Key Account Manager II

Key Account Manager II

The Key Account Manager II (KAM II) is responsible for achieving sales quotas and managing expense budgets for assigned clients through effective execution of sales programs, promotional spending, distribution expansion, shelf placement strategies, and business planning initiatives.

In this role, clients are manufacturers, vendors, or brands that have contracted Advantage Solutions as their sales agency. Customers are retailers, wholesalers, or distributors to whom we sell our clients' products.

The KAM II partners with clients to develop and execute strategic plans that achieve business objectives. This role collaborates directly with retailer stakeholders, including buyers, category managers, replenishment managers, and other key decision-makers, to secure distribution, drive sales growth, and implement customer-specific programs. The KAM II owns client relationships and serves as the primary point of contact for assigned accounts.

This position is responsible for managing client trade investments, making spending decisions that support sales growth, and negotiating, executing, and administering customer agreements on behalf of clients.

The KAM II works cross-functionally with Customer Managers, Category Management, Retail Operations, Schematics, Claims, Order Entry, and other internal partners to maximize sales performance and execution. Assigned clients may include:

Pioneering Clients: Manufacturers seeking distribution within new customer accounts.
• Regional Clients: Manufacturers represented on a regional, market-specific, or customer-specific basis rather than through national agreements.
• Tier 3 Clients: Manufacturers with smaller sales volume, SKU counts, and commission revenue.
  
  

What We Offer:

• Full-Time Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life)
• 401(k) with company match
• Training and Career Development
• Generous Paid Time-Off

Advantage Solutions is one of North America's leading sales and marketing agencies, specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management, and marketing services for manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of consumer packaged goods. The Company serves multiple retail channels, including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics, and home improvement retailers.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

Account Management & Sales Growth

• Drive business growth at assigned customer accounts by increasing distribution, sales volume, market share, and other key performance indicators while managing spending within budget.
• Ensure strong retail merchandising execution and support basic eCommerce initiatives.
• Achieve targeted sales and expense objectives through effective promotional and marketing program execution.
• Analyze sales trends, customer performance, and market data to identify growth opportunities and provide recommendations to clients and customers.
• Manage promotional spending and trade investments within established guidelines.
• Maintain accurate management of accruals, bill-back funds, and trade budgets.
• Meet expectations for period-end fund balance performance with no trade-spend overspending.
• Achieve or exceed client objectives related to sales, distribution, market share, pricing, shelving, and promotional activity.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities and growth strategies.
• Manage innovation and new product distribution initiatives to achieve targeted ACV goals.

Retailer Engagement & Headquarters Calls

• Conduct retailer headquarters calls and establish relationships with key decision-makers.
• Achieve sales objectives by maximizing manufacturer promotional and marketing investments while remaining within approved financial guidelines.
• Ensure retail pricing and indirect order guides remain accurate and current by addressing discrepancies promptly.
• Secure approved schematics and ensure alignment across merchandising, reset, and retail execution teams.
• Drive incremental sales through successful placement of new products and ongoing support of existing SKUs.
• Partner with Category Management to develop fact-based retailer presentations utilizing syndicated data, SKU optimization analysis, promotional effectiveness insights, and sales lift data.
• Demonstrate the ability to influence key positions within retailer organizations to support client objectives.

Client Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong client and retailer relationships to ensure ongoing engagement and access to key stakeholders.
• Develop and deliver compelling sales presentations that highlight business results, opportunities, and recommendations.
• Contribute strategic input to annual business planning, customer development strategies, and problem-solving initiatives.
• Identify opportunities that align both retailer and client objectives to create mutually beneficial solutions.
• Communicate client goals, promotional programs, pricing changes, and priorities in a timely and effective manner.
• Effectively manage difficult situations, conflicts, and business challenges to achieve positive outcomes.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct Reports

• This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Indirect Reports

• This position does not directly manage employees but may delegate work, provide guidance, mentor team members, and contribute to cross-functional leadership efforts.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree required, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Experience

• 4-6 years of sales, account management, customer development, or related experience.
• Proven experience managing key retail accounts and building relationships with buyers, category managers, department heads, and other retail stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success managing high-value accounts, driving sales growth, and delivering against customer objectives.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Strong sales presentation, negotiation, and business development skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, and organizational skills.
• Working knowledge of syndicated data and category insights.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and related business applications.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Effective conflict resolution and problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to provide cross-functional leadership and influence without direct authority.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Flexible, adaptable, and responsive to changing business needs.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and quality while balancing competing deadlines and frequent interruptions.

