City : Mississauga

Category : Other

Industry : Food/Packaging

Employer : Maple Leaf Foods

 The Opportunity:

The Category Sales Development Manager (CSD) is the Category Expert within our Customer Teams and the Sales Expert within the Marketing Team. A Category Sales Development Manager’s #1 priority is to enable our Customer Teams to sell more profitable branded volume in the categories that they cover, which will require problem solving across a variety of unique category challenges with input from multiple cross-functional teams. The Category Sales Development Manager is responsible to direct the implementation of category/brand plans including:

• Ensure Sales is armed with all the information that they require in order to properly execute the category strategy established by the Core Marketing Team
• Developing annual category trade strategies to support annual marketing plan
• Creating category stories to support the execution of the 4P (Price, Product, Place, Promotion) Trade Strategy across regions and channels
• Assessing the category and analyzing opportunities for development of the MLF Share at the category/channel level
• Assessing the category for potential evolution opportunities at the category/channel
• Ensuring clear interface between Marketing and Sales and facilitating the planning process

The position requires a highly motivated individual to provide top quality, value added analysis, insight and leadership. The successful candidate must have exceptional analytical and interpersonal skills coupled with excellent problem solving skills, a solid sales foundation and a strong ability to create and sell in our category growth platforms.   The successful applicant will have past experience in Sales.  Some travel may be required.

Snapshot of a Day-in-the-Life:

• Supports the Customer Team as required with customer facing meetings around category specific business planning, innovation and top to top presentations.
• Supports the Marketing teams with the achievement of the GP Target and who supports CBT with gap closing initiatives against the Kilo Targets.  The CSD provides input early on to Marketing and Sales on the realities of initiatives, and is responsible for anticipating and predicting future volume and GP performance to determine if financial gaps Vs. budget exist.  The CSD leads the development of Gap Closing Initiatives.
• Develops category trade plans and leads the execution of sales tactics (plays) that deliver both the Sales (CAP Plan) and Marketing OGSP plans.  This requires the development of clear trade plans grounded in the 4 P’s (Pricing, Product, Placement and Promotion).
• Creates and Leads the Integrated Category Planning Process between Sales (CBT) and Marketing.
• Responsible for staying current with industry best practices and emerging best practices. 
• Responsible to lead the Biannual Sales/Marketing Alignment Process (Playbook).
• Leads the development of best in-class Innovation Trade Strategy. 
• Supports the Customer Sales Team (CBT) in the development of category driven product launches, working with Marketing to ensure plans are embedded within Marketing while supporting the development of the selling stories leveraging the support of Marketing, Sales and Customer Insights.

What You’ll Bring:

• Post-secondary degree required
• Previous Category Development, Marketing and/or Sales experience required
• 4-6 years of value add analytical experience
• Must strongly demonstrate our Maple Leaf Leadership values
• Demonstrated personal leadership skills
• A natural curiosity with demonstrated problem-solving skills
• Solid strategic thinker with good understanding of the Canadian retail landscape
• Excellent presentation skills with above average influencing and negotiating skills
• Superior Category Management Skills with demonstrated past success in prior Category Management roles
• Must have excellent knowledge of Nielsen and Cross Outlet Facts.
• Strong analytical skills and be a detail-oriented person with a propensity to learn new systems.
• Computer literacy mandatory in Excel, PowerPoint, Word
• Must be able to create and deliver outstanding category stories
• Must be driven to win in a team environment
• Excellent planning and organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to create best in class category trade strategies and to synthesize a variety of data sources (consumer, shopper, loyalty) into presentations that are easily understood.
• Must be able to provide strong, executable category recommendations that reflect the retailer and category strategy.
• Strong project and time management skills are required.
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to build relationships.
• Must be proactive and performance driven, have a bias for action and be able to work under pressure in a fast paced environment.
• Excellent English written and oral communication skills.

What We Offer at Maple Leaf Foods:

• Being part of a high-performance, people-focused company that has an inspiring and unique vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth, and a deep commitment to sustainable protein across North America.
• An inclusive company culture and a work environment that keeps our people safe, rewards excellence, and empowers everyone to learn and contribute their best.
• A hybrid work model that embraces remote work for eligible roles, helping team members achieve work-life balance—combining the best of both spending time working remotely, benefitting from focus time, and purposeful collaboration in the office setting. 
• Competitive Health and Wellness benefits that offer flexibility to meet your individual or family needs, including programs focused on improving mental health and wellbeing. These benefits start on your first day of employment.
• Defined Contribution Pension Plan with company matching that starts on your first day of employment.
• Learning and development opportunities, including workshops, ‘speaker series’ events, and resources that allow you to develop your skills and progress your career.
• Comprehensive tuition reimbursement program that supports continuous learning and development of our team members through investment in eligible degrees, diplomas, professional certification, or trades programs.
• Supporting our deep commitment to community impact, we offer up to two paid days annually to volunteer at a cause of your choice.

About Us:

We’re a carbon neutral food company on a purposeful journey to Raise the Good in Food through better nutrition, safer food and workplaces, more humane animal care, and environmental sustainability efforts that protect our planet. We care about our communities and commit to reducing food insecurity in Canada. Join us on the journey. Let’s build a better future, together.

We’re passionate about food. For more than 100 years, we’ve made delicious, healthy protein that Canadians love under iconic national and regional brands, like Maple Leaf®, Schneiders®, and Greenfield Natural Meat Co.® We’re on a journey to become the most sustainable protein company – not just in Canada – but on earth.

• We are carbon neutral.
• We are one of the only food companies in Canada to set science-based targets.
• We aim to reduce our environmental footprint by 50% by 2025.

We’re a global food company with more than 13,500 team members. We operate sites in 20+ locations across Canada. We also have locations in the U.S. and Mexico, and do business in Asia.

A diverse and inclusive work environment

Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision and living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values. We believe in building, investing in, recognizing, and rewarding remarkable people who value an inclusive workplace, embrace all forms of diversity, and commit to including every voice in our collaborative environment. We’re so much stronger when we know we’re accepted and valued for who we are and what we each bring to the workplace.

We embrace a strong, values-based culture

Our eight Leadership Values are our north star. They guide the decisions we make for all our stakeholders: our consumers, our customers, our people, our communities, our shareholders, and the environment.

• Doing What’s Right
• Shared Value
• High Performance
• Diverse and Inclusive Teams
• Disciplined Decision Making
• Our Accountability
• Intense Curiosity
• Transparency and Humility

Maple Leaf Foods is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all our employees.  As part of this commitment, we have adopted a number of COVID-19 safety measures, including a requirement for all employees to be fully vaccinated by March 31, 2022 and to show proof of vaccination.   In keeping with this policy, successful candidates will need to provide proof of vaccination by March 31, 2022 (or prior to their first day of work if the start date is after March 31, 2022).  We will of course consider accommodations for anyone unable to be vaccinated following human rights and other applicable laws
We thank all applicants for their interest in exploring employment opportunities with Maple Leaf Foods; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Applicants may be subject to a background check and must meet the security criteria designated for the position.
Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision, living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values, and delivering winning results. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment and assessment process and when hired; please contact our Talent Attraction Team at accommodations@mapleleaf.com.

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