Director of Sales Operations and Category Strategy

HARIBO continues to grow our business! We are adding a new senior leadership role to our growing Sales/Business Development and Category Management teams. The Director of Sales Operations and Category Strategy will lead the integration of Category Management strategies with Sales Operations, analytics, and Broker Management to drive profitable growth and optimize HARIBO’s position in the U.S. market.
Located on-site at the HARIBO of America corporate headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois, the Director of Sales Operations and Category Strategy will report directly to the Sr. VP of Sales. The ideal Director of Sales Operations and Category Strategy candidate will be a strategic thinker with deep experience in Category Management, Sales Analytics, Sales Operations, Broker relationships and Broker management, a Bachelor’s Degree, and at least ten (10) years of experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry ideally in candy, snacks, confectionary, or other fast moving consumer packaged goods.
The original and iconic Goldbears, created in 1922, have delighted kids and grown-ups for over 100 years! Our associates are our most valuable asset. At HARIBO of America we are committed to a comprehensive benefit program that helps our employee stay healthy, feel secure, and maintain a positive work life balance. We provide fully paid health insurance premiums and generous HSA contribution, 11 paid Holiday plus Paid Time Off/PTO, competitive 401(k), tuition reimbursement, and more. Additionally, we offer community involvement opportunities and career growth opportunities.
Responsibilities:

• Category strategy development to include developing and leading category strategies that align with business objectives. This includes assortment and pricing strategies, market analysis, and retail partner engagement
• Sales operations management to include partnering with Sales Directors and other Sales team members, partner with Demand Planning, Trade Marketing, Sales Finance, and other internal teams to align with strategies and financial targets
• Broker management to include process improvements and develop consistent ways of working with our broker partners
• Operational excellence to include driving the optimization of sales operations processes to support customer marketing execution, category strategy execution, and broker execution ensuring efficiency and effectiveness across all sales channels including Grocery/Food, Drug, Convenience, Mass, Value, and Alternative channels
• Team leadership to include managing and mentoring a team of Category Managers
• Strategic leadership to include strategy development, cross-functional collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Analytics and reporting to include establishing and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) for both category strategy and sales operations, prepare and present regular reports to senior leadership

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in Category Management, Sales operations, or related roles within the CPG / Consumer Packaged Goods industry
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, or related field
• Prior experience directly managing people / teams
• 10+ years of experience using IRI, Circana, Nielsen, or other forms of syndicated sales and market data related to the consumer-packaged goods industry
• Prior experience with Brokers, utilizing multiple Brokers, and understanding of Broker relationships
• Ability to travel, with overnight stays, up to 20% of the time
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful category strategies and optimizing sales operations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience within the candy, confectionery, or snacks in the FMCG, fast moving consumer goods industry is strongly preferred
• MBA, Master’s Degree

Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and develop direct reports
• Experience implementing process improvements related to category management and/or sales operations
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to use data to drive decision-making and continuous improvement
• Demonstrated proficiency in MS Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Experience utilizing reporting tools for syndicated data such as IRI, Nielsen, and others

The Happy World of HARIBO is more than a business; we’re family. We always have been, since our founding in 1920. For the last 100 years, while we’ve expanded internationally and created over 1,000 confectionery treats, we’ve known our talented Associates are behind our greatest successes. That’s why we’re committed to investing in their growth, development and career opportunities.
At HARIBO, you’re empowered to charter your own path with mentoring and support from colleagues throughout the business. We encourage you to try new things, think of possibilities and aim higher – all while having fun delivering moments of childlike happiness to our gummi fans in the U.S
Our core values and focus on long-term success continue to guide the way we do business every day. Our success story is rooted in our teams, and giving them the autonomy, support and freedom to make the best decisions for our consumers, customers and each other.
We give back to the places where we live and work. We listen to our consumers and get excited about innovation. We encourage diverse schools of thought and nurture inclusivity. We work to inspire joy through sweet treats that are fun to share. Want to know more about us? Please visit Haribo.com.
We’d love to hear more about you.
What can you expect?
You will be part of a successful family-run company with core values that is growing internationally faster than ever before. We nurture long-term associate relationships, work-life blend, rich learning environment, and a tangible impact in the company's success.
ABOUT YOU:
Are you looking to make a meaningful impact with your work? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? Are you a people-person with a passion for category management and sales operations? Does working in growing organization excite you? If the answer is yes, then this is the job for you! Working at HARIBO inspires childlike happiness through the impactful work, dedication, and passion for our brand. Come join our team, where our associates are our greatest asset!
HARIBO of America, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and maintains a Drug-Free Workplace. Employment at HARIBO of America, Inc. is subject to post offer, pre-employment drug testing. The Company’s policy is not to discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, including protected veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. HARIBO also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. It is also HARIBO’s policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions
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HARIBO is committed to recruiting, hiring and promoting people with disabilities and veterans. If you need an accommodation to assist with completing the electronic application, please contact the location for which you are applying and ask to speak with the human resources representative or email [email protected].