National Account Manager -Channel Support

Job Title: National Account Manager Channel Support– Unilever Food Solutions (UFS)

Location: Remote– Hoboken, NJ

Who We Are

Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) is the €3bn+ foodservice division of Unilever. It leads the dynamic Food Service market across its categories and has ambitious growth objectives, marketing a range of professional food and beverage products and services to operators across 72 countries.  UFS prides itself on creating value for its customers through culinary solutions and improving the food experience for everyone from distributors and operators to diners and consumers.  

UFS is accelerating its digital transformation to fuel growth through data driven and technology enabled Go-to-Market (GtM) capabilities. Our global ambition is to reach 3 million operators by 2030 via an online & off-line contact strategy. Within the US, the focus of UFS Customer Development and Marketing is to engage with customers in unique and specific ways to generate demand for our professional brands and create long term value for our partners.  

Pay: The pay range for this position is$86,080 to $129,120. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that areutilizedin making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs.  

Bonus: This position is bonus eligible.  

Long-Term Incentive (LTI): This position is LTI eligible.  

Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible toparticipatein our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate, they can choose from a range of benefits to include, but is not limited to, health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage), retirement savings benefits, life insurance and disability benefits, parental leave, sick leave, paid vacation and holidays, as well as access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverage for health insurance and retirement benefits will bein accordance withthe terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents. 

Purpose of the Job

The National Account Manager – Channel supportis responsible forexecuting and delivering against set targets and growing profitable sales with Key Restaurant Accounts in their market on all Unilever Food Solutions products (Hellmann’s,Legout, Knorr, etc.)  This role supports the NA sales team while collaborating closely with cross-functional partners including Supply Chain, Marketing, and Product/Innovation to help bringnew ideasto market and ensure flawless execution for chain customers. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Partner with the NA sales team to prepare proposals, presentations, customer productinquiriesand industry insights. 

• Coordinate with Supply Chain to manage timelines, availability, and product flow. 

• Work with Marketing on launches, messaging, and promotional strategies customized for chain customers.  

• Support innovation projects by gathering feedback from chain customers, tracking progress, and aligning stakeholders 

• Analyzedata and report on KPI performance, opportunities, and risks. 

• Help improve processes and communication across teams. 

• Strategically targeting and executing new business prospects with Restaurant Account Operators to expand reach (CTM – Customer Targeting Model) 

• Ability to keep up to date on industry trends in foodservice and represent Unilever at partnership events.  

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree: A four-year degree isrequired, preferably in Business Management, Communications, or Marketing.

• Industry Expertise: A minimum of 5 years of experience in foodservice sales isrequired.

• Channel Knowledge:Demonstratedunderstanding of the "route to market" and the unique needs of large-scale restaurant chains (40+ units).

• B2B Sales Support: Proventrack recordin sales support, marketing, or supply chain functions, specifically supporting large national or regional accounts.

• Advanced Data Literacy:Proficiencyin Excel is considered "incredibly important" for managing complex reporting, market share data, and trend insights.

• CRM Mastery:Proficiencyin Salesforce is a baseline requirement for managing the market funnel.

• Trade & Analytics Tools: Experience with Power BI for sales management and Blacksmith/Forge for contract and trade management is highly preferred.

• AI Integration: Ability and willingness toleverageAI tools to "call menus" and efficiently target prospective customers.

• Location & Schedule: This is a Hoboken-based hybrid role. Candidates must follow the local office policy, currently requiring 3 days in-office and 2 days remote.

• Travel Commitment: Ability to travel up to 15% for national team meetings, industry events, and occasional customer visits

Core Competencies & Soft Skills

• Internal Connectivity & Collaboration: Exceptional ability to work cross-functionally, acting as the "right hand" to the sales team by coordinating with Supply Chain and Marketing to resolve product quality or shortage issues.

• Polished Communication: High-level presentation and negotiation skills arerequiredto interact with sophisticated buyers from major national chains (e.g., McDonald's).

• Financial Acumen: Strong business and financial literacy to manage Joint Business Plans (JBPs) andassistin negotiating large-scale contracts.

• Personality Profile: An outgoing and warming personality is vital; theNAMmust be comfortable building trust with new contacts whileremainingfirm during tough conversations.

• Culinary Passion: Must be a genuine "foodie" with a passion for food and ingredients; while a professional culinary background is notrequired, this passion is essential for selling Unilever's ingredient-based solutions.

Our Culture  

• Caring Deeply  

• Positive Tensions for Bigger Outcomes, Fairness and Transparency, Performance AND care  

• Staying Three Steps Ahead of the Market  

• Build Future While Delivering today, Think Big simplify, commit, Lead Shape Disrupt Mkt   

• Delivering with Excellence  

• Pride in our Execution, Best in Reality, Developing Breakthrough solutions  

• Focusing on What Matters Most  

• Fewer Bigger Things, Fight for What matters most, Challenging and Debating Right Choices 

What We Can Offer You      

Culture for Growth | Top Notch Employee Health & Well Being Benefits | Every Voice Matters | Global Reach | Life at Unilever | Careers with Purpose | World Class Career Development Programs | Check Out Our Space | Focus On Sustainability