Company

Our vision is loved brands, done sustainably, for a better shared future. We strive to provide cutting-edge excellence in ingredients, innovation, design, and marketing.

The Director of Portfolio Operations will operate as the expert and steward of our innovation pipeline, portfolio management and merchandising solutions.

For portfolio management, they will be manically focused on prioritization against the biggest and most impactful initiatives that drive winning customer and bottler plans. They will focus on pulling the thread from ideation to management through the pipeline all the way through sunsetting at the end of a product’s lifecycle.

For merchandising, they will lead the development of key merchandising elements to bring commercial plans to life in outlet for base business, brand programs, innovation, bottler excitement, consumer engagement and customer specific activity.

This role will have 6 direct reports (majority based in Atlanta)

What You’ll Do for Us - Key Responsibilities:

Portfolio Management

• Routines (Prioritization): Lead the Stages & Gate process, including pre-alignment with key stakeholders with sponsorship from VP Commercial Operations
• Routines (Prioritization): Provide content to Choices Forum on Stages & Gate pipeline to guide leadership choices on next priorities.
• Governance (PLM): Coordinate agenda, content, and drive discussions at PLM, with sponsorship from VP Commercial Operations
• Governance (PLM): Lead portfolio performance analysis and provide recommendations for SKU expansion, contraction, and sunset.
• Governance (PLM): Own the management and update of thresholds for the pipeline with bottlers and customers.
• Governance (PLM): Own the alignment with INCAST and commercial planning on system routine timing and execution to meet timing deliverables.

Merchandising – Inspirational Solutions

• Lead and inspire the team to ensure plans are connected to key priorities, have execution objectives at the center of all decisions, and leverage best practices from across the System.
• Steward and showcase merchandising solutions within key System routines and events to drive inspirational activation by account teams and bottlers (Ready to Sell, Ready to Execute, bottler sales rallies).
• Maintain Coke Channel communication, inventory, common order deadlines, bottler fulfillment, brand subsidies.

Merchandising – Franchise/Bottler/Customer Connection

• Own the allocation process methodology with franchise leads for any fully or partially subsidized campaign.
• Align on merchandising strategies with Coca-Cola Bottler Sales & Services (CCBSS).
• Lead the Bottler Forum to drive adoption, solicit new thinking, and increase System efficiencies.

Merchandising – Supplier relationships

• Own the relationship with suppliers and HH Global to ensure we drive efficiencies, scale and best practices across the system.
• Partner with internal/external stakeholders (CEPG, NAOU Procurement, CCBSS, External Integrator) to finalize the implementation plan for DTMx implementation and problem solve through implementation challenges to ensure the model delivers on system savings, process efficiencies and revolutionary innovation; high in-person engagement in Atlanta to deliver.
• Own the briefing and management of priority initiatives with manufactures to create new and impactful tools and resources for system deployment.

Minimum Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree: MBA or other Graduate Degree Preferred
• 5-10 Years of experience, preferably in the consumer goods/beverages industry
• Leadership and experience working across multiple channels – e.g., large store, small store, and Foodservice/On Premise channels
• Brand/category management experience
• Proven track record of ability to not only embrace change, but to drive it
• Collaborating with brand/category teams and other key internal/external stakeholders; effective in influencing wide variety of stakeholders
• Effectively communicates & builds relationships at all organizational levels; communicates long-term vision and shorter-term opportunities through clear & simple messages.
• Preferred
• 10-15 Years of experience, preferably in the consumer goods/beverages industry
• General management experience
• Customer/Sales management experience
• What We Can Do for You
• Brand Reputation: We lead the beverage industry, with a portfolio featuring over 500 brands worldwide.
• Expansive & Diverse Customers: We work with a diversified group of customers which range from retail & grocery outlets, theme parks, movie theatres, restaurants, and many more each day.