Commercial Development Manager - Ready-to-Drink

Job Summary and Mission

We are seeking a Commercial Development Manager to serve as the dedicated Small Format commercial lead for the Ready-to-Drink Business Unit. This role will own the connection between RTD business strategy and execution across a complex distributor-led route to market, with accountability for customer planning, assortment, innovation readiness, promotional strategy, trade investment, forecast quality and risk escalation.

This role acts as the commercial control point across the Business Unit, Field Sales, Finance, Marketing, Demand Planning, and distributor partners to protect and grow a material Small Format RTD business, improve planning discipline, and ensure commercial decisions are managed through a customer, channel, and financial lens.

Summary of Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the dedicated Commercial Development owner for the RTD Small Format channel, including Drug, Convenience, and distributor-led partners as applicable.
• Translate RTD brand and BU strategies into executable Small Format customer, channel, and distributor plans that build brand equity, grow market share, and deliver financial objectives.
• Develop and deploy clear communication, selling stories, and cohesive business plans for Field Sales, distributor partners, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Establish a strong customer-focused approach that brings Small Format requirements into Go-To-Market plans across DSD and wholesaler routes to market.
• Leverage customer, category, shopper, and distributor insights to identify growth opportunities and provide direct input into volume, trade, margin, and P&L decisions.
• Lead annual, monthly, and in-month business planning for RTD Small Format, including performance management, risks, opportunities, and recovery actions.
• Own the commercial linkage across assortment, pricing, promotion, trade investment, innovation readiness, forecast accuracy, and customer execution.
• Partner with Field Sales and distributor teams to identify execution gaps, prioritize corrective actions, and improve follow-through against customer and channel plans.
• Provide Small Format expertise to the BU by translating distributor priorities, selling system dynamics, and customer decisions into financial implications.
• Use TPM/TPO and related planning tools to support scenario planning, optimize sales and trade plans, and evaluate post-promotional effectiveness.
• Partner with Finance and Demand Planning to improve forecast discipline, understand volume drivers, and manage the P&L implications of customer and channel decisions.
• Lead monthly Small Format business reviews, including strategy objectives, deploy rates, trade efficiency, customer actions, and risk escalation.
• Act as the Commercial lead for Small Format innovation launches and support customer, channel, and distributor readiness through the I2L process.
• Build Small Format channel and customer strategies based on approved category, customer, and channel plans.
• Understand and strategically optimize Small Format class of trade and Direct Store Delivery partnerships to drive sustainable, profitable growth for Nesquik RTD and the broader RTD portfolio.

Qualifications and Skills

• Experience managing distributor-led, DSD, Small Format, Convenience, Drug, or Wholesaler channels required.
• Minimum 4 years of experience in Sales, Commercial Development, Category Management, Customer Planning, or Marketing preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Strong understanding of customer planning, trade strategy, promotional effectiveness, pricing, assortment, and commercial execution.
• Ability to connect customer and distributor decisions to volume, trade spend, margin, forecast, and P&L outcomes.
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to influence across Sales, Marketing, Finance, Demand Planning, Supply Chain, and external partners.
• Proven ability to diagnose business performance gaps, develop corrective action plans, and drive accountability across stakeholders.
• Knowledge of Strategic and Integrated Commercial Planning processes, including customer planning, financial reporting, and route-to-market execution.
• Experience using tools and data sources such as Nielsen, VIP, BW, TPM/TPO, Source, customer POS, shipment data, or other commercial planning systems preferred.
• Ability to build clear, compelling customer and channel selling stories for Field Sales and retailer or distributor sell-in.

Pay Range

The approximate target compensation range for this role is $135,000 - $173,000. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to background, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as geographic location of the position.

Benefits

Nestlé offers performance-based incentives and a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401(k) with company match, healthcare coverage, and a broad range of other benefits. Incentives and/or benefit packages may vary depending on the position.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Nestlé is an equal employment opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.