Retail Program Manager, Food and Beverage

Retail Program Manager, Food and Beverage Job in Chicago, IL

Hybrid Position in Chicago, IL Contract Pay Range: $60-85.00 per hour Please no 3rd party or c2c candidates Our well-established client in the food and beverage industry is seeking a highly organized and execution-focused Retail Program Manager to support the launch and rollout of a new physical merchandising program. This individual will be working cross-functionally to build and document the program from the ground up, manage physical merchandising approvals, track deployments and locations, maintain program reporting, and serve as the primary point of contact for program questions, processes, and execution status. The Retail Program Manager will work closely with internal teams, Accounts Payable, customers, and vendors to keep the program on schedule and provide clear, regular updates to leadership.

Key Responsibilities of the Retail Program Manager, Food and Beverage Job in Chicago, IL:

Program Execution

• Manage day-to-day execution of the physical merchandising program across participating customers and markets.
• Help create and document program processes, guidelines, and workflows as the program launches.
• Identify and resolve issues that may impact program timelines or deployment quality.

Approvals and Tracking

• Coordinate and track cooler approvals with Accounts Payable and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate records of physical merchandise locations, deployments, installations, and overall program status.
• Build and maintain reporting and tracking tools to monitor approvals, deployments, inventory, and key milestones.

Partner and Stakeholder Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for customers regarding product availability, placement questions, approval processes, and program timelines.
• Partner with internal teams, customers, and vendors to ensure timely and accurate execution.
• Provide regular execution and status updates to leadership and key stakeholders.

Qualifications of the Retail Program Manager, Food and Beverage Job in Chicago, IL:

Required

• 3+ years of experience in project management, commercial operations, retail execution, merchandising, or a related field.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, including building trackers and reports.

Preferred

• Experience in CPG, food and beverage, retail, or field execution environments.
• Experience working with distributors, retailers, field teams, or external vendors.
• Experience supporting large-scale rollouts, equipment or display programs, or in-store merchandising initiatives.

Benefits Nesco Resource offers a comprehensive benefits package for our associates, which includes a MEC (Minimum Essential Coverage) plan that encompasses Medical, Vision, Dental, 401K, and EAP (Employee Assistance Program) services. Equal Employment Opportunity Nesco Resource provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. CTD116 #LI-TS2