The Trade Specialist serves as a critical liaison between the centralized trade organization, client-facing sales teams, and internal shared services. This role provides analytical, systems, and reconciliation expertise to support trade investment accuracy and effectiveness across Grocery, Natural, and Small Format channels. The Trade Specialist independently manages complex client systems, drives exception resolution, and ensures alignment between contractual agreements, customer execution, and financial settlement processes.
Responsibilities- Serve as a subject matter expert in client trade systems, ensuring accurate setup, maintenance, and interpretation of contracts, rates, dates, and product details.
- Perform detailed contract and system comparisons to proactively identify discrepancies, risks, and downstream financial impacts.
- Audit customer trade events and deductions at a predefined depth to validate compliance with contract terms and trade policies.
- Lead timely and accurate reconciliation efforts by aligning customer deduction timing, client requests, and internal balance management.
- Own key performance indicators related to open deductions, providing routine and ad hoc reporting to Sales, Clients, and Global Business Services.
- Analyze trends in trade discrepancies and deduction activity to identify root causes and recommend process improvements.
- Partner closely with Global Business Services to resolve issues, provide customer documentation, and refine Standard Operating Procedures.
- Facilitate recurring cross‑functional operating cadences (daily, weekly, monthly) to ensure transparency, alignment, and issue resolution.
- Act as a trusted point of escalation for complex trade and deduction inquiries, exercising sound judgment and commercial acumen.
Qualifications
- Associate’s degree preferred; concentration in Business, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain, or 3-5+ years related field preferred.
- An equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and professional experience will be considered in lieu of degree.
- Demonstrated experience working with trade management systems, financial reconciliation, or customer accounts within a CPG or consumer business environment preferred.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel (data analysis, reconciliation, reporting).
- Strong analytical and critical‑thinking capabilities with the ability to interpret complex data and draw actionable conclusions.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise sound business judgment, prioritize competing demands, and work independently.
- Proven problem‑solving skills with a continuous improvement mindset.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex trade concepts to cross‑functional partners.
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About UsSkills Required
- Associate's degree (Business, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain) or equivalent experience
- 3-5+ years related experience in trade management, financial reconciliation, or customer accounts
- Experience working with trade management systems or similar client trade systems
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel (data analysis, reconciliation, reporting)
- Strong analytical and critical-thinking capabilities; ability to interpret complex data
- Ability to exercise sound business judgment, prioritize competing demands, and work independently
- Proven problem-solving skills with a continuous improvement mindset
- Effective written and verbal communication skills to explain complex trade concepts
What We Do
Acosta Group fuses storied expertise, unmatched connectivity and advanced insight to accelerate brand growth – everywhere you sell. Our collective of the most trusted retail, marketing and foodservice agencies is reimagining how people connect with brands at every point in the consumer journey. Comprised of Acosta, ActionLink, CORE Foodservice, CROSSMARK, Mosaic, Premium Retail Services and Product Connections, Acosta Group understands and anticipates evolving consumer needs, fueling accelerated performance to connect tomorrow's commerce today. The collective delivers end-to-end solutions, including headquarter sales services, omnichannel retail solutions, assisted sales and training, integrated marketing, foodservice sales enablement and culinary solutions, and the most advanced data and insights.
