Job Description:
Pet Brand Sales Lead - Fort Lauderdale, FL
OVERVIEW
The Pet Brand Sales Lead role will manage field merchandising and our Pet Detective team in the Pet Specialty channel (PetSmart and Petco). The goal is to deliver Blue Buffalo growth by meeting or exceeding Pet Specialty business targets through customer relationships, educating store partners, executing merchandising principles, and leveraging the Pet Detective team. The Pet Detectives (PDs) are BLUE’s brand ambassadors who provide an educational and engaging in-store pet parent experience, gaining more dogs and cats eating Blue Buffalo.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
SELLING EXPERTISE & INFLUENTIAL COMMUNICATION
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Grow BLUE by executing merchandising principles in Pet Specialty accounts within a defined geography.
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Understand BLUE products, categories, and brand positioning to influence our priorities.
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Build and maintain relationships with store managers as their primary contact.
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Conduct business reviews with customers to analyze sales results and identify future opportunities.
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Execute Blue Buffalo education to store partners to gain knowledge and pet parent recommendations.
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Utilize Salesforce to log daily activity.
PEOPLE LEADERSHIP
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Lead, motivate, and develop, on average, 20 to 25 PDs to acquire and retain Blue Buffalo households.
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Passive recruiting to source PD talent in opportunistic markets.
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Conduct final interviews and select new PDs in alignment with company selection guidelines and policies.
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Manage onboarding/training process for new PDs.
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Educate PDs on new product/packaging, line extensions, and marketing events.
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Identify growth opportunities by analyzing, reporting, and coaching PD performance.
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Model BLUE leadership behaviors to foster a diverse and inclusive environment and embrace a learning mindset.
EXECUTIONAL EXCELLENCE
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Maintain detailed and accurate records, including timely reporting of results, progress, current conditions, and needs to your manager.
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Coordinate and communicate territory route and PD schedule to drive incremental growth.
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Approve payroll weekly and accurately.
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Manage payroll, sample, and travel budget for assigned region.
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Take personal accountability and ownership for results, and deeply understand customer needs.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
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Must live within assigned geography of Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Able to travel daily, drive up to 4 hours per day or more with 20% overnight travel
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2+ years of relevant or transferrable experience
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Ability to adapt and learn new technology and tools
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Strong interpersonal and communication skills with internal and external partners, including facilitating presentations
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Ability to lead and provide clear direction to a team
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Able to work a Thursday-Monday workweek
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US work authorization, valid driver's license, and satisfactory driving record
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
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Must be able to lift and carry a minimum of 20 pounds, using the appropriate lifting techniques and safety rules
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Prolonged walking, standing and some climbing of ladders within aisle
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
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Pet enthusiast with passion for Blue Buffalo
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Prior experience using internal or external data sources (e.g., Tableau, CRM)
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Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Power Point and Teams
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
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The location & territory for this position is Fort Lauderdale, FL
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International relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered.
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Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full time basis. General Mills will not sponsor applicants for this position for the work visas.
Company Overview:
We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.
