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Russell Stover Chocolates · 1 day ago

Team Lead of Strategic Customer Planning

KC Metro Area

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

8+ years exp

Russell Stover Chocolates is a leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. The Team Lead of Strategic Customer Planning will support the Wholesale Sales organization by leading sales planning and ensuring effective cross-functional coordination to achieve company goals.

Food and BeverageManufacturing

Growth Opportunities

Responsibilities

Serve as the central integrator of the Wholesale Sales function, aligning people, processes, and data to ensure strong planning and execution

Lead customer/channel planning with Sales Leadership and the field sales team—translating company and brand strategy into annual customer plans, priorities, and measurable objectives, including:

Leading annual planning process, ensuring strategies communicated to field sales at National Sales Meeting

Managing volume forecast and trade planning systems, ensuring they are ready for inputs, and field sales annual planning tools are deployed

Leading the process for Account Managers to review annual planning presentations to leadership

Own the sales performance rhythm (weekly/quad-weekly) by establishing standardized scorecards and insights that connect POS/consumption, shipments, and key commercial drivers

Lead the weekly sales execution process to ensure forecast alignment in current month and quarter

Drive strong cross-functional coordination with Sales Strategy, RGM, Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain to align targets, assumptions, and commercial actions

Lead the Sales Planning function, including base forecast collection, customer planning cadence, and internal coordination to support demand visibility and execution

Improve forecast accuracy and decision quality by leveraging in-market consumption data (e.g., Circana and retailer portals) and inventory signals, and by identifying opportunities for advanced analytics/ML where appropriate

Own Forecast/Trade Planning tools (e.g., TradePro); lead and standardize trade planning enablement and governance (process timing, data readiness, required inputs, and compliance), ensuring visibility to plans and performance

Coach and develop direct report, creating clarity in role, priorities, and outcomes; establish clear objectives, success metrics, and continuous improvement expectations

Identify process and capability gaps and implement scalable solutions (tools, templates, playbooks, and training) to improve how Sales plans, executes, and measures performance

Qualification

Sales PlanningStrategic Customer PlanningSales AnalyticsCommercial FinanceAnalytical SkillsTrade PlanningCross-functional LeadershipContinuous ImprovementMBACommunication Skills

Required

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience

8+ years of experience in CPG Sales Planning, Strategic Customer Planning, Sales Analytics, Commercial Finance, RGM, Account Management, or related roles

Proven ability to operate as a cross-functional leader and integrator—aligning multiple departments and workstreams to deliver business outcomes

Demonstrated leadership experience, including leading managers and building standardized processes and operating rhythms

Strong analytical skills (quantitative and qualitative), including the ability to interpret data limitations and synthesize insights into recommended actions

Strong experience leveraging in-market consumption data (e.g., Circana, retailer portals) to diagnose performance and drive actionable recommendations

Experience with trade planning and promotion processes/systems (e.g., TradePro or similar)

Excellent communication and influencing skills; confident presenting to senior leadership and enabling data-driven decision making

Experience improving processes and capability through standardization, change management, and continuous improvement

Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation

Hybrid work model per company policy (e.g., 3 days per week in Corporate Office where applicable)

Travel up to 10%