Costco Key Account Manager

Costco Key Account Manager – Unilever

Unilever has set out the bold ambition to be the world’s leading wellness organization. Our Wellbeing Collective (WBC) has bold ambitions to be a leader in the industry, driven by a portfolio of Wellbeing and Lifestyle brands.

• Over the past 5 years Unilever has acquired 7 brands that embody the Wellbeing purpose of health as a lifestyle pursuit. This portfolio includes Equilibra, Olly, Smarty Pants Vitamins, Liquid IV, Welly, Onnit, and Nutrafol.
• In addition to growing these brands in the US, the Wellbeing collective is looking to expand the brands into global markets. Our objective is to expand our largest brands Liquid IV, OLLY, and Nutrafol.
• Today we have launched and are present in more than 7 markets, with plans for further expansion.
• Successful candidates for Wellbeing International Expansion have an entrepreneurial spirit and are bold thinkers, high‑ownership doers, and door‑openers with an unstoppable can‑do mindset.

Job Purpose

The Costco Key Account Manager will be responsible for strategic category development and customer development for the Wellbeing Collective to deliver the business in‑year and set the account strategy up for exponential growth for the next 2‑3 years. This position is responsible for the Wellbeing Collective creation, execution & communication of the customer plan, including trade investment management and application, that delivers consistent, competitive, profitable, and sustainable growth.

Key Account Managers work closely with and are supported by several cross‑functional teams including Customer Strategy and Planning, Finance, Customer Service, Net Revenue Management, Category Management and Customer Analytics Associates to establish best‑in‑class practices and unlock opportunities to deliver against sales and profit targets.

This role will build strong working relationships with the Costco customer buying team and are accountable for the day to day account management and coordination with the buyers and customer teams.

You’ll be part of a team that believes in doing work that matters — for people and the planet.

Because here, we don’t just hire for jobs. We invite you to be part of something bigger.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver in‑year business targets – but set a future fit strategy to develop the customer for the next 2‑3 years.
• Build strong and sustainable customer relationships.
• Negotiate effectively with your customer, e.g. to agree trade terms, trade funding, and counterparts according to the UL strategy on his/her categories.
• Manage the relationship aspects of key customer ‘events’, e.g. launching of new products, cost price changes, breaches of trade terms.
• Develop and deliver the customer strategic business plan for relevant categories, and the joint customer business plan, working closely with Category Managers and Shopper Marketing.
• Develop and deliver an optimal integrated category promotional plan (including selling the plan with the customer).
• Manage promotional and non‑promotional investments with the customer and ensures all agreements are properly documented and stored.
• Ensure administrative aspects of promotions are completed.
• Manage the launch of new products with customers, e.g. selling in the new product, providing samples etc.
• Manage the customer P&L for relevant categories and the overall level of customer investment.
• Manage in‑month performance vs forecast, working closely with Market Collaboration Planner (MCP), CS&P and Customer Operations (CO) teams.
• Manage accruals and pricing accurately and efficiently.
• Customer P&L Management:
  Delivery of Turnover & Business Building Terms targets for specific category.

Required Qualifications

• Customer management & selling essentials – previous experience of performing a Customer Key Account Manager (CKAM) role.
• 3 years relevant Account Management/Field Sales experience.
• Prior commercial experience and exposure to P&L.
• Proven history of working within a team environment.
• Prior experience of leading and developing a direct report preferable however not essential.
• Previous experience collaborating with Customer Strategy and Planning (CSP) team to enable and support the right category…