National Account Manager - Culligan International

Job Title: National Account Manager, Mass Channel

Division: Consumer Products Division,Culligan Retail NA

Location:Hybrid, Rosemont, IL or Remote

Description: The National Account Manager, Mass Channel will be a key driver of growth and innovation within the Culligan Consumer Products Division. This high-impact role is responsible for expanding the reach and success of our brands in the mass retail channel, including strategic partnerships, specifically focusing on Wal-Mart and Target. The successful candidate will spearhead transformative go-to-market strategies that unlock new opportunities, foster partnership, and position Culligan for long-term, profitable growth.

As a dynamic and results-driven owner, the National Account Manager will have a history of building strategic partnerships with top retailers and demonstrated success owning and leading execution, employing a full-funnel, omni-channel approach. By identifying high-value growth opportunities, they will lead efforts to increase share, expand product offerings, and ensure brand relevance at scale. Their entrepreneurial and “boots on the ground” approach, along with embracing the pivotal intersection between retail and eCommerce will be a crucial component in driving transformational outcomes for the organization and our retail partners.

This strategic role requires a collaborative leader who thrives in a hyper growth environment, embraces change, and is skilled in coordinating across various teams including sales, marketing, category management, product development, finance, operations, and external stakeholders. The National Account Manager will be a catalyst in coordinating alignment among teams, identifying opportunities, and delivering results as a key contributor, shaping the future success of Culligan’s retail business.

Responsibilities:

Account & Channel Management:

• Build and maintain strong long-term relationships with buying team, category managers and other key decision makers across the channel and function as primary point of contact for all strategic activities and decisions.
• Pro-actively execute channel strategies, while meeting and exceeding business goals across multiple omni-channel platforms utilizing a cohesive and integrated approach.
• Discover and address opportunities and challenges, focusing on operational efficiency and mutually beneficial outcomes to drive strong partnership and trust.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Partner and collaborate with sales, marketing, operations, and product development, uncovering new opportunities in addition to the seamlessly executing go-to-market strategies.
• Work closely with the marketing & e-commerce teams to integrate omni-channel strategies, driving profitable growth and market share gains across distribution channels.
• Collaborate with supply chain, logistics, finance, and merchandising teams on product availability, procurement, shipping, pricing, and promotional strategies.

Business Development & Distribution Expansion:

• Foster relationships with key retailers, broker partners, distributors, and e-commerce platforms, ensuring the company’s products are well-represented and growing market share.
• Expertly identify, negotiate, and pro-actively secure new distribution opportunities, focusing on both traditional retail and digital platforms.
• Manage the growth and profitability of distribution channels, including developing new business opportunities and expanding existing partnerships.

Sales Strategy & Execution:

• Develop and implement comprehensive account and channel specific sales strategies to maximize growth, focusing on new product placement, promotions, and merchandising strategies to maximize sales and visibility.
• Monitor and analyze sales data, market trends, competitive activity, and consumer insights to identify growth opportunities and adjust go-to-market strategies accordingly.
• Lead negotiations for promotional programs, pricing strategies and joint business plans with Wal-Mart & Target. Optimize promotional calendars, in-store placements, and eCommerce platforms to maximize brand visibility and sales.

Operational Excellence:

• Drive day-to-day management of channel, addressing and solving any challenges that arise and ensuring timely execution of deliverables.
• Implement best practices for operational efficiency and effectiveness, leveraging data and analytics to continuously improve performance across the supply chain.
• Manage sales forecasts and budgets for each account, ensuring accurate projections and effective resource allocation to meet financial goals and metrics.

Reporting & Financial Analysis:

• Regularly assess sales performance utilizing customer reporting, syndicated data, and other analytic tools to provide actionable insights to senior leadership on sales trends, market conditions, and operational effectiveness.
• Monitor KPIs across all channels and adjust strategies as needed to meet targets for revenue, profitability, and market share.
• Ownership of account level P&L’s, utilizing data insights to refine product assortment, promotional spending & trade management.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in consumer product sales including account management expertise for Wal-Mart. Experience managing Target is a plus.
• Record growing profitable sales in the Mass channel utilizing an omni-channel sales approach and leveraging trade marketing, retail media, paid search, category management, broker networks and retailer systems to scale.
• Proficient in various systems, platforms and tools including Walmart Connect, Retail Link, POL, Luminate, Item 360, Salsify, Syndigo and Bazaarvoice.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic plans, with strong negotiation and contract management skills focused on balancing the needs of the retailer while meeting and exceeding company financial goals.
• Strong financial acumen and critical thinking skills, with experience leveraging retail data platforms, syndicated data, and market insights to inform decisions and drive growth.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and negotiation skills, with a history of cross-functional collaboration, resourcefulness, and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Initiative-taking and ownership-driven approach, tackling the role with positivity and a solution-oriented mindset.
• Ability to travel as required for business needs.

We offer competitive compensation & benefits including: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, 401(k) & 401k Match, Parental Leave, PTO, Additional voluntary benefits