Associate Director, Customer Performance Planning

Associate Director, Customer Performance Planning 
 

Background & Purpose of the Job 

The Associate Director, Customer Performance Planning is a pivotal role, responsible for driving the sales performance and strategic planning for US Nutrition categories.  This involves leading the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process, Net Revenue Management (NRM) initiatives, overseeing the development of accurate category forecasts, and laser focus on performance of category strategy and pivots needed to create a high performance team.  The Associate Director provides strategic direction to a team of forecasting, revenue management, and strategic professionals, while collaborating closely with cross-functional stakeholders to optimize net revenue realization and category growth. 

Serving as a critical link between various functions, this role fosters seamless integration of strategies and plans across Customer Strategy & Planning, Marketing, Finance, Consumer Market Insights (CMI) and Field Sales teams.  Key responsibilities include proactively monitoring promotional events, field-level opening plans, managing gap-closing initiatives, aligning biweekly volume calls, tracking category-level targets, and actively participating in the commercial Integrated Business Planning (IBP) strategy.  The Associate Director maintains close connectivity with Field Sales, working hand-in-hand to ensure forecasts and plans align with market realities and go-to-market strategies. 

The Associate Director, Category Performance Planning will provide strategic leadership by leveraging data-driven insights, identifying business drivers and trends, and recommending actionable strategies to support decision-making and drive category performance. Strong analytical, forecasting, and communication skills are essential, along with a collaborative and customer-centric mindset to build strong cross-functional relationships. 

Who You Are & What You’ll Do: 

• Oversee the S&OP process, ensuring collaboration across cross-functional teams to deliver unbiased category topline forecasts, balanced risk and opportunity assessments, and proactive identification of business drivers and trends. 

• Lead the Net Revenue Management team in developing and implementing strategies to expedite net revenue realization, including trade rates management, channel strategies, promotional performance analytics, and market share projections. 

• Serve as a strategic business partner to the Category Sales & Planning and Brand Teams, providing insights, analysis, and recommendations to support decision-making and drive category performance. 

• Manage and develop a team of forecasting and revenue management professionals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and customer-centric thinking. 

• Communicate complex data and insights effectively to cross-functional stakeholders, including executive-level presentations to showcase Nutrition commercial strategy. 

• Continuously improve forecasting and revenue management processes, leveraging data analytics and industry best practices to enhance accuracy and efficiency. 

• Stay abreast of industry trends, market dynamics, and competitive landscape to proactively identify opportunities and mitigate risks. 

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