Senior Retail Sales Operations Specialist

Location: Chicago, IL

Job :1151

# of Openings:1

Please note that while the Senior Retail Sales Operations Specialist will mostly work remotely, the person hired is expected to live in the greater Chicagoland area, within easy driving distance of the WFC office/plant.

The Senior Retail Sales Operations Specialist ensures the accurate, timely, and efficient execution of critical operational processes that support World's Finest Chocolate's retail customers and growth initiatives.

This role serves as a core execution engine for the Retail Sales Operations function. The Senior Specialist will own key day-to-day processes across new customer and new item setup, purchase order execution, pricing administration, retailer requirements, EDI exceptions, promotional and seasonal execution, deductions support, and event-based program management.

The role will also be accountable for coordinating complex, cross-functional programs that require disciplined execution across Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, Customer Service, Master Data, and external retail partners. This includes programs such as Chocolate for a Cause, seasonal initiatives, customer events, new item launches, and promotional programs.

Just as importantly, this person will be expected to continuously improve how the work gets done through process simplification, automation, AI-enabled tools, and stronger operating discipline.

The successful candidate will combine strong CPG retail operations experience with project management capability, systems aptitude, attention to detail, and a builder mindset.

• Own day-to-day execution of retail customer purchase orders from receipt through shipment readiness, ensuring orders are complete, accurate, and aligned with customer requirements.
• Monitor open orders, delivery dates, inventory availability, order holds, and EDI exceptions.
• Proactively identify order and service risks and coordinate resolution across Customer Service, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Sales.
• Maintain visibility to customer-specific requirements, routing guides, order parameters, and operational deadlines.
• Support operational execution for major national and regional retailers.
• Serve as a key operational resource for National Account Managers, providing timely visibility to execution status, risks, and required actions.

• Own the end-to-end coordination of new customer and new item setup for the Retail organization.
• Manage setup timelines from commercial approval through operational readiness and customer activation.
• Coordinate required inputs across Sales, Marketing, Finance, Master Data, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and external retailer systems.
• Ensure customer, item, UPC, case configuration, pricing, dimensions, logistics attributes, images, and other required data are complete and accurate before launch.
• Manage retailer portal submissions and required documentation for new item introductions.
• Track dependencies, approvals, deadlines, and unresolved issues through completion.
• Validate operational readiness before first orders are released.
• Establish and maintain standardized new item setup checklists, timelines, ownership models, and SOPs.
• Conduct post-launch reviews to identify setup failures, delays, and opportunities to improve future launches.
• Identify recurring bottlenecks in new item setup and drive corrective action with the relevant functional owners.

• Serve as the operational project manager for major retail programs and event-based initiatives, including Chocolate for a Cause, seasonal programs, customer events, promotional programs, assortment transitions, and new product launches.
• Build and maintain detailed project plans, timelines, milestones, dependencies, and ownership.
• Coordinate execution across Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Customer Service, Finance, and external partners.
• Lead recurring project status meetings and ensure clear accountability for open actions.
• Identify risks early and elevate issues that threaten customer commitments, production timing, item readiness, shipments, or event execution.
• Maintain launch and event readiness trackers so stakeholders have clear visibility to status.
• Coordinate operational requirements for displays, promotional materials, seasonal packaging, and event-specific programs.
• Support post-event and post-launch reviews, capturing lessons learned and required process…