Associate Director, Trade Marketing (Pet)

Business Unit Overview

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company's portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats, PEBBLES, Grape-Nuts and Malt-O-Meal cereal, and Peter Pan peanut butter, as well as Nutrish, Kibbles 'n Bits and 9Lives dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all.

Brand

At Post Consumer Brands, we've spent generations showing up for families, starting with breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Our cereals have become a trusted part of daily routines, helping spark conversations, fuel busy mornings, and create everyday moments that bring families closer together, including their furry four-legged family members, who have recently become a part of our story. As families have evolved, so have we. What began at the breakfast table has expanded into snacks, peanut butter, and, more recently, pet food, because caring for a family means feeding every part of it. With the addition of several iconic pet brands, we've extended our purpose: to make high-quality, accessible food for everyone under the same roof.

This phase is still new, and that's what makes it exciting. As we continue to grow across grocery and pet, we're looking for people who care about good food, thoughtful work, and the kind of impact that stretches from store shelves to kitchen tables, and food bowls, across the country.

Location Description

Post Consumer Brands corporate headquarters in Lakeville, Minn. is about 20 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lakeville has all the benefits of smaller town living with access to everything a large metropolitan area has to offer. Join more than 400 team members collaborating on the two-building campus to help put breakfast on the tables of millions of consumers in North America.

Responsibilities

Job Summary:

The Associate Director of Trade Marketing is an influential leader in driving top-line growth and profitability for the Post Consumer Brands (PCB) Pet portfolio. This role leads the development and execution of channel & customer-focused strategies that align brand, channel, and sales priorities. By collaborating cross-functionally with Sales, Sales Planning, Brand Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain, this position ensures seamless execution of commercial initiatives. The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking, leadership excellence, and strong influencing skills to inspire teams and deliver measurable business results.

Key Accountabilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a long-term vision for commercial go-to-market strategies that advance brand, channel and customer objectives while aligning with Post Consumer Brand's overarching goals.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Lead and inspire teams to create and implement innovative customer-centric solutions that drive growth and differentiation in the market.
• Channel & Customer Strategy: Build and execute tailored channel strategies to maximize product availability, visibility, and performance across key customers and retail environments.
• Commercial Integration: Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers representing the voice of market insights and internal planning to sales teams and the voice of customer to PCB.
• Commercial Ownership: Own and lead the execution of product, pricing, placement, and promotion strategies, including price-pack architecture, display optimization, and distribution expansion.
• Performance Management: Develop and implement key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness and implementation of trade marketing initiatives and priorities, driving continuous improvement.
• Financial Accountability: Oversee the development and management of multi-million-dollar trade budgets, ensuring optimal ROI and financial performance.
• Talent Development: Build and maintain a high-performing Trade Marketing team, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation by providing ongoing guidance, coaching, and development.
• Industry Expertise: Stay abreast of industry trends, competitive landscape, and consumer behavior to identify growth opportunities.
• Analytical Proficiency: Leverage data and analytics to inform decision-making and optimize trade spending across pet portfolio

Working Location : Hybrid

• This role is located at the Lakeville, MN Corporate office
• Typical hybrid schedule includes 3 days in-office with remote flexibility up to 2 days a week.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or related field; MBA preferred.
• Minimum 10+ years of progressive experience in trade marketing, sales, or category management within the consumer-packaged goods industry.
• Prior pet industry experience preferred
• Effective communication and presentation skills with an aptitude to simplify complex subject matter.
• Proven track record of delivering exceptional results in a fast-paced, competitive environment.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external partners.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of financial metrics and their impact on business performance.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced Excel skills for data analysis and PowerPoint for impactful/influential messaging
• Experience with trade planning and management software.
• Proven ability to recruit, lead and develop high-performing teams.

The pay range for this position is $96,232 - $150,122 per year.