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.
Skills Required
- Associate's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain, or a related field
- 3-5 years of related professional experience
- Experience with trade management systems, financial reconciliation, or customer accounts in a CPG or consumer business environment
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, including data analysis, reconciliation, and reporting
- Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills with the ability to interpret complex data and draw actionable conclusions
- Ability to exercise sound business judgment, prioritize competing demands, and work independently
- Problem-solving skills and a continuous improvement mindset
- Effective written and verbal communication skills, including explaining complex trade concepts to cross-functional partners
- Equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and professional experience may substitute for the degree
Acosta Group Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Acosta Group and has not been reviewed or approved by Acosta Group.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Feedback suggests flexible scheduling, hybrid work options, and access to wellness and assistance programs are available in many eligible roles. These lifestyle-oriented elements are often appreciated for supporting autonomy and day-to-day balance.
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Retirement Support — Feedback suggests retirement plans with employer contributions and 401(k) access are part of the package for eligible full-time staff. Company materials also reference related financial programs such as dependent-care FSA options.
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Healthcare Strength — Feedback suggests full-time corporate employees may access standard medical, dental, and vision coverage that some consider reasonably comprehensive for the setting. Perceptions of quality vary by agency, position, and location.
Acosta Group Insights
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.
