Customer Development Executive (Remote) at Essendant Co. in Orchard Park, New York

Major Responsibilities                                                

·       Work directly with customers, sales, category managers, suppliers and other cross-functional teams to deliver cohesive, win-win merchandising and marketing solutions

·       Engage with the key customer buyers and account executive to understand the overall product and marketing strategy to build impactful assortments that can be placed in-store, onsite and in respective marketing vehicles

·       Align marketing and merchandising initiatives with customer marketing strategies

·       Analyze market, customer, and Essendant sales data and use insights to proactively optimize assortments and deliver effective marketing and promotions

·       Source funding from cross functional teams as well as suppliers to elevate promotional opportunities

·       Coordinate with content and supplier teams to set up items on customers’ platforms and retail floor to maximize conversion through product merchandising and placement

·       Monitor and understand customer strategy for presenting items on their websites to ensure items are active, representing the most current content and maintaining item status

·       Maintain a strong relationship with category and suppliers to stay current with Essendant new product offerings to determine enhancements to customer’s product assortment

·       Stay current with marketing best practices to enhance customers’ online and instore shopping experience.

·       Develop and execute marketing plans and analyze post-appraisal results to improve future promotional success; Promotional Inventory: analyze data to understand and proactively identify inventory forecasts specific to promotional plans

·       Understand and demonstrate Essendants’ Core Values and live our Guiding Actions.

·       Perform other duties as assigned

Skills/Knowledge Required

• Proven ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities in a fast paced, dynamic environment


• A good sense of understanding what drives sales and impacts growth


• Must possess a sense of urgency, be self-motivated and take the initiative to identify and implement solutions


• Strong analytical skills – must be able to assemble and interpret data to deliver business insights


• Excellent problem solving skills – able to identify, analyze and propose solutions


• Superior communication skills and ability to work effectively with others.


• Strong collaboration, flexibility and diplomacy skills working with multiple stakeholders


• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Power BI, and Teams

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline or equivalent in experience


• Minimum five years of experience in merchandising and/or marketing preferably in an e-commerce setting


• Previous experience managing relationships with e-commerce and/or retail customers