Head of Strategic Customer Development and Sales Operations – US Foods Sales

Job Title: Head of Strategic Customer Development and Sales Operations – US Foods Sales

ABOUT UNILEVER

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world.

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our, collaborative, and flexible working environment. Our organizational ambition centers around creating workplaces that foster equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging across all aspects of our business. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

JOB PURPOSE

The Head of Strategic Customer Development and Sales Operations is a strategic leadership role responsible for championing the voice of the customer across US Foods’ internal functions—including Marketing, Category Strategy, Shopper Insights, Supply Chain, and Net Revenue Management (NRM). This role ensures that customer-facing strategies are deeply informed by external market dynamics and are executed with excellence.

This leader will bring forward critical customer and consumer insights to shape go-to-market strategies, align category plans with emerging trends, and drive cross-functional collaboration to deliver differentiated value to customers. The role is pivotal in translating market intelligence into actionable strategies that enhance customer satisfaction, drive growth, and strengthen US Foods’ competitive position.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

The Head of Strategic Customer Development and Sales Operations will lead the development and execution of a winning customer and channel strategy, aligning cross-functional resources to drive profitable double-digit growth. This role is responsible for directly managing the US Customer Operations and Business Development teams, while closely collaborating with Business Unit (BU) and Business Group (BG) Marketing and Innovation teams. The focus is on delivering retailer and shopper strategies that result in a compelling and competitive shelf presence.

In addition to partnering with CS&P, BU/BG Marketing, this role will guide field sales leadership on shelving strategies, category value drivers, and joint business plan execution. A key objective is to ensure Unilever remains the retailer’s partner of choice by delivering strategic, insight-led solutions that drive mutual growth.

Sales Operation Plan:

• Define and lead the long-term sales strategy in alignment with overall Foods Business Unit (BU) objectives.
• Drive the design and implementation of customer segmentation strategies to ensure optimal targeting of high-value, high-potential customers.
• Create and implement innovative sales strategies that drive growth, profitability, and market share.
• Lead the design of joint business planning processes with strategic customers. Ensuring internal and customer goals are mutually aligned to drive sustainable growth.
• Continuously assess the competitive landscape, industry trends, and market dynamics to refine and evolve customer strategies for market leadership.

Business Development & Execution:

• Oversee the execution of the sales strategy, ensuring clear alignment between Business Unit (BU) goals and field execution across all sales channels.
• Collaborate with Category Strategy & Planning (CS&P) to develop customer execution standards and clear picture of success.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and performance metrics to monitor, measure, and optimize sales team effectiveness, driving consistent achievement of sales targets.
• Partner with sales leaders and the sales operations to drive flawless execution of category and brand strategies at the customer level.
• Lead the execution of Monthly and Quarterly Business Review (MBR/QBR) processes to ensure accountability, performance tracking, and strategic alignment.

Chief of Staff:

• Serve as strategic advisor to the SVP of sales, managing communication, follow-through, and execution of high-priority initiatives.
• Lead internal operating routines, including executive leadership updates, quarterly business reviews, strategic offsites, and transformation workstreams.
• Support internal communications and engagement strategies within the Sales & Business Development divisions to alignment and cohesion across teams.
• Drive continuous improvement in operational effectiveness by streamlining decision-making processes, enabling execution, and enhancing strategic clarity across the organization.

Capability Building and Sales Transformation Leadership:

• Develop and lead Customer Development (CD) transformation initiatives including sales process improvement, capability build, and organizational change management.
• Champion the adoption of advanced reporting and data analytics to enable insights-driven decision-making and enhance sales results and productivity.
• Oversee the development sales capabilities and execution of training programs to ensure the Foods CD team is equipped with the skills, insights, and resources necessary for success in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 7+ years of experience in consumer goods and sales, or customer development.
• Strong understanding of customer operations and channel drivers.
• Passion for the fast and evolving Foods industry.
• Demonstrated holistic business thinking with a track record of addressing complex business challenges and delivering results.
• Exceptional strategic thinking skills, with the ability to value diverse perspectives, solve cross-functional problems, and address systemic issues.
• Confidence to take intelligent risks, the courage to learn from mistakes, and a proactive mindset to seek out innovative ways to achieve results.
• Proven ability to inspire industry stakeholders, customers, and colleagues with strategic, category-value-driven growth narratives that anticipate category evolution and clearly define implications for all parties.
• Demonstrated success in identifying white space opportunities within key consumer segments and channels, leading to impactful changes in innovation strategy—including pack, size, and pricing architecture—that drive competitive share gains.

Leadership

• You are energized by delivering outstanding results and serve as a role model through both your achievements and your resilience. You continuously seek better ways to work, engaging and collaborating with others to drive improvement.
• You take ownership of your personal well-being and consistently deliver high standards of work. You maintain a strong focus on the needs of both the customer and the consumer.
• You lead with humility, staying alert and observant—interpreting data and evidence smartly to identify issues and opportunities. You keep your head up, always looking for ways to make things better for the business and the people around you.

What We Can Offer You

Culture for Growth | Top Notch Employee Health & Well Being Benefits | Every Voice Matters | Global Reach | Life at Unilever | Careers with Purpose | World Class Career Development Programs | Check Out Our Space | Focus On Sustainability

Pay: The pay range for this position is $210,600 to $421,200. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs.

Bonus: This position is bonus eligible.

Long-Term Incentive (LTI): This position is LTI eligible. Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate, they can choose from a range of benefits to include, but is not limited to, health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage), retirement savings benefits, life insurance and disability benefits, parental leave, sick leave, paid vacation and holidays, as well as access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

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Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. 

For more information about your Federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal and Pay Transparency Non-discrimination Provision.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected]. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.

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