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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.

Sr. Account Executive - Kroger

Job Location: ​Cincinnati​

Want to make an impact?

Reporting to the Director of Sales for Kroger, the Sr. Account Executive will plan, develop, and implement business-creating initiatives by working with cross functional areas of the company and the customer to achieve company financial objectives and priorities. The Senior Account Executive will serve as the primary point of contact for Ferrara’s Everyday Candy business with Kroger. This role will focus on driving category growth in both front-end and back-of-store locations, managing trade budgets, and executing joint business plans to achieve mutual objectives.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with strong financial acumen, a proven ability to negotiate complex deals, and a collaborative approach to customer engagement.
 

Ways you will make a difference

  • Account Management:
    • Develop and maintain strong relationships with Kroger’s key decision-makers, including category managers, buyers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
    • Drive sales by creating and executing comprehensive strategies for Everyday Candy in front-end and back-of-store placements.
    • Lead annual and ongoing joint business planning (JBP) discussions to align on key growth initiatives, promotions, and merchandising strategies.
    • Responsible for monthly sales forecasting in conjunction with Sales Planning, Demand Planning and Supply Planning Teams. 
    • Maintains oversight to the customer supply chain to ensure the highest level of customer service.
  • Trade and Financial Management: 
    • Manage and optimize trade spending to deliver profitable growth while adhering to Ferrara’s financial guidelines.
    • Track and analyze trade performance to identify opportunities and risks, ensuring effective allocation of resources.
    • Collaborate with internal sales finance teams to develop accurate forecasts and achieve revenue, margin, and volume goals.
    • Demonstrates the ability to create, define and present contingency plans in order to maximize growth in both revenue and margin.
  • Negotiation and Collaboration:
    • Negotiate promotional plans, product assortments, and merchandising opportunities with Kroger to maximize sales potential.
    • Partner with internal teams (category management, shopper marketing, supply chain) to deliver tailored solutions for Kroger.
    • Leverage Ferrara’s category insights to drive innovative solutions and strengthen Kroger’s candy portfolio.
  • Performance Analysis and Reporting:
    • Regularly monitor sales performance, category trends, and competitive activity, providing actionable insights to both Ferrara and Kroger teams.
    • Prepare and present detailed business reviews to highlight progress, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
       

Skills that will make you successful

  • Ability to effectively penetrate appropriate levels of management within the customer to strategically build alliances and maintain customer relationships that will serve as the foundation for long-term success.
  • Strong analytic and financial skills with experience in P&L Management and trade optimization
  • Self-starter who is proactive and identifies critical business threats and opportunities.
  • Strong initiative, forward thinking, and creative problem solving skills with the ability to create or stimulate customer-focused strategies.
  • Exceptional negotiation skills, with the ability to navigate complex deals and secure mutually beneficial agreements.
  • Ability to apply a high level of analytical rigor. Knowledge of category management principles and the candy/confectionery market is a plus.
  • Sound judgment, drive and influence to aggressively pursue initiatives with appropriate team building techniques.
  • Ability to develop and deliver first class fact-based presentations internally and externally.
  • Ability to effectively communicate internally and externally with key stakeholders.
     

Experiences that will support your success

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience within the confection industry.
  • Minimum of 5 years of account responsibility with a focus on key accounts like Kroger
  • Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite.
  • Ability to travel as required to achieve results.
     

What We Offer


At Ferrara, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits here.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $104,000 - $144,000 annually.

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-.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

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.

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