Sales Strategy Manager

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar‑free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations.

Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company‑owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy!

As the Sales Strategy Manager
, you will be responsible for creating both short and long‑term strategies at the Total Wholesale, Channel and Customer levels for the businesses you work on. You will leverage data to create, implement, deploy and monitor go‑to‑market sales strategies. The sales strategies you will work on will be focused on sales controllables, which consist of merchandising, assortment, pricing and shelving initiatives and align with the overall Russell Stover strategies.

You will work collaboratively with the Marketing, Innovation, RGM, Finance, Sales Planning, Category Management, Retail Operations and Field Sales teams to ensure development and implementation of go‑to‑market strategy. With direct exposure to Senior Leadership, this high‑visibility role empowers rising talent and offers a clear opportunity to accelerate your growth and prepare for greater roles of responsibility.

• Voice of Customer & Sales:
  Advocate and represent the customer point of view internally. Serve customer teams by securing internal alignment on efforts to win with customers and deliver against Brand strategies. Serve Brand teams by providing the voice of the customer and integrating Brand strategies into customer business plans
• Serve as a Channel and Customer expert, advisor, and champion to internal and external stakeholders. This includes developing & driving U.S. wholesale strategy, focusing on driving long‑term growth across Mass, Grocery, Club, Dollar, Specialty, and Convenience channels of Trade
• Lead development of go‑to‑market strategies for key innovation and develop national selling stories that arm the Sales team with clear strategic direction and resources to sell in item innovation
• Develop & deploy sales strategies for your respective business responsibilities including the Sales Playbook & Sales Materials for Field Sales Execution
• Work with cross‑functional teams to analyze current go‑to‑market sales strategies and make recommendations for change, based on data
• Communicate results across the business effectively
• Utilization and analysis of syndicated and panel data (IRI, Numerator, Kantar)
• Leverage available tools and processes while seeking ways (projects) to deliver continual improvement in the process

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Marketing or Finance
• 6 years of business analytics experience preferably in Sales and/or Category Management
• Experience using advanced functions within Microsoft Excel, Word and Power Point
• Experience using syndicated data (IRI, Nielsen)
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation.

• M.B.A
• Strong analytical, technical, and interpretations skills
• Insight and solution driven
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Strong interpersonal skills. Great team player
• Ability to find unique and creative ways to add value through data and insights

• Role is Kansas City, MO based out of the Company Headquarters
• Hybrid work model per company policy (e.g., 3 days per week in Corporate Office where applicable)
• Travel up to 10%

Make Happy. Work Happy.

If visiting our manufacturing plants, you will be expected to:

• Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
• Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory…