Key Account Manager

About the Company

The Allan Sullivan Co. sets the standard of excellence for professional selling organizations in the CPG trade. Built on the idea that the sales team that will win in the market of tomorrow is the one that can best merge top sales talent and robust analytical technologies to accelerate turning insights into action. We are intimately involved with our client’s business priorities and strategies in a collaborative manner, we deploy cutting edge technology to bring world class service levels to emerging and mid-tier business that would otherwise be economically unattainable, and we provide a disciplined, methodical growth plan to our client’s product portfolio at all points of consumer engagement.

The Allan Sullivan Co. is not for everyone – we choose our partners and employees carefully. We look for people with a posture toward aggressive growth. We work well with people that will do what it takes to win – they are all in. Our team thrives on authenticity and transparency – we move quickly and effectively because we TRUST one another – there are no games, there are no politics, we work as one. We are rigorous in our preparation and relentless in our purpose. We believe in the adage that when an opportunity presents itself - people do not rise to the occasion but perform at the level of their training. As a result, we train our people hard and test our technology rigorously.

Location

·       Atlanta

·       Chesapeake

·       Nashville

About the Position

The Key Account Manager role is a critical member of the sales team and is the owner of the line review operating cadence for Big Lots, TJX Company, Tuesday Morning, 5 Below, and 99 Cent stores. Responsibilities include pre-review preparation, post-review deliverables, and management of cross functional team for initial setup of all item information, replenishment, and data management/analytics. Their role begins at the start of the line review process and ends once new MODs/POGs have set and are in a regular operating cadence. This role is the critical link in developing and deploying a client strategy at the retailer and as a result must have strong retail strategy and interpersonal skills. This person’s responsibilities are as follows, but not limited to:

·     Understanding the client’s and buyer’s objectives and challenges to find a solution for both parties.

·     Communication with the buyer and client – as needed and per the Allan Sullivan Co. operating cadence.

·     Line Review Ownership: Prep, Status, Coordination, & Execution - Line Review documentation and information dissemination and management of support team.

·     Internal collaboration with Sales, Operations, and Marketing to provide the best-in-class experience to clients and buyers.

·     Ad-Hoc analysis and pricing/assortment support, leveraging fact-based selling around brand, shopper, and financial trends.

·     Remain current on industry trends, market conditions, competition, and the ever-changing consumer demographics.

·     Periodic visits to client facilities as well as on-site entertainment such as lunches and dinners.

·     Local Level Knowledge – Vendors, services, contacts, etc… Know the people to get things done when no one else can get it done.

The behaviors that a person would need to exhibit to find success in this position would be as follows:

·     Extreme Ownership – your default behavior is to take ownership for all aspects of the success of the endeavor you are responsible for.

·     Cultivate & Maintain – you should naturally cultivate relationships and seek out opportunities to connect with and build trust with all your stakeholders. You should be able to easily mix business and personal and know how to move a conversation forward toward specific business objectives without being off putting.

·     Solicit and Inform – your communication style should be one that solicits input to a task and or informs cross-functional team members of actions taken. DO NOT ASK PERMISSION – go and do, but keep everyone in the loop when it impacts how they create value for our clients or The Allan Sullivan Co.

·     Time Multiplier – your primary indicator of success is if our clients and our team members see you as a person who lightens their burden rather than adding to. You must use your gut – anticipate needs and preemptively meet them, attempt first to learn and complete a task before asking someone to aid you in its completion, respect their time – get to the point and be concise in conversations.

Desired Experience & Skills

·     Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, or a related field.

·     2-3 years’ experience in either retail buying or CPG sales roles – Preferably a blend of experiences in Sales, Business Development, Category Management and/or Marketing within a mid to large sized CPG company or Retail Food / Beverage space.

·     Excellent attention to detail, communication, and interpersonal skills (written and verbal, along with the ability to problem-solve and negotiate.

·     Demonstrated time management, self-motivation, and project management skills.

·     Desire to work in a small company and a “do what it takes” attitude, both as an individual and a team player.

·     Ability to work-from-home and travel as needed.