Business Manager; Food Broker

Business Manager, Bakery & Fresh Categories

The key function of the Business Manager, Bakery & Fresh Categories is to achieve Affinity client and customer sales, merchandising, and category growth objectives by providing expert strategic guidance, trusted client partnership, and effective market activation at designated retail customers.

This role serves as the primary liaison between manufacturers, retail customers, and internal Affinity teams to develop and execute sales, merchandising, category management, promotional, and product innovation initiatives within Bakery and other Fresh departments. The Business Manager utilizes fact-based selling, category insights, customer relationships, and market intelligence to identify growth opportunities, optimize assortments, execute new product introductions, and drive measurable business results for both clients and customers.

This role partners closely with Bakery Technical Specialists and retail operations teams to support execution, merchandising excellence, product innovation, and category growth initiatives.

Affinity Business Managers work collaboratively with Leadership, Account Managers, Retail Merchandisers, Technical Specialists, Client Service Specialists, Marketing, and customer partners to effectively mobilize and align resources in support of client and customer objectives.

• Represent Affinity Group in an ethical, professional, and solution-oriented manner.
• Establish and maintain strong strategic partnerships with clients, customer category managers, retail operations teams, and other key stakeholders.
• Serve as the strategic business lead for assigned clients by aligning manufacturer objectives with retailer category strategies to drive profitable and sustainable growth.
• Collaborate with Affinity leadership and account management to develop account-specific sales, marketing, merchandising, and category growth plans that align with client trade-funding parameters.
• Identify and execute distribution of expansion opportunities, assortment optimization recommendations, and new item introductions.
• Utilize syndicated data, retailer POS data, shopper insights, and market trends to identify growth opportunities and develop customer recommendations.
• Develop and execute annual business plans aligned with client growth objectives and retailer category strategies.
• Lead promotional planning, evaluation, and optimization efforts to maximize sales, margin, and return on trade investment.
• Monitor retail customer promotional and merchandising activities for client and competitive brands and provide actionable recommendations.
• Partner with Technical Specialists and retail bakery operations teams to support product evaluations, merchandising execution, operational best practices, customer initiatives, and category growth opportunities.
• Support forecasting activities related to promotions, seasonal programs, distribution gains, and new product launches.
• Compile and maintain timely sales volume histories, performance reporting, and customer analytics.
• Work with Administration to maintain accurate trade funding accounts utilizing client-approved systems and designated accounting platforms.
• Work with Account Management, Marketing, Sales Analysts, and Administration to develop and deliver customer business reviews, category reviews, and growth presentations.
• Analyze category performance and recommend assortment, pricing, promotional, and merchandising strategies to improve results.
• Work with Account Management and Administration to address and resolve financial and administrative issues, including deductions, pricing discrepancies, inventory concerns, and supply chain challenges.
• Advise Affinity Leadership regarding customer trends,…