Key Account Support Specialist

Summary

Advantage Solutions is a North American sales and marketing agency specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management, and marketing services. The Key Account Support Specialist supports client success by managing business planning, forecasting, annual reviews, category presentations, promotional planning, client systems, issue resolution, and data-driven recommendations. The role also analyzes client performance, develops strategic plans, and collaborates with Key Account Managers and cross-functional teams to achieve financial and business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Directing client annual review process to customers
• Work closely with Key Account Managers (“KAMs) to manage client business planning, forecasting, annual reviews, and joint business planning
• Leverage insights to develop category review presentations and promotional planning
• Actively manage and develop strategic annual plans for clients
• Expert within client systems and platforms
• Lead all issue resolution activities with client systems, identify all overspend and/or spending shortfalls, and work with relevant KAMs to resolve, using insights and data to recommend improvements
• Expert for the client(s) products, brands, SKUs, pricing and promotional plans
• Suggest strategic actions and guide client promo planning activities
• Research and implement effective strategies for clients so they can meet business objectives, including revenue and market share objectives
• Make recommendations for how clients can achieve financial targets
• Analyze data to identify trends and recommend opportunities for improvement and reduce competitive threats
• Develop and conduct negotiations to maximize profitability and maintain positive relationships
• Build sales presentations for key clients and make client recommendations for customer presentations
• Analyze performance metrics of assigned clients and make recommendations for improvement
• Recommend ways to improve business margin for clients and recommend action plans
• Strategize on how to maximize marketing spend to achieve client’s financial goals
• Review marketing schematics on behalf of customers, and coordinate closely with cross-functional stakeholders in our schematic, reset and retail departments
• Drive cross-collaboration among all other internal teams
• Analyze data reports to ensure financial performance meets forecasted targets
• Drive alignment across KAMs, highlighting key opportunities and challenges and also suggesting resolutions to issues
• Does not have direct reports, but may delegate work of others and provide guidance, direction and mentoring to indirect reports

Skills

• Education Level: (Required): Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
• 1-3+ Years of experience with grocery operations, including promotional planning activities, systems experience preferred
• • Strong presentation skills
• • Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• • Working knowledge of syndicated data
• • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• • Intermediate or advanced computer skills
• • Strong written communication and verbal communication skills
• • Conflict management skills
• • Demonstrated ability to provide cross-functional leadership
• • Well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle a fast-paced work environment
• • Flexible and adaptable, able to change and alter according to changes in projects or business environment
• • Ability to complete multiple duties with accuracy shifting from one to another with frequent interruptions and competing deadlines
• Incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of the job
• Typically, requires the abilty to sit for extended periods of time (66%+ each day), ability to hear telephone, ability to enter data on a computer and may require the ability to lift up to 10lbs

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Education Level: (Required): Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
• 1-3+ Years of experience with grocery operations, including promotional planning activities, systems experience preferred
• • Strong presentation skills
• • Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• • Working knowledge of syndicated data
• • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• • Intermediate or advanced computer skills
• • Strong written communication and verbal communication skills
• • Conflict management skills
• • Demonstrated ability to provide cross-functional leadership
• • Well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle a fast-paced work environment
• • Flexible and adaptable, able to change and alter according to changes in projects or business environment
• • Ability to complete multiple duties with accuracy shifting from one to another with frequent interruptions and competing deadlines
• Incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of the job
• Typically, requires the abilty to sit for extended periods of time (66%+ each day), ability to hear telephone, ability to enter data on a computer and may require the ability to lift up to 10lbs

Benefits

• Remote