Trade Spend & Channel Support Analyst

Trade Spend & Channel Support Analyst

The Trade Spend & Channel Support Analyst serves as a member of the Sales team, helping ensure customer programs, promotions, pricing, and trade spend activities are executed accurately and supported end-to-end. This role enables Sales success by building and managing trade spend processes, supporting promotional execution, providing visibility into deductions and customer program performance, maintaining system and customer-facing pricing tools, and ensuring timely resolution of customer claims and deductions.

The analyst works cross-functionally with Sales, Finance, Accounts Receivable, Customer Service, and Trade Spend/Deductions platform teams to support execution, reporting accuracy, and customer satisfaction. This position plays an important role in improving trade spend visibility, minimizing revenue leakage, and supporting data-driven business decisions in a fast-paced CPG environment.

Essential Functions

• Trade Promotion Management (TPM)
• Lead the development and implementation of the company's Trade Promotion Management (TPM) capabilities, processes, and operational discipline, with strategic alignment and approval from the CEO, CFO, and CSO, in partnership with Sales, Finance, Customer Service, and Leadership teams.
• Following approval from the CEO, CFO, and CSO, lead the implementation, management, and continuous improvement of foundational TPM process pillars, including:
• Promotional planning and approval workflows
• Trade funding management and visibility
• Customer program tracking and documentation
• Pricing and promotional compliance validation
• Deduction prevention and resolution processes
• Promotional accrual management
• Reporting, analytics, and performance visibility
• Cross-functional communication and accountability
• Standard operating procedures (SOPs) and process documentation
• Own the tracking, monitoring, and management of trade promotion funding activities, including:
• Bill-backs
• Off-invoice allowances
• Rebates
• Scan programs
• Promotional accruals
• Partner with the Trade Spend platform team to ensure customer programs align with approved pricing, promotional agreements, and internal controls.
• Monitor promotional spend performance against expectations and proactively identify discrepancies, risks, overspending concerns, or process gaps.
• Lead month-end and quarter-end trade spend validation activities, including accrual review, promotional activity validation, and reporting accuracy.
• Assist with forecasting trade spend commitments and customer promotional investments.
• Drive continuous improvement of TPM processes, reporting, controls, analytics, and operational execution as organizational capabilities mature.
• Trade Promotion Optimization (TPO)
• Lead Trade Promotion Optimization (TPO) initiatives following TPM process implementation and stabilization.
• Evaluate promotional effectiveness, ROI, customer performance trends, and trade spend efficiency.
• Analyze promotional results to identify opportunities for improved profitability, sales growth, customer performance, and trade spend effectiveness.
• Develop reporting and analytics that provide visibility into promotional lift, customer performance, and return on trade investment.
• Partner with Sales and Finance teams to support data-driven promotional planning and customer investment decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve promotional strategies, reduce ineffective spend, and optimize customer program performance over time.
• Sales & Customer Support
• Act as an analytical support partner to Sales Team for customer programs, pricing, promotions, and trade-related activities.
• Support setup, validation, maintenance, and execution of customer trade programs and promotions within trade management platforms such as Promomash.
• Assist with new customer onboarding activities, item setups, pricing updates, promotional changes, and customer program maintenance.
• Respond to Sales Team inquiries related to trade spend, deductions, pricing, and customer claims in a timely and service-oriented manner.
• Help ensure customer-facing programs and promotions are accurately executed and aligned with approved agreements.
• Deductions & Claims Resolution
• Research and resolve customer deductions related to promotions, pricing discrepancies, shortages, compliance issues, or other trade-related claims.
• Collaborate with Sales, Accounts Receivable, Customer Service, and Finance teams to ensure timely deduction resolution and minimize revenue disruption.
• Identify recurring deduction trends, invalid claims, or process gaps and recommend corrective actions.
• Maintain visibility and reporting on deduction status, root causes, and customer behavior patterns.
• Support recovery efforts and documentation requirements related to customer disputes and claims management.

Requirements

Experience / Knowledge

• Strong understanding of trade spend management, customer promotions, deductions, and sales support processes within the CPG industry.
• Working knowledge of trade promotion management (TPM), deductions management, and pricing support processes.
• Experience building and leading TPM/TPO development and implementation strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting retail, wholesale, distributor, or marketplace programs preferred.
• Familiarity with trade spend platforms such as Promomash or similar TPM/deductions systems strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong customer-service mindset with ability to support high-performing Sales teams.
• Excellent attention to detail and follow-through.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including:
• Pivot tables
• Lookups
• Data analysis
• Reporting
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across Sales, Finance, Customer Service, and external platform teams.
• Solutions-oriented mindset that balances speed, accuracy, and operational discipline.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, or related field.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• 2–5 years of experience in:
• Sales support
• Sales operations
• Trade spend management
• Deductions management
• Sales finance
• Customer support operations
• Experience in consumer products (CPG), retail-driven, manufacturing, or distribution environments preferred.
• Experience with Promomash or similar trade spend/deductions management platforms strongly preferred.

Working Conditions

• Primarily in-office with some hybrid office environment flexibility.
• Frequent use of ERP systems, trade spend platforms, spreadsheets, reporting tools, email, and communication systems.
• Ability to sit for extended periods while working on a computer.
• Fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with shifting priorities and multiple concurrent projects.
• Regular interaction with Sales teams, Finance, Accounts Receivable, Customer Service, and external platform partners.
• Occasional extended hours may be required during month-end close, promotional periods, or to meet customer deadlines.

Core Competencies

• Customer Focus
• Analytical Thinking
• Attention to Detail
• Problem Solving
• Communication Skills
• Financial & Business Acumen
• Time Management & Prioritization
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Accountability & Reliability
• Process Improvement
• Data Accuracy & Reporting Discipline
• Adaptability & Responsiveness