SALES/CUSTOMER PLANNING MANAGER

Description

Sales/Customer Planning Manager (Hybrid)

About Us:

For over 100 years, Hartz has been driven by one belief: pets make life better. That belief fuels our commitment to creating innovative, trusted products that strengthen the bond between pets and their families.

Our diverse team of passionate professionals continuously reimagine what pet care can be—working collaboratively to improve the wellbeing of pets everywhere. We’re proud to offer an inclusive, flexible workplace where employees are supported, valued, and empowered to grow.

At Hartz, the work you do matters—far beyond our walls. Join us and help shape the next chapter of pet care innovation.

What We Offer …

• Hybrid Work Schedule: Enjoy flexibility with 3 days in-office and 2 days remote.
• Pet-Friendly Culture: Bring your pet to work and enjoy a casual, inclusive environment.
• Competitive Compensation & Benefits: Receive a generous 401(k) match with immediate vesting.
• Generous Paid Time Off: Enjoy up to 34 paid days off annually. 
• Paid Leaves: Parental leave, Bereavement leave, and Military leave.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Includes Medical, Dental, Vision, Healthcare FSA, and Mental Health EAP, basic Life insurance and Disability Insurance.
• Tuition Reimbursement & Career Growth: Access to tuition reimbursement and other learning and development opportunities.
• Employee Perks: Volunteer opportunities, fun employee events, and more!

The Role …

We are seeking an analytical and experienced professional with a sales planning and strategy background to join our team as a Sales/Customer Planning Manager. In this role, you will act as the strategic architect of the category’s go-to-market execution, translating brand objectives into competitive channel and customer roadmaps to drive profitable growth. 

You will own the functional integration between Customer Development (Sales), Brand Marketing, and Supply Chain, ensuring that promotional investments, distribution targets, and joint business plans deliver maximum ROI.  As the primary liaison across these cross-functional teams, you will balance internal alignment with external customer engagement.

This position is located at our Secaucus, NJ corporate headquarters, with the flexibility to work a hybrid schedule. 

Your Responsibilities …

Strategic Commercial Planning

• Translate Brand Marketing strategies into tailored channel and customer-specific growth plans. Ensure brand pillars are maintained while optimizing for specific customer landscapes. 
• Lead the identification of "sales-to-target" gap closures, proactively developing recovery plans or acceleration strategies with the Customer Development (CD) team.
• Analyze key customer plans, risks, and opportunities to provide the CD team and senior leadership with a consolidated view of the category’s health and trajectory.

Line Review, Distribution & Promotion Excellence

• Own the internal preparation process for major customer line reviews. Lead the cross-functional communication between CD and Brand teams.
• Direct the development of POS analysis, shelf navigation, item selection, and promotional calendars specifically for line review presentations.
• Establish distribution targets for new innovations and promotion plans across customers, maintaining accountability through rigorous tracking and sales team alignment.

Financial Stewardship & ROI Optimization

• Oversee the allocation and effectiveness of category funding and slotting budgets. Conduct post-event analyses to ensure maximum ROI on trade spend.
• Evaluate Trade-as-a-Percent-of-Sales (TOS) rates for assigned categories, providing data-driven recommendations to optimize future promotional strategies.
• Manage the internal sales planning for new distribution in innovation forecast and event forecast management, ensuring events and innovations are forecasted accurately to mitigate financial risk.

Cross-Functional Integration

• Serve as the central hub for communication between the CD team and all internal stakeholders (Supply Chain, Brand, Finance).
• Represent the voice of the customer in weekly Brand and S&OP meetings. Communicate customer-specific distribution shifts to Demand Planning to ensure high fill rates and inventory health. 
• Direct category and customer-specific actions to maintain Health of Inventory (HOI) levels, translating director-level guidance into field-level execution.

Requirements

You’ll Need …

• Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in a Business-related field with 4+ years of experience in CPG sales planning and strategy, with demonstrated success leading the development of channels and customer strategies
• Presentation Skills: Experience developing and delivering sales presentations to key strategic customers
• Data Analysis: Strong analytical skills coupled with experience using syndicated data to support business development and sales efforts
• Systems Experience: Proficiency in Circana PO and other financial reporting tools (TM1 preferred)
• Adaptability & Execution: Ability to focus on priorities in a dynamic environment and consistently deliver results
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs
• Business Travel: Willingness and ability to travel (6x a year)

 The anticipated salary range for this role is between $95,000 and $115,000. The specific salary offered will depend on the candidate’s qualifications and experience for this position. This role may also be eligible for an annual discretionary incentive award.
If this sounds like a good match and you want to learn more about this exciting role, please get in touch with us today!
Hartz is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age or any other characteristic protected by law.