing offerings such as health checks, resilience tools, and counseling support the perceived depth of health-related benefits.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support includes a 401(k) match that reaches up to 5% of base salary, strengthening the overall value of the package. Share and savings options are also referenced as part of longer-term financial support beyond salary.
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Flexible Benefits — Benefits customization is enabled through tools such as a “My Reward” system and a “Benefits Envelope” that allows employees to personalize selections. Flexible working approaches are also associated with improved overall satisfaction, reinforcing perceived choice and adaptability in the total rewards offering.
Unilever Insights
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