Customer Devt Mgr - Independant, Shelters and Emerging market

No Relocation Assistance Offered Location: Auckland, North Island, New Zealand About Hill’s Pet Nutrition Hill’s Pet Nutrition is a global family that dreams big. At Hill’s, we are focused on innovation, growth, and making the world a healthier place for pets and their humans. Your Role: Customer Development Manager – Pet Independants, Shelters & Emerging We are looking for a high‑energy builder to champion our Independent Pet Specialty sector, Shelters, and Emerging segments across New Zealand. While other Customer Development Manager roles focus on large corporate groups, your mission is to champion the "long‑tail" vibrant, community‑based independent market and hunt for brand‑new white space. What You’ll Be Doing: The Core of the Role Strategic Growth & Account Management: Act as the primary champion for independent pet specialty retailers and community‑focused animal shelters. Develop annual plans to achieve sales volume goals, maximise premium shelf visibility, and lead the swift distribution of product innovations. Partner closely with our field sales team to ensure high‑quality execution of the 6Ps at the store and local level. Emerging Partnerships & White Space Acquisition: Find new growth avenues by identifying and breaking into non‑traditional, emerging networks to drive brand awareness and secure long‑term positioning. Drive strategic alliances by building creative partnerships within community networks and unique segments to rapidly expand Hill’s footprint. Commercial Planning & Analytics: Drive financial viability by preparing detailed commercial plans backed by rigorous ROI analysis. Manage forecasting via the ATLAS system and allocate investment to align with brand strategies via our Commercial Process. Leadership & Operations: Provide performance updates to the Country Manager, contribute to commercial process improvements, and ensure high‑standard administrative management of claims and invoices. The Ideal Candidate Proven Track Record: Experience in FMCG, Pharma, or Vet/Pet industries with a focus on Key Account Management. Relationship Building: Developing deep engagement with community‑based partners. Planning & Priority Setting: Managing a diverse "long‑tail" portfolio effectively. Analytics Mindset: Comfortable with numbers, solid Excel skills, and a natural curiosity for turning raw sales data into a compelling business story. Strategic Visionary: Ability to see the "big picture" while managing granular details of a promotional calendar. Collaborative Influencer: Able to work cross‑functionally with Marketing, Finance, and Logistics to deliver results. Our Commitment to Inclusion We develop strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to best serve our consumers worldwide and foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business. Equal Opportunity Employer Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law. Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation. #J-18808-Ljbffr