Customer Development Manager

Luigi Lavazza S.p.A.

12d•$120,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

From a small store in Turin to a large, internationally recognized group: we are present in 90 countries around the world, with over 5,000 employees and 30 companies, managed directly and indirectly by the Luigi Lavazza Spa parent company, which distribute and market our products and coffee machines. In addition to Lavazza, the following brands are also part of our Group: Carte Noire, Merrild, Kicking Horse, Eraclea and Whittington tea. Joining Lavazza means doing business with passion, knowing that the impact of our work goes beyond the quality of the production chain. We are a big family and are constantly looking for new talents who share our values and can enrich our team. We combine competitiveness with social and environmental responsibility as we create superior quality products available for consumption both at home and out of home, and distributed through all channels: Retail, Foodservice, Office Coffee Service (OCS), and Vending. Our strong, diversified presence enables us to offer consumers and clients perfectly suited solutions, for any occasion and time of day. #LI-KH1JOB OVERVIEWThe Customer Development Manager (CDM) partners closely with Sales to identify growth opportunities across specific channels. This role blends analytical rigor with customer-facing collaboration, helping shape assortment strategies, promotions, and business proposals and presentations grounded in data. This role ensures alignment of internal timelines with customer Joint Business Planning (JBP) calendars and deadlines, drives strategic customer engagement through annual selling stories, and supports both internal and external business reviews. The role collaborates cross-functionally with Sales, Revenue Growth Management (RGM), Retail Brokers, and Customers to deliver against strategic goals. Each Customer Development Manager focuses on a specific channel and requires high level of cross-functional work and ability to influence internal and external stakeholders to guarentee solid customer plan executions, MPD launches, and organizing compelling business review cycles. Base pay range: $120,000 - $130,000 CAD Annual Incentive Plan / Annual Bonus: 20% Location: Toronto #LI-AH1

Requirements

Four year degree from an accredited institution or applicable experience
5+ years working experience in CPG Trade Marketing, Category Management, Sales, Sales Planning or Marketing required
Experience supporting Retail/e-retail channels and customers required
Intermediate/Advanced skills in MS Office (Excel, PPT) required
Experience with syndicated data tools for Retail, examples - Nielsen, IRI, Numerator, etc
Experience with syndicated data tools for eComm, examples - Amazon Retail Analytics, Market Share, Helium, etc
Must be able to effectively function in matrix organization and leverage influence and negotiation skills to drive effective cross functional collaboration
Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting (virtually and in-person) to Executive Leadership and cross functional leadership and peers
Strong story telling capabilities to diagnosis complex business issues, visualize the data, identify the insights, and recommend clear action plans
Ability to work in an environment of tight deadlines, and to consistently challenge and be challenged on performance results.
Highly agile and thrives in a fast paced working environment with an entrepreneurial mindset
Strong collaboration and influence skills with the ability to work well cross functionally with all levels of the organization - peers to Executives
Occasional Travel Required, up to 20% annually

Responsibilities

Lead customer-level 4P management in collaboration with cross-functional teams including Lavazza and Broker partners – Sales, Marketing, RGM, Broker Partner.
Lead monthly category and assortment reviews to identify opportunities and gaps and course correction plans.
Deliver customer-specific category and brand insights, actions, and course correction plans.
Coordinate execution of critical promotional periods and ensure readiness.
Lead monthly internal Customer Business Reviews (CBR) to align on performance and priorities.
Support Sales Team and Brokers in customer meetings with strategic insights and materials.
Define and communicate customer planning calendars aligned with Joint Business Planning (JBP) processes.
Establish quarterly/bi-annual Customer Business Reviews to support strategic mid/long term planning.
Lead development of customer annual selling stories and support customer meetings as needed.
Partner with Activation Home associate to define and maintain the Customer Picture of Success (PICOS).
Align customer activation plans and budget to amplify National Marketing key focus periods and customer key focus periods to drive performance KPIs.
Evaluate program effectiveness and ROI to recommend optimization strategies for future activations.
Partner with Activation Home associate and agency to ensure flawless program execution.
Align with National Category Management on strategic principles and cascade relevant guidance to customer level.
Manage key stakeholders to ensure alignment and execution to achieve customer objectives and align internal leadership to customer-specific strategies, KPIs, and execution plans – Leadership, Marketing, Sales, RGM, Channel Strategy.
Contribute to Local/HQ Business Reviews to communicate customer updates, wins, and risks across the organization.
Collaborate with RGM, Sales, and Finance to establish sustainable customer P&Ls and co-pilot customer planning tools (TPM/Salesforce) in partnership with cross functional team.