Customer Development Manager - Costco (Seattle Area)

At Nestlé Health Science, we believe that nutrition, science, and wellness must merge, not collide. Here, we embrace the intrinsic connections of these three pillars, harnessing their collective strength to empower healthier lives. Our broad product portfolio includes renowned brands like Garden of Life®, Nature’s Bounty®, Vital Proteins®, Orgain®, Nuun®, BOOST®, Carnation Breakfast Essentials®, Peptamen®, Compleat Organic Blends®, and more. We also have extensive pharmaceutical expertise, offering innovative medicines that aim to prevent, manage, and treat gastrointestinal and metabolic-related diseases.

Our people are challenged to bring fresh, diverse views and make bold moves to empower healthier lives through nutrition. We know brilliant ideas can come from anyone, anywhere. We embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and collaborate with teams that champion focused and forward-thinking. We are committed to fostering professional growth and celebrating the achievements of our people along the way. We offer dynamic career paths, robust development, opportunities to learn from talented colleagues around the globe, and benefits that support physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing.

About the role

The Customer Development Manager is responsible for the functional management, leadership, and execution of all sales-related activities for the Costco business. This position is remote, with a preference for candidates in the Washington State/Seattle area.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic and winning relationships throughout the internal organization and Costco for both inline and .com success, with a focus on retailer-specific wins (e.g., displays, distribution gains, ACV enhancement).
• Establish strong working relationships with all internal teams, including Customer Strategy, Finance, Customer Service, shopper, and digital teams.
• Understand the customer’s go-to-market model, including Category Management and E-commerce strategies, and translate them to the internal organization.
• Deliver target budget plans and new product distribution goals.
• Execute brand and category growth strategies aligned with the customer’s objectives.
• Identify new growth opportunities while mapping out plans and strategies for existing distribution; develop and implement strategic written sales plans in accordance with corporate goals.
• Build and manage relationships with Costco Buyers, Assistant Buyers, and regional buying teams to drive assortment decisions and long-term growth.
• Foster and grow relationships within the account, gaining a deep understanding of current and potential future customer needs.
• Educate business partners on products, retail goals, and success metrics.
• Create customer presentations demonstrating innovation, shelf positioning, promotions, pricing, and other key initiatives.
• Manage daily business in partnership with customers, including UPC product/item setup, maintenance, logistics, and inventory management.
• Sell-in new products and promotions.
• Work with agencies to input Trade Investment Management (Osprey), including system input, trade fund management, direct sales forecasting, and projection activities for the company.
• Partner cross-functionally to support Costco’s depot distribution model, including forecasting, inventory flow, and replenishment planning.
• Provide monthly reporting, sales analytics, and insights to maximize sales efficiency.
• Continuously evaluate SKU productivity and recommend adjustments to pack, pricing, or promotions to improve velocity.
• Perform other duties as required.
• Manage P&L within respective account coverage.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience preferred; minimum 2 years of experience managing large customers desired.
• Sales experience in the Grocery, Drug, and/or Mass retail channel(s) is required.
• Understanding of Costco and the Club channel required.
• Experience in consumer goods and vitamins/supplements is highly preferred.
• Prior experience using syndicated data to determine customer needs and establish effective pricing and promotional activities.
• Knowledge of project management and experience setting up and managing projects in a complex, fast-moving environment.
• Strong relationship management skills and experience building initiatives that deliver on goals.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

Skills

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and brands/categories.
• High level of organizational skills, with strong written and oral communication abilities.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
• Must be able to multi-task and follow up when responses are needed.
• Deep understanding of the assigned customer and how to develop demand creation plans.
• Ability to utilize creativity and push beyond the obvious, comfortable exploring “uncharted” territory in setting recommendations and goals.
• Problem solver with a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Dynamic leader who can push past obstacles and overcome objections.
• Strong listening skills to gain insights and move objectives forward.
• Articulate communicator who can quickly synthesize data.
• P&L management and strong financial acumen.