Customer Business Lead, Sam's Club

Customer Business Lead, Sam's Club

Work Location: Rogers Due to the highly interactive and team-based nature of this role, in-person attendance for most of the workweek (i.e., 3 days or more) is essential for effective communication including during in-person meetings, strong supervision, real-time problem-solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives. Want to make an impact? The Customer Business Lead, Sam's Club, will make a meaningful impact on Ferrara's growth by leading the strategy, planning, and execution of the Sam's Club Confections business. This role is responsible for building strong customer partnerships, identifying opportunities to accelerate growth, and delivering profitable, sustainable results through strategic customer engagement, disciplined execution, and strong cross-functional collaboration. Serving as a key connection point between Ferrara and Sam's Club, this individual will help shape customer plans, influence business-driving initiatives, mitigate risks, and ensure executional excellence across the business. The Customer Business Lead will partner closely with internal teams and external stakeholders to unlock growth opportunities, strengthen Ferrara's position with Sam's Club, and drive results in a dynamic, fast-paced retail environment.

Ways you will make a difference:

• Serve as the primary business manager of the Sam's Club Confections business, accountable for delivering annual sales, profitability, and strategic growth objectives while effectively managing trade investments
• Develop and execute strategies aligned to Ferrara and customer priorities to drive profitable, sustainable growth
• Lead annual business planning, forecasting, innovation commercialization, and promotional strategy for the Sam's Club business
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships, positioning Ferrara as a trusted strategic partner with Sam's Club
• Identify business opportunities, risks, and market trends and proactively develop plans to maximize performance
• Influence and align cross-functional partners including Category Management, Sales Strategy, Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Retail to deliver business objectives and best-in-class execution
• Own key business processes including line reviews, feature submissions, item setup, forecasting, innovation launches, supply alignment and ecommerce initiatives
• Leverage customer, category, consumption, and syndicated data to identify insights, shape strategies, and develop fact-based recommendations
• Lead preparation and execution of customer-facing presentations including Joint Business Planning (JBP), Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), innovation sell-ins, and strategic business updates
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives that simplify processes, improve execution, and strengthen overall business performance
• Perform other duties as assigned

Skills that will make you successful:

• Self-starter with strong ownership mentality, business acumen, and bias for action
• Strong strategic, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities with the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations
• Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, and storytelling skills, with the proven ability to influence decisions and drive alignment across multiple functions and leadership levels internally and externally
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize effectively, manage ambiguity, and execute with urgency in a fast-paced environment
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to build credibility, drive alignment, and influence decision-making
• Strong analytical capabilities with experience leveraging Madrid, Retail Link, and syndicated data (Circana) to drive business decisions
• Ability to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges, and proactively develop solutions
• High level of professionalism, adaptability, and collaboration
• Ability to travel as required; must reside in Northwest Arkansas
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds

Experiences that will support your success:

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred
• Minimum 5+ years of sales or related experience supporting Sam's Club (preferred) and/or Walmart
• Strong understanding of Sam's Club merchandising strategies, promotional planning, supply chain, and ecommerce processes
• Proven experience managing relationships and delivering business growth in a highly collaborative environment
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience in Customer/Channel Marketing, Category Management, Sales Strategy, or Sales Operations is a plus
• Experience working with McLane and/or Confections categories is preferred

What We Offer:

At Ferrara, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance.

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $123,668 to $173,135 annually.

Equal Opportunity:

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.