UFS Category & Sales Operations Manager
Unilever · Website ↗
Job Description
The Commercial Operations Manager is a critical leadership role within Unilever Food Solutions Italy, responsible for translating business strategy into disciplined commercial execution and delivering profitable growth across channels and customers.
Reporting directly to the UFS Head of Country, the role acts as the central orchestrator of the commercial agenda, leading end-to-end sales planning, forecasting, pricing and mix strategy, trade investment governance, promotional effectiveness, customer planning, and performance management.
The role sits within UFS leadership team, ensuring alignment between Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain and Customer Development teams while driving the execution of the PUSH agenda and enabling the successful deployment of the PULL growth model.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead the annual commercial planning process and sales execution framework.
- Own the S&OP and forecasting process, ensuring alignment between demand, supply, and commercial priorities.
- Drive Net Revenue Management across all levers, including pricing, portfolio transformation, active mix management, promotional optimization, and trade investment governance.
- Develop and implement customer and channel strategies that maximize profitable growth and return on investment.
- Leverage sell-out insights to shape customer strategies, optimize promotional activities, and drive sustainable profitable growth.
- Lead commercial performance reviews, identifying growth opportunities, fostering ownership, and ensuring accountability for results.
- Enable the sales organization through advanced analytics, performance dashboards, business insights, and decision-support tools.
- Govern commercial investments to ensure disciplined execution and optimal allocation of resources.
- Drive cross-functional alignment to guarantee flawless execution of business priorities and accelerate growth.
- Support innovation and renovation programs through strong commercial activation and execution excellence.
- Build capabilities and processes that improve commercial effectiveness, route-to-market performance, and customer profitability.
Requirements
KEY REQUIREMENTS
- Minimum 5 years in Net Revenue Management (NRM) and Trade Marketing Investment (TMI) within the FMCG industry.
- Demonstrated experience in forecasting, commercial planning and execution.
- Data-driven mindset and strong analytical skills (in Power BI, Microsoft Excel), with the ability to translate data into actionable route-to-market recommendations.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence, collaborate with, and manage diverse stakeholders and customers.
- Interest in the Food industry.
- Results-oriented mindset combined with a collaborative and inclusive approach.
- Fluency in Italian and English.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Foods, Beverages or Out of Home experience.
- Exposure to sales or distribution channels.
- The ability to use AI or analytical programming.
- International educational or professional experience.
- Degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Marketing, or a related field.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Benefits (in line with the current company policy):
- Smart working
- Company Canteen
- Health and Life insurance
- Digital Learning Academy
- Company shop & discounts
- Mental & Physical wellbeing programs
- Enhanced parental leave
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