Sr. Manager, International Sales Operations

Job Location: ​Chicago​

Chicago (hybrid)

Want to make an impact?

Ferrara’s ambition is to be the global leader in Sugar confectionary within the next 5 years. To support it, the International function will provide consistent and profitable growth across key strategic and focused markets identified during the 5-year strategic plan definition. Reporting directly to the Sr. Director of International Expansion, the Sr. International Sales Operations Manager will support Ferrara's international expansion by standardizing and enhancing sales processes, building performance, monitoring dashboards, presenting them to senior leadership, and aligning cross functionally with Supply Chain, Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Finance, Marketing, Regulatory and Sales. 

Ways you will make a difference

This position entails the critical international expansion support with the achievement of the international function 5-year strategic plan.  Specifically, this role will be responsible for supporting all “Integrated Business Planning” activities, including Demand and Supply Planning, Regulatory compliance, Portfolio management, Pricing and Customer Service. Plus, it will update and report latest estimates on a regular (e.g. monthly and quarterly) basis, and closely monitor and track the top line performance.  The Sr. International Sales Operations Manager will identify and/or challenge sales opportunities and standardize sales processes and KPIs to drive consistent growth and revenue.  Finally, this person will assist in the development and delivery of the Commercial strategy through best-in-class processes, systems, and dashboards. 

 

Standardize and enhance sales processes

• Proactively maintain yearly contract records, ensure regulatory, price list and price bracket compliance, and define mitigating actions when gaps are identified.
• Define processes aligning with country and emerging area managers to create and maintain a sales forecasts data completeness, accuracy, and integrity within Blueplanner, distributor sell-out and inventory stock data.
• Collect and archive international markets price lists and ensure they are adequately and timely reflected in SAP (e.g. emerging area) when updated and published to customers.

 

Build performance and monitoring dashboards

• Collect on a regular basis (at least monthly) sell-out and inventory stock data from distributors to monitor trends, identify gaps and opportunities that will be shared with demand planning.
• Build standard sales reporting on Tableau and/or PowerBI to support country managers (strategic countries) and emerging area managers in driving their businesses based on blueplanner inputs, distributors’ sell-out and inventory stock positions, FCC sales and promotions, Nielsen Key accounts data.
• Define sales KPI aligned with FCC domestic sales function to report international business performance to Senior Leadership at monthly board and functional review meetings and highlight business opportunities.

 

Align cross-functionally with IBP functions (e.g. Supply-Chain, Sales, Finance, Marketing, Regulatory, etc.)

• Review, consolidate and challenge Blueplanner sales forecasts input by country managers and emerging area managers to ensure a minimum variance from demand planning forecast (+/-5%).
• Align international business processes to FCC internal operational processes to create efficiencies, ensure compliance and drive growth.
• Partner with regulatory defining processes to ensure proactive compliance review for every launch and detective compliance reviews of SKUs already sold into market (i.e. ingredients, specifications, recipes)
• Support and maintain the ratio of total non-compliant SKUs per market per distributor below a defined threshold (e.g. 5%) as of 2023 and define a process to reach 0% within the PS5.

Skills that will make you successful

• Team player (both within FCC and externally with distributors).
• Result driven with a willingness to drive issues to closure.
• Past programs management experience.
• Tableau & PowerBI knowledge with past reports building experience.
• Problem solver with a process improvement mindset.
• Comfort with ambiguity in problem solving and the ability to influence peers.
• Adaptable to a fast-moving and growing international business.
• Curious, active listener and eager to learn.

Experiences that will support your success

• Project management experience in a CPG company preferred (3 years minimum).
• Previous experience in a sales operation role, sales role (4 years minimum) or demand planning role (3 years minimum).
• Definition of standardized reports for visibility, monitoring, and decision making.
• Presentation of