Director, Kroger

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For more than 115 years, Ferrara has created sugar confections that enable moments of sweetness, celebration, and connection for candy lovers of all generations. Today, the company is the #1 sugar confectioner in the United States. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of nearly 9,000 employees creating and delivering hundreds of products sold under 20 popular brands like Brach’s, NERDS, SweeTARTS, Laffy Taffy, and Trolli to more than 66 million U.S. households annually and popular Dori snacking products under brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100 in Brazil. Additionally, Jelly Belly, known world-wide for its confections, was acquired in November of 2023.

Reporting directly to the VP of Grocery, the Director of Kroger will develop and execute sales strategies to drive profitable revenue growth at Kroger across Confections, Seasonal and Fruit Snack categories. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in sales leadership with a proven track record of success in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. This role requires a strategic leader with experience in managing key accounts, driving category growth, and working collaboratively with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain. This individual will manage a team of three direct reports, ensuring that sales objectives are met or exceeded through effective forecasting, trade management, joint business planning (JBP), and strong retailer partnerships.

• Own and drive the sales strategy for Kroger across the Confections, Seasonal, and Fruit Snacks categories.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of three direct reports, setting clear objectives and ensuring accountability.
• Manage the P&L for the business unit, ensuring profitable growth while achieving sales targets.

Forecasting & Planning

• Develop and manage accurate sales forecasts to support demand planning and production.
• Lead the Kroger joint business planning process, aligning both short-term and long-term strategic goals with Kroger’s priorities.
• Drive internal alignment on volume and financial projections with cross-functional teams.

Trade Management

• Lead trade spend management to maximize ROI and ensure compliance with the company’s trade policies.
• Collaborate with the internal finance team to optimize trade spending and deliver budgeted margins.
• Analyze trade effectiveness to identify opportunities for growth and improved performance.
• Lead team through negotiations including contracts and pricing.

Joint Business Planning (JBP)

• Collaborate with Kroger on the development and execution of Joint Business Plans that align with both companies’ strategic objectives.
• Foster strong partnerships with Kroger’s key decision-makers to influence category growth initiatives.
• Monitor and adjust business plans to ensure continued alignment with evolving market and customer needs.
• Address and resolve customer issues and concerns promptly and effectively.
• Stay ahead of market trends, competitive activity, and customer insights to inform sales strategy and execution.
• Provide thought leadership on category and shopper trends, influencing innovation and in-store execution plans.
• Leverage data-driven insights to identify growth opportunities within the confections, seasonal, and fruit snacks categories.
• Work closely with internal Marketing, Category Management, Supply Chain, and Finance teams to ensure alignment on go-to-market strategies.
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration between the sales team and cross-functional partners.
• Oversee the development and execution of annual sales plan.
• Monitor and analyze sales performance metrics and adjust strategies as needed to meet objectives.

• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills.
• Strong track record of successfully collaborating with other functional teams.
• Executive presence and comfort around sharing vision/strategies with senior management.
• Strong ownership for results and how those results are achieved for the team.
• Superior negotiation and communication skills.
• Financial acumen and budget management skills.
• Ability to build and maintain strong customer relationships.

• Bachelor’s degree required. MBA or equivalent advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive sales experience in the CPG industry.
• Proven track record of success in managing sales in large retail accounts, particularly Kroger, with demonstrated success in driving profitable growth.
• Expertise in Joint Business Planning (JBP) with major retailers.
• Track record of building and developing high-performing teams.
• Ability to travel to meet with customers, industry events, and visit company headquarters.

Ferrara’s success in industry-leading innovation has been driven by deep consumer insights, strong retailer co-creation and partnerships, and a dedication to diversity of thought, experience, and people. A privately held company, Ferrara has its global headquarters in Chicago and an operational network of more than 27 locations in North America, Brazil, and China that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities. Ferrara is a privately held Ferrero related company. Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.