Director of Trade Strategy - Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Location: Toronto, ON
Industry: Consumer Packaged Goods - Baked Goods
Vacancy: This posting is for an existing vacancy.
Salary Range: $120,000 – $150,000 base salary + performance bonus
Role Overview
Our client, an exciting and super-fun baked goods start-up (still within Year One and growing incredibly quickly!), is seeking a strategic and data-driven Director of Trade Strategy to lead their commercial growth and retail execution strategy in Canada. This senior leader will be responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of the company's retail presence focussing on high-level trade spend planning, forecasting and analysis.
The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of the Canadian grocery and drug channels (Loblaws, Sobeys, Metro, London Drugs, etc.) and knows exactly how much "investment per door" is required to win.
This will be a fully work-from-home, individual-contributor role with no direct reports that will report to the business owners/founders. This will be a highly entrepreneurial, roll-up-your-sleeves role that will absolutely play a critical part in capitalizing on the growth potential of this uber-exciting brand-new business!
Please note that current/very recent experience within Food CPG (consumer packaged goods) trade marketing, sales strategy, or category management is required for this role. Please note that only those candidates with this experience will be contacted, thank you in advance for your interest.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Trade Spend & Promo Planning
Annual Planning: Develop and manage the yearly projected promotional calendar, encompassing both on-shelf (TPR, loyalty) and off-shelf (displays, flyers) marketing.
Investment Analysis: Conduct post-promotion analysis to determine ROI and "spend effectiveness" across different banners.
Budgeting: Manage the trade spend budget, ensuring a healthy balance between gross sales and net profitability.
2. Sales Forecasting & Velocity Management
Data-Driven Projections: Manage sales velocity by retailer, utilizing retail/ JNL sales data to track performance.
Demand Planning: Partner with Supply Chain to provide accurate monthly and quarterly sales forecasts based on historical data and upcoming growth plans.
Launch Strategy: Calculate the specific dollar investment required per banner/store to successfully launch new SKUs and maintain target velocity.
3. Growth & Retailer Relations
Expansion: Execute the Canadian growth plan by identifying opportunities within current retailers and securing new distribution.
Retailer Pitching: Lead high-level category reviews and "Top-to-Top" meetings with Category Managers.
Market Insight: Stay ahead of Canadian retail trends, competitor pricing, and banner-specific consumer behaviors.
4. Team Leadership & Execution
Field Management: Oversee Field Sales Leads responsible for in-store demos and merchandising.
KPI Management: Set clear performance metrics for the execution team to ensure 100% compliance on displays and shelf standards.
Required Qualifications
Experience: 8+ yrs in CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) Sales, Trade Marketing, or Category Management.
Analytical Rigor: Expert-level proficiency in Excel and experience with syndicated data (NielsenIQ, Luminate).
Canadian Market Expertise: Proven track record of managing major Canadian banners and understanding the unique logistics of the Canadian landscape.
Leadership: Experience managing direct reports and third-party agencies (merchandising or demo agencies).
Success Metrics
Achievement of Net Sales and Volume targets.
Trade spend efficiency (Reduction in "wasteful" spend).
Market share growth within the Canadian territory.
On-shelf availability and demo execution scores.