Senior Customer Account Specialist

The Senior Customer Account Specialist (SCAS) is responsible for managing, developing, and driving category growth across key indirect customers in an assigned territory. This role focuses on achieving annual sales and commercial spend targets, building strong customer relationships, and executing category and customer business plans. The position requires close collaboration with Wholesaler Customer Account Teams, Commercial Development, Sales Analyst, Shopper Marketing, Category Management, and Field Execution Teams to deliver exceptional results and drive market share gains.

Organization:
Neighborhood Grocers Team (NGT is a dedicated Sales Team within Nestlé USA that drives growth by partnering with a diverse network of neighborhood retailers and wholesalers across all NUSA Divisions)

Team:
West Sr. Customer Account Specialist Team

Customers:
Coborn’s, Lunds & Byerlys, Miners Super One, Knowlans/Festival, & Kowalski’s. Retailers subject to change.

Division/Category Responsibilities:
Wall-to-Wall . Responsibilities subject to change.

Location/Travel Requirements:
This position is REMOTE, preferred location in Minneapolis, MN. However, if candidate is located close to the Solon Office, the hybrid workplace guidelines apply and 3 days in office would be required.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES Category Strategy:
Product / Brand Objectives

• Drive category growth (category-first mindset) and achieve/exceed annual sales and commercial spend targets. *
• Maintain and manage profitable growth to drive market share gains.
• Collaborate with Wholesaler CAM (s) to develop customer promotion plans for Indirect Retailers based on distribution, category trends, and promotional activities. *
• Partner with Category Management and Sales Analysts to transform 4
  
  Ps analytics and insights into action.*

Customer Strategy:
Sales Performance Targets and Customer Relations

• Develop and present business plans, new item presentations, distribution optimization, and customer promotional calendars.*
• Manage day-to-day responsibilities for assigned customers. *
• Build and maintain strong business relationships internally with cross-functional partners & teammates as well as externally with customer personnel.

Win at Retail:
Improving Execution

• Drive excellence in execution through continual interaction with Nestlé Retail Sales (NRS) team and/or Distributor Sales team. *

Right People, Right Place:
Talent Development

• Own personal development through adoption of capability tools and participation in career development programs. *
• Drive category growth and meet/exceed high performance targets.
• Develop critical behaviors (Ways of Winning) through robust PDP process. *
• Utilize data and reporting tools to support 4P (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) objectives and provide actionable insights. *
• Most SCAS roles are ‘wall to wall’ responsibilities – all NUSA divisions and categories *

Integrated Approach:
Team & Cross-Functional Communication

• Partner with CAM on forecast, trade, and events. *
• Actively ensure timely & effective communication with internal partners – Leaders, CAMs, Commercial Development, Account Associate, Sales Analyst, Field Execution Teams (Nestlé Retail Sales & Distributor Team), Finance (RGM & TFS), etc… (Business Support Center – BSC, as applicable) *

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required (business-related preferred), and minimum of 2 years of relevant sales experience is required. *
• Analyst and customer-facing project experience preferred (an ideal candidate is someone with at least two of three roles - an NRS role, an Analyst role, an Associate role and have experience with some level of customer interaction to showcase strong analytical, communication and interpersonal skills).
• Strong ability for collaboration,…