Associate Manager, Commercial Strategy & Operations
Description
Job Overview:
The Associate Manager, Commercial Strategy & Operations supports the development and execution of PIM Brands' commercial strategy across customers, channels, and brands. This role helps translate company and brand priorities into clear, actionable plans for the Sales organization and leads cross- functional work across annual commercial planning, new item commercialization, broker performance management, and commercial execution.
This role partners closely with Sales, Marketing, Category Strategy, Finance, Supply Chain, Sales Planning, and external broker teams to develop selling tools, coordinate key initiatives, track product launch and promotional execution, and identify opportunities to improve business performance. The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking, strong project leadership, and analytical capabilities with the ability to execute effectively in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
Responsibilities:
Annual Commercial Planning & Strategy
- Support development of PIM Brands' annual commercial strategy and planning process.
- Assist in creating commercial planning tools and materials, including annual brand plans, playbooks, selling stories, commercial planning timeline, and National Sales Meeting materials.
- Partner with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Sales Planning and Category Strategy to align commercial priorities across assortment, merchandising, pricing, and shelving.
New Item Commercialization
- Support commercialization workstreams for customer-specific opportunities, including new items, packaging formats, off-shelf displays, and promotional programs.
- Coordinate cross-functional launch readiness activities and execution plans across Sales, Marketing, Category Strategy, Finance, Demand Planning, Supply Chain, and other internal teams.
- Monitor launch progress, customer commitments, and performance to help ensure successful commercialization.
Broker Relationship & Performance Management
- Support broker management processes, performance tracking, and business planning activities.
- Assist with broker scorecards, business reviews, communications, and incentive programs.
- Partner with Sales leadership to drive broker accountability and execution against key priorities.
PIM Commercial Execution
- Support execution of key commercial initiatives, including innovation launches, promotional programs, and retail priorities.
- Monitor performance against commercial objectives and identify risks, gaps, and opportunities.
- Develop reporting and tools that improve visibility into marketplace execution.
Business Insights, Project Leadership & Process Improvement
- Analyze business performance and translate data into actionable insights and recommendations.
- Support cross-functional projects, reporting, and performance tracking across key commercial priorities.
- Identify opportunities to improve processes, tools, and ways of working that enhance commercial effectiveness.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Finance, Economics, Supply Chain, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience in commercial strategy, sales operations, sales planning, category management, trade marketing, revenue growth management, business analytics, or related function.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and manage multiple priorities.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, including the ability to turn data into clear business recommendations.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing presentations for business and leadership audiences.
- Ability to build effective working relationships across functions and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
- High level of organization, attention to detail, accountability, and follow-through.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
- Experience in consumer packaged goods, working with retail customers or brokers, and supporting new product commercialization is preferred.
- Familiarity with syndicated data, commercial reporting platforms, and assortment, merchandising, pricing, shelving, and promotional planning principles is preferred.
