Key Accounts Manager - Quebec

Introduction to Kerry:

Kerry Group is the world leader in taste and nutrition serving the food, beverage and supplement industry, globally. Our purpose is to “Inspire Food and Nourish Life”, and we do this by supplying products in a sustainable manner which is good for our customers, the societies we live and work in, and our planet. In recent years Kerry has accelerated technology acquisition in the science-backed health and wellness functional ingredients category. In addition, Kerry has the global market leading portfolio of Taste (e.g. Citrus, Cocoa, Coffee extracts), functional and plant-based proteins. In line with consumer trends, Kerry has invested extensively in clean label preservation technologies which allow us to co-create with our customers to make better Food, Beverages, and Supplements for you. In parallel to the above investments, Kerry is recruiting for the role Key Accounts Manager for our Bio-K+ site in Laval (Quebec). 

Bio-K+’s history began over 30 years ago, with the discovery of three remarkable and unique probiotic strains. Ever since our humble beginnings in the 1990s, our mission has always been focused on promoting people’s health through food and science. Over our +30 years of history, we grew from 10 employees to a global company, owned by the renowned Kerry Group. The business expanded from a Québec-based natural health food outlet to an international network of pharmacies, health food and grocery stores and hospitals in Canada and the United States. Canada is where Bio-K+ was born. The brand has a strong presence in Quebec region as the “#1 recommended probiotic brand in Quebec” 8 years in a roll. The rest of Canada is still a big opportunity for the brand to increase awareness and drive stronger sales. In the U.S. we are very strong in the natural channel (i.e. Whole Foods, Sprouts). We have ambition to grow in Food, Drug and mass channels.

About the role

Reporting to the Director of Sales Canada, you will be responsible for the management of existing National and Regional Key Accounts, distributors and brokers and strategic development of generating new business within Pharmacy and Grocery.  The role of KAM is to translate company objectives into the customer planning process through Category Reviews, Trade Marketing programs, Distribution Optimization and Merchandising initiatives with the goal of achieving company sales targets. 

The Key Account Manager will be integral part of the Canadian Sales team. You will be the key contact to some of most important retailers and brokers. You will be analytically strong to uncover business opportunities and gaps through analysis of POS and internal reports as well as build a strong 18 month forecast for your accounts. A strong relationship builder, managing the customer demands and growth opportunities. You will be a strong contributor to the Canadian sales, and a strong leader on your business.  

Key responsibilities

• Develop a sales strategy to achieve organizational sales goals with assigned customers, including but not limited to Natural, Drug and Grocery channel and strategic distributors and brokers. 
• Represent Bio K+ brand in front of retailers, active management of retailer/brand relationship. 
• Frequently monitor the achievement of sales performances by key account banners and make course corrections where required aligned with trade spend parameters. 
• Build strong working relationships with cross-functional departments to maximize business opportunities, including Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance and Customer Service. 
• Develop and deliver fact-based sales presentations using category and market data, account practices, and promotional strategies to produce executable programs that drive sales. 
• Develop an engagement strategy with Retailers so that Bio-K+ participates in the retailer’s Joint Business Planning process including Promotional Reviews, Line Reviews, Assortment Planning, etc. 
• Conduct detailed analyses of business trends, competitive activity, promotional performance, and other key performance measures to identify incremental sales opportunities. 
• Ability to seek and develop new business opportunities within Bio-K+ strategy, and the business acumen to determine optimal "go-to-market" strategy. 
• Ability to forecast sales revenue, trade spend management, promotional spending, and new business opportunities during budgeting process. 
• Develop and maintain relationships at all levels within the customer. Cultivate effective business relationships with executive decision makers. 
• Work with other Key Account Managers to share and develop best practices. 
• Attend some weekend and evening Trade Shows while demonstrating a positive and professional image for Bio-K+ 
• All other related and necessary tasks. 

Qualifications and skills

Education & Experience :

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or equivalent.

• 5+ years of KAM CPG experience required, preferably in Food & Beverage, OTC, Supplements.

• Experience with either Natural, Drug or Grocery Channel Key Retailers is a must.

• Experience working with Quebec retailers like IGA, PJC etc.

• Reside in Quebec – Close to Montreal.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Use strong analytical skills to develop fact based selling solutions.

• Bilingualism French and English (verbal and written).

• Thorough understanding of assigned trade channels.

• Knowledge of Salesforce will be preferable.

• Comfortable in a fast-paced, growing company and able to adapt to change quickly.

• Exceptional presentation building and communication skills.

• Strong experience in business development and negotiation skills in a customer centric organization

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects with tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong problem-solving skills, understanding and dissecting complex business cases is required.

• Ability to "bootstrap" the business forward

• Ability to successfully work in an entrepreneurial business environment.

• High level of initiative with the ability to self-motivate and effectively prioritize.

• Strong computer skills and proficiency with MS applications (Word, Excel, PPT), CRM, enterprise-wide software.