Customer Strategy and Planning Manager

Unilever is looking for a Ben & Jerry’s Customer Strategy and Planning Manager

Location: Amsterdam

Local conditions apply  

For the recruitment of this position, we would like to emphasize that local conditions apply to the position and for this vacancy in principle we will first consider candidates based in the Netherlands. If you are based outside of the Netherlands and you are interested to apply, please feel free to do so but we can only take your application on if a decision is made to also recruit outside of the Netherlands.

About Ben & Jerry’s:

Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., started in 1978 in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, USA, founded by childhood friends and dedicated activists Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. In 2000 Ben & Jerry’s became a wholly owned autonomous subsidiary of Unilever with a unique governance structure that provides for an independent Board of Directors vested with primary responsibility for advancing Ben & Jerry's social mission and ensuring the essential integrity of the brand. 

Ben & Jerry’s is one of the most iconic Ice Cream brands, with annual turnover exceeding €1 Billion, and with high ambitions to double the business, and expand its impact throughout the world. Central to the mission of Ben & Jerry's is the belief that all three parts of its mission must thrive equally. This translates into a high-paced growth environment without compromising our grassroots and activist spirit. That is how we remain a true purpose-led organization with a connected 3-part mission, which you will find reflected in our KPI’s. 

Ben & Jerry’s 3-Part Mission: 

Social mission: We initiate innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally, and internationally specifically on Climate Justice, Social Justice, Racial Justice, and Economic Justice.

Product mission: We make and distribute the finest quality natural ice cream and euphoric concoctions.  

Economic mission: We operate our Company for sustainable, Profitable financial growth. 

Ben & Jerry’s is part of the Ice Cream division at Unilever. A leading Ice Cream player with €7.9bn Turn Over in 2023. The Ice Cream business is operating in a highly attractive category, as we are part of the 1 trillion snacking and refreshment industry, growing consistently at high pace

This Ice cream division is preparing to stand on its own, becoming an independent, EUR 8 billion single-category focused company by the end of 2025. This move reflects our belief in the power of our unique frozen footprint, which we see as having huge potential for growth as a pure-play business. Our focus is all about unlocking that potential, driving value for our consumers, customers, employees, and shareholders. We're committed to creating innovative products that bring unforgettable moments to our consumers—because, after all, “Life tastes better with ice cream.”

JOB PURPOSE:

The purpose of the role is creating an interface between the European Ice Cream (IC) Customer Strategy and Planning (CSP) team, international customer teams and the Ben & Jerry’s (BJ’s) organization to define a value creation strategy for BJ’s portfolio including pricing for our top markets the key channels Retail, Out of Home and discounters.

Reporting line and location:

The Customer Strategy and Planning manager will be based in Rotterdam/Amsterdam as part of the wider Europe / Australia and New Zealand IC CSP team but with a reporting line to the Managing Director BJ’s EU/ANZ and a dotted line to EU/ANZ IC CSP director

Roles & responsibilities

Planning and Operations:

• Deliver Trade story for innovations and overall Marketing plan to handover to the Europe / Australia and New Zealand markets

  • Work with the Business Unit (BU) CSP Team to define Investment framework and strategy on IC EU/ANZ level and translate into a BJ’s framework with recommendations based on strategic intent and shifts in channel, customer, and category mixes.

  • Work with Business Unit CSP Strategy & Insights Team, to collate Shopper Insights, trends and best practices to understand and leverage new BJ’s opportunities for growth as the path to purchase evolves.

  • Engagement with international customer team on different channels and key customers to understand needs and opportunities and create a BJ’s funnel and approach

  • Buying alliances: Engage with both the Customer Business Development and CSP BU Teams to understand implications of the buying alliances for BJ’s pricing and portfolio to ensure we build a consistent pack pricing strategy for the future reducing risk and optimize pricing strategy

NRM

• Collaborate and act as a crucial link between the Business Unit CSP, Marketing, Customer and Finance teams throughout the net revenue management (NRM) process to ensure strategy alignment and execution, to deliver Pack/ Price / channel B&Js strategy for Europe/ANZ

• Conduct in-depth B&Js portfolio assessments to set brand objectives, identify price realization gaps, highlight white spaces, and ensure price-pack execution to support the brand and portfolio strategy

• Optimize channel-customer / pack mix to accelerate profitable growth for Ben & Jerry’s and customers and cocreate destination portfolio roadmap with global innovation team

• Evaluate B&Js consumer promotional strategies including alignment with brand objectives, promotional responsiveness as well as ROI profile. Recommend an optimal promotion strategy.

• Lead the NRM performance management cycling for B&Js, measuring revenue trends, understanding how NRM recommendations are performing in the market as well as collaborating with cross functional stakeholders to drive continuous improvement.

Experiences & Qualifications

• ​​ Bachelor’s degree or higher in business or related field. 

• Minimum 5-8 years of experience in-market/ regional customer facing roles with a focus on NRM/Category strategy/Shopper insights

• Good leadership, interpersonal, influencing and presentation skills. 

• Strong analytical, problem solving and interpersonal skill. 

• Understanding of consumer behaviors and industry trends. 

• Agile project management 

• Net Revenue Management / Design for Channel 

Key Interfaces

• BU CSP leads 

• Global Ben & Jerry’s strategy manager 

• Ben & jerry’s innovation team

• International Customer teams

• Ben & Jerry’s Cluster Business leads

• Business Development manager BJ’s Europe/ANZ

• Global D-com team for IC and BJ’s

• Functions: Finance, Supply Chain and Customer & Market Insights 

WHAT DO WE OFFER

This is the place where you can be yourself and bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world. We offer an exciting & dynamic work environment where you can make things happen. Furthermore, we offer some great reward and benefits!

• Attractive total remuneration package; excellent company pension, bonus, share scheme.

• Flexible cross-disciplinary career opportunities and a wealth of training opportunities & wellbeing resources whenever and wherever.

• Plenty of company-paid holidays to further ensure your work-life balance is maintained.

• We encourage an inclusive culture, which comes to life with interchangeable public holidays, paid paternity leave of 6 weeks and our transgender policy.

• Under the Hybrid Working principles, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 40%-60% in the office or at customers, suppliers or partners to connect and collaborate.  For the time you work from home, we will ensure you are well equipped. When you are at the office , you can enjoy our tasty canteen with prepped food and own products.

• Informal culture and being the first one trying our new products. 

• My Fitness Plan (reduction on your Fitness Subscription).

• Home work allowance

• Company laptop and mobile phone

• Green Mobility Policy.   

EXCITED?

Join Ben & Jerry’s and our team! To apply, you must do so online. Please do not forget to upload your CV and a motivation letter.  Your application will be reviewed against our requirements and we will be in touch shortly after the closing date to provide you with an update on the status of your application.

Looking forward to meeting you! 

Please note this is a Direct Search led by Unilever. Applications from agencies will not be accepted, nor will fees be paid for unsolicited CVs.

Disclaimer

Equal Opportunity Employer: Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.