Travel Requirements

• • Travel and driving are essential functions of this role.
  • Up to 20% of travel is required.

Job Will Remain Open Until Filled

The Company is one of North America's leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management, and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics, and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

o Drive our clients' business at assigned customer. Increase distribution, grow sales dollars/units/share/other KPI's, while staying on spend
o In addition to the above statement, also responsible for ensuring retail/merchandising execution and basic eCommerce executiono Achieves targeted income and expense budgets by implementing promotional and marketing strategies
o Analyzes trends and results to identify growth opportunities and makes recommendations to clients and customers
o Monitors and drives growth through efficient management of promotional spending within guidelines on assigned clients
o Meets budgetary goals by maintaining strict control and accounting of accrual and bill-back funds for assigned clients
o Meets expectation for managing period ending fund balance performance with no overspends vs. trade budget.o Meets or exceeds Client's goals for sales, distribution, share, pricing, shelving, and promotional volume
o Launches strategies to pursue new opportunities

Implements retailer headquarter calls and penetrate key positions at the retailer to:
o Achieve sales goals by managing and maximizing manufacturer marketing and promotional funds while staying within financial guidelines
o Ensure that all retail pricing and indirect order guides within the division is updated by regularly correcting discrepancies
o Secure Client approved schematics for all Clients' brands by providing direction and communication to our schematic, reset, and retail departments
o Ensure incremental sales through distribution of new products and maintenance of existing SKU's
o Collaborate with category management team to develop retailer presentations by using database rationale such as SKU optimization, efficient promotion causal data, and lift analysis
o Manage accounts to achieve the targeted ACV on Innovation

o Builds and maintains effective client and retailer relationships in order to ensure customer access and client perspective that we are connected and engaged with key stakeholders
o Demonstrates sales accomplishments and areas of opportunity by developing sales presentations for Customers and Clients
o Implements Customer HQ Calls and demonstrates an ability to penetrate key positions at the retailer
o Offers strategic input pursuant to annual business plans, problem solving, ongoing customer management. Finds the intersection of retailer and client objectives and drive win/win scenarios

o Provides timely and fluid communication on Client goals, programs, price changes, and priorities to include all necessary people and information
o Manages difficult situations, issues and conflicts to get to an effective outcome

Direct Reports
- This position does not have supervisory responsibilities for direct reports

Indirect Reports
- Does not have direct reports, but may delegate work of others and provide guidance, direction and mentoring to indirect reports

Education Level: (Required): Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience

Field of Study/Area of Experience: 4-6 years

A solid track record of managing or working closely with key retailers, including department heads, category managers, buyers, and other retail stakeholders; Proven experience managing high-value accounts, developing long-term relationships, and delivering on customer objectives (e.g., sales growth, promotional execution).

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

* Strong sales presentation and development skills
* Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
* Working knowledge of syndicated data
* Intermediate or advanced computer skills
* Strong written communication and verbal communication skills
* Conflict management skills
* Demonstrated ability to provide cross-functional leadership
* Well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle a fast-paced work environment
* Flexible and adaptable, able to change and alter according to changes in projects or business environment
* Ability to complete multiple duties with accuracy shifting from one to another with frequent interruptions and competing deadlines

Travel and/or Driving Requirements
- Travel and Driving are essential duties and function of this job
- Travel up to 20 %

Environmental & Physical Requirements
Office / Sedentary Requirements: Incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of the job. Work is performed primarily in an office environment. Typically, requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time (66%+ each day), ability to hear telephone, ability to enter data on a computer and may require the ability to lift up to 10lbs.

Additional Information Regarding Job Duties and Job Descriptions
Job duties include additional responsibilities as assigned by one's supervisor or other manager related to the position/department. This job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position. The Company reserves the right at any time with or without notice to alter or change job responsibilities, reassign or transfer job positions, or assign additional job responsibilities, subject to applicable law. The Company shall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable a qualified applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment as required by the law.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of associates so classified.

The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity in all employment practices without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental disability, or any other category protected by law. As part of this commitment, the Company shall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable an applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment as required by law.