For more than 115 years, Ferrara has created sugar confections that enable moments of sweetness, celebration, and connection for candy lovers of all generations. Today, the company is the #1 sugar confectioner in the United States. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of nearly 9,000 employees creating and delivering hundreds of products sold under 20 popular brands like Brach’s®, NERDS®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, and Trolli® to more than 66 million U.S. households annually and popular Dori snacking products under brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100 in Brazil. Additionally, Jelly Belly, known world-wide for its confections, was acquired in November of 2023.
Director, National Accounts - Walmart Everyday Confections
Job Location: Rogers
Want to make an impact?
Reporting to the VP of Sales for Walmart-Sam’s, the Director of Walmart Everyday Confections will develop, plan and help drive business initiatives through collaboration with cross functional partners to achieve company objectives aligned with customer objectives. He/she will lead in plan development across the Walmart Everyday Confections business to deliver profitable, sustainable growth and share gains for Ferrara.
Ways you will make a difference
- Manage Walmart direct customer relationships with support of the Walmart Confections Customer Business leads team. Support the Walmart VP executive customer relationship for the Walmart-Sam’s Pillar.
- Lead business development & strategy for Walmart Everyday Confections including Walmart Take Home D01 & Impulse D82 categories (~$190M)
- Manage and develop the Walmart Customer Business Lead Team (2 direct reports)
- Lead coordination and development of JBP’s, QBRs, Innovation Summits, Strategic Customer & Commercial Reviews with customer SVP-VP and internal CCO/CMO audiences.
- Lead the annual process for Walmart Everyday Confections, coordinating all cross-functional needs, adhering to Ferrara & Walmart timelines: Modular Line Reviews, Feature Submissions, Samples, Item Setup, Forecasting, Monthly Demand Reviews, and Annual Planning
- Build and retain long-term, collaborative relationships for Ferrara team with Walmart via excellent customer service
- Establish internal relationships to effectively influence and collaboratively achieve objectives
- Develop and implement 2-3 year plans and strategies to deliver profitable, sustainable growth at Walmart on Everyday businesses
- Lead in development and support execution of contingency plans to maximize growth while mitigating risks
- Effective cross-functional collaboration with Category Leadership, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, Finance, and Retail Merchandising to maximize Everyday results
- Own the Walmart Everyday P&L from Gross to Net
- Meet or exceed company growth objectives while adhering to trade budget
- Desire to provide constructive input to continuously improve Everyday processes
- Demonstrate the company’s core values
- Adhere to company policies and procedures
- Perform other duties as assigned
Skills that will make you successful
- Must reside in Northwest Arkansas. Ability to travel as required
- Track record of leading an effective and engaged team
- A Collaborative & Influential Self-starter who proactively identifies business risks and opportunities with drive to pursue initiatives
- Detail oriented. Strong organization skills and ability to manage process effectively
- Analytical mindset. Understanding of Retail Link data and syndicated data (IRI)
- Ability to influence through fact-based recommendations, and create and deliver strong presentations across functions and levels, internally and externally
- Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
- Strong relationship management skills, emphasis on collaboration and alignment, across functions and levels
- Ability to lift 40 pounds
Experiences that will support your success
- Minimum of Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree is a plus
- Minimum of 8 years of Sales experience working with Walmart
- Minimum of 2 years of people management
- Expertise in Walmart merchandising strategies and execution in FMCG categories
- Experience in P&L management and sales forecasting
- Experience in Customer/Channel Marketing, Category Management, and/or Sales Operations is a plus
- Experience working with McLane and CoreMark, Walmart Connect, and Luminate is a plus
- Experience working in Confections is a plus
- Proficient in Microsoft Office suite, emphasis on Excel and PowerPoint
Ferrara’s success in industry-leading innovation has been driven by deep consumer insights, strong retailer co-creation and partnerships, and a dedication to diversity of thought, experience, and people. A privately held company, Ferrara has its global headquarters in Chicago and an operational network of more than 27 locations in North America, Brazil, and China that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities. Ferrara is a privately held Ferrero related company. Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.