Purpose of the Position
Uses sales data to support fact-based selling, provide impactful decision support, and enhance long-term relationships with assigned customers across Simmons Pet and Prepared Foods. Elevates analytics and insight-led selling approach with our customers to uncover and influence growth strategies recommendations. Helps drive profitable growth while realizing margin, product sales mix balance, and new business strategic development objectives.
Essential Position Responsibilities - This is a Salary Exempt position.
Provides value added analytical insights on economic markets, the marketplace and trends impacting assigned business, working to deliver greater share of promotion, distribution and shelving. Monitors and analyzes pet food market, trends and outlook data, proactively working to discover new trends and business opportunities. Particular focus on extracting actionable insights from Walmart Retail Link data including item-level POS movement and category growth trends.
Supports the development of business strategies. Collaborates with the team to develop strategies and solutions that benefit both Simmons and assigned customers. Works to drive shipments, share and equity by driving retailer category growth and contribute to their category strategies, while setting up Simmons to win disproportionately and support the sales team. Assists with the preparation and generation of compelling sales presentations. Demonstrates the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
Works with team members to ensure on-going development of customer relationships. Builds relationships with the consumer insights team to help identify ways Simmons can bring solutions to fill real unmet market needs. Participates in regular action-oriented customer business reviews and annual growth plans. Communicates effectively and confidently with colleagues and customers. Challenges and inspires team members to achieve business results.
Drives product development and project timelines with a predisposition to swift commercialization. Maintains, updates and monitors project progress via Project Initiation Request (PIR) and Label Redesign (LRRS) processes. Partners with the graphic design and purchasing teams, responsible for packaging system, graphics strategy and implementation.
Contributes to forecasting accuracy by facilitating flow of customer/market information to inventory demand planning process. Communicates with the demand team, providing the account team with support and guidance on internal demand/supply situations impacting current and new business. In conjunction with the team leader and customer service representatives, assists and monitors inventory and supply plans with the goal of maximizing fill rates and service levels. Supports ongoing reporting, including weekly sales results, promotional trackers, and replenishment/inventory conditions.
Maintains and fosters strong communication and relationships across organizations. Works to be an active clearinghouse of ideas, concerns and activity on behalf of the marketing and account team. Acts as a champion for the business and team. Acts as an idea leader, building compelling and persuasive business cases to ensure alignment, gaining broad-based support for and resource allocation to the activities of the team.
Participates as a member of the Team. Participates in the ongoing development, communication and implementation of team concepts, programs and policies; coordinates work to ensure best practices with all team members. Attends appropriate team meetings. As a member of the Team, fosters strong cohesiveness regarding all major issues; e.g., direction, annual plan, budget, policy changes, etc. Accepts responsibility to quickly identify any areas that lack cohesiveness, bringing them to the attention of the team leader and working with the team in a supportive manner to resolve issues and actively look for ways, and reinforce actions needed, to achieve synergy possible within the larger organization.
Simmons Operating systems principles and objectives: Is familiar with Simmons’ established operating systems (e.g. quality, security, office environment, company policies, LEAN); understands the responsibility to maintain familiarity with the systems and this position’s role in support of these systems - including a consideration of the impact of individual actions on the systems and the responsibility to communicate concerns and improvement ideas.
Performs other duties as necessary in support of business objectives: This position description is intended to guide the activities of the person in this position and is not intended to limit the thinking and creativity of the person as to the work of this function nor is it intended that this describe all the work that may be required of the person in this position.
Physical Activities: Enters and locates information on a computer. Visually verifies information, often in small print. Present information to small or large groups. Occasionally lift up to 40 lbs. Communicates with Customers, Vendors, or Employees via telephone, in person, and/or electronic mail.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): As required by visiting facility.
Travel: Travels to and from customers and multiple facilities or work-sites, sometimes requiring overnight stays.
Technical Experience: Ideally 3-5 years’ experience in sales and/or replenishment data analytics, category management, or marketing. CPG experience preferred. Highly proficient with MS Office applications; intermediate to advanced skills in Excel required. Excellent working knowledge of Retail Link analytics required. Proficient to advanced knowledge of Nielsen / IRI data. Comfort with using data mining software; Tableau and Alteryx competency highly preferred. Proficiency with JD Edwards Enterprise software, CRM and IQS is also desirable.
Preferred Technical Requirements:
Supply chain, production planning, or customer service coordination within pet food, animal nutrition, or CPG manufacturing — ideally with direct exposure to co-manufacturing or branded customer accounts
Hands-on Oracle EBS/Cloud experience specifically with order-to-cash transactions: creating customer invoices, processing quality holds/releases, posting inventory transactions, and running reconciliation reports.
Advanced Excel proficiency including pivot tables, XLOOKUP/INDEX-MATCH, SUMIFS, and building or maintaining dashboards (Power Query or Power BI experience a plus).
Experience owning or supporting a monthly inventory reconciliation cycle, including variance research and tie-out to financial close deadlines.
Track record of managing customer fill-rate/attainment metrics and coordinating shortage recovery plans across Planning, Operations, Quality, and Sales.
Demonstrated ability to juggle 5+ concurrent priorities or open issues daily without dropping follow-up.
Experience translating manual, spreadsheet-based processes into repeatable reporting tools or dashboards that reduced hands-on effort.
Comfortable being the point person — has independently diagnosed a supply or data discrepancy and driven it to resolution.
Industry Experience: Preference for pet food, poultry and/or consumer packaged goods background.
Minimum Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Marketing or other relevant Business discipline or 4 years related work experience.
Preferred Education: N/A
We value military experience and welcome veterans to join our team.
Vertically integrated poultry and pet food company headquartered in Siloam Springs, AR.