At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy! 

A day in the life…

As the Sales Strategy Manager, you will be responsible for creating both short and long-term strategies at the Total Wholesale, Channel and Customer levels for the businesses you work on. You will leverage data to create, implement, deploy and monitor go-to market sales strategies. The sales strategies you will work on will be focused on sales controllables, which consist of merchandising, assortment, pricing and shelving initiatives and align with the overall Russell Stover strategies. You will work collaboratively with the Marketing, Innovation, RGM, Finance, Sales Planning, Category Management, Retail Operations and Field Sales teams to ensure development & implementation of go-to-market strategy.  With direct exposure to Senior Leadership, this high‑visibility role empowers rising talent and offers a clear opportunity to accelerate your growth and prepare for greater roles of responsibility.

What you will be doing…

•  Voice of Customer & Sales: Advocate and represent the customer point of view internally. Serve customer teams by securing internal alignment on efforts to win with customers and deliver against Brand strategies. Serve Brand teams by providing the voice of the customer and integrating Brand strategies into customer business plans
• Serve as a Channel and Customer expert, advisor, and champion to internal and external stakeholders. This includes developing & driving U.S. wholesale strategy, focusing on driving long-term growth across Mass, Grocery, Club, Dollar, Specialty, and Convenience channels of Trade
• Lead development of go-to-market strategies for key innovation and develop national selling stories that arm the Sales team with clear strategic direction and resources to sell in item innovation
•  Develop & deploy sales strategies for your respective business responsibilities including the Sales Playbook & Sales Materials for Field Sales Execution
• Work with cross-functional teams to analyze current go-to-market sales strategies and make recommendations for change, based on data
• Communicate results across the business effectively
• Utilization and analysis of syndicated and panel data (IRI, Numerator, Kantar)
• Leverage available tools and processes while seeking ways (projects) to deliver continual improvement in the process

Do you have what it takes? 

(Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Marketing or Finance
• 6 years of business analytics experience preferably in Sales and/or Category Management
• Experience using advanced functions within Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Experience using syndicated data (IRI, Nielsen)
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation.

Do you stand above the rest? 

(Preferred Qualifications)

• M.B.A
• Strong analytical, technical, and interpretations skills
• Insight and solution driven
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Strong interpersonal skills. Great team player
• Ability to find unique and creative ways to add value through data and insights

Other Requirements

• Role is Kansas City, MO based out of the Company Headquarters
• Hybrid work model per company policy (e.g., 3 days per week in Corporate Office where applicable)
• Travel up top 10%

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.

If visiting our manufacturing plants, you will be expected to:

• Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
• Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the plant’s food safety and quality objectives.
• Promptly report and take appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.
• Actively contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.

This job posting is not all inclusive and other duties may be assigned.