Title: Critical Market Manager

Division: Active Cosmetics Division: Vichy, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe
Department: Education / Sales

Location: Field
Title of Immediate Supervisor: National Account and Education Manager

Divisional Overview:

In the Active Cosmetics Division, we make a difference to the lives of millions of consumers by improving the health and beauty of their skin, through every stage of life. Our brands (CeraVe, SkinCeuticals, La Roche Posay, Vichy and Dermablend) lead the way in skin care innovation, offering safe and effective products and services that deliver their promises. We invest heavily in research and development, and co-create our products with health professionals, scientists and the 90,000 dermatologists we serve around the world. We also design connected beauty experiences, harnessing intelligent technologies to empower people to take control of their skin health.

Our mission is to make a positive impact on people's lives. We are driven by human values of trust, respect and authenticity. Our teams work in a dynamic, supportive environment and work on meaningful projects that are changing the future of medical beauty.  If you want to lead in innovation, technology and research, and you care about collaborating with passionate colleagues, serving communities and acting for the planet, please join us!

SUMMARY

The Critical Market Manager will serve as a representative of L’Oréal Active Cosmetics Division, executing brand initiatives and building love for L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty Brands across designated retail outlets. Under the direction of the National Education and Business Lead, this position will be responsible for developing strong operational relationships with retail partners – inclusive of beauty leads, store and district management – while building sales within their assigned territory. As Critical Market Managers, employees will be expected to work collaboratively and gain alignment to create strategic business and field activation plans aimed at gaining rank in Vichy, La Roche-Posay and CeraVe across their respective market.

In order to excel in this position, you must be entrepreneurial, possess confidence, exercise persuasive communication skills and have a passion for motivating through education. You must possess an innate curiosity for brand development and desire to impact the ACD Divisions overall progression and success through your individual contribution. It is essential that you have the ability to inspire and have a contagious enthusiasm for the beauty industry.

TERRITORY MANAGEMENT

The overall objective is to grow the L’Oreal Dermatological Beauty Brands business through training, events and store support in critical market(s), driving product sales at the store level and maintaining “best in class” vendor partnerships. You will successfully manage the development and execution of annual business plans for critical market(s), consistently meeting or exceeding KPIs and ensuring divisional and marketing strategies are implemented within the designated territory.

Operational Partnerships

·        Responsible for daily, monthly and seasonal tracking of total retail performance within territory. Understand territory performance metrics, identify key market challenges, and implement action plans to achieve objectives

• Develop action plans with retailer partners to increase productivity and performance in stores

·        Cultivate working relationships with all levels of retailer management (district, store, and beauty) through consistent communication and ongoing analytics of their market

·        Strategize with retailer partner(s) to develop, execute and follow up on focus-door action plans, inclusive of event calendar and merchandising objectives

o   Conduct quarterly business planning meetings to develop strategies that support the achievement of sell-through sales objectives, inclusive of: monthly conference calls, quarterly trainings, in-store event days, sales contests and more

o   Facilitate monthly touch bases in person or virtually

• In partnership with retail business partners, assess skills and developmental needs. Develop a comprehensive plan to train and develop Beauty Advisors

·        Develop working relationships with DSM partners(s) throughout your respective territory to collaborate and drive forward support for L’Oréal ACD across key retailers

Field Engagement & Training

Responsible for executing field strategies to  drive sales, brand loyalty and brand recognition in top volume, critical markets through twice monthly store visits, event execution, training and merchandising support in retail doors inclusive of and not limited to: CVS, Walgreens, Target, Ulta, HEB, Bluemercury.

• Expert knowledge of top customers, industry and market
• Deliver exemplary support and drive sales within critical market. Create six-month business plans with retail partners to reach training and sales goals
• Maintain weekly store visit calendar. Focus in-store time in key focus and top-volume doors (determined seasonally)
• Plan regular field travel with retail partners

·        Regularly visit stores to meet with beauty consultants, and store managers, with the objective of being top of mind amongst retail teams and upskilling on ACD dermatological skincare solutions

• Serve as a resource for in-depth product knowledge and point of sale expertise to establish brand authority
• Act as a role model, coaching Beauty Advisors at point of sale in critical market(s) by visiting stores a minimum of twice per month to train and upskill BAs on brands, products, and behaviors to drive sales objectives and build brand equity
• Facilitate shoulder-to-shoulder coaching and trainings (in-person) to BAs within critical market as directed by leadership
• Facilitate trainings (virtual or in-person) within critical market as needed
• Inspire and empower Beauty Advisors to be more productive by modeling, teaching, and reinforcing successful sales and service behaviors
• Demonstrate effective techniques for “suggestive service linking” and “linking pharmacy to beauty”

·        Coordinate sales and education materials to support beauty leads with boots on the ground execution

·        Plan and execute sales and promotional initiatives (sell-through focus) and review sales by store against established goals

·        Plan strategies for National event support tied to retailer promotional calendars and brand focuses

o   Support beauty consultants with in-person side-by-side selling and coaching, education materials, sampling support and any additional tools necessary to create brand awareness and drive sales

o   Actively track all in-store event results through “event tracker”

• Ensure merchandising and planograms adhere to brand guidelines
• Manage optimum inventory levels in doors with a comprehensive consulting approach
• Negotiate incremental merchandising space when applicable
• Identify and action on incremental opportunities to drive brand awareness and sales in stores
• Manage New Hire Kits, sample/GWP and gratis shipments across market

ADDITIONAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Attend and participate in sales and management training meetings and events as directed by management
• Deliver expert knowledge during virtual 1:1s, live chat, in-person events, trade shows, etc when needed
• May be required to serve as talent for retailer training videos when applicable
• May be required to manage a professional account(s) on social media & social commerce platforms like IG & TikTok, in alignment with US market needs and brand direction

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work independently from a home office, while managing a consistent store visit and event calendar
• Use Salesforce, MapAnything and KPI Tracker to maximize effectiveness
• Manage 90-day calendar and enter activities in advance
• Create systematic field visit routes
• Log all activities – store visits, cluster trainings, meeting notes weekly
• Manage business development budgets
• T&E and car stock budgets for promotional and merchandising activities

·        Stay abreast of all emails, reporting, checklists and adhere to all deadlines

• Share insights and knowledge gained to impact seminars and raise awareness for the brand at point-of-sale
• Provide feedback to NYO teams regarding trainings programs, products, needs and competitive activities

REQUIREMENTS

·        College degree 

·        Minimum of 4 years of sales/retail background or related experience [skincare, makeup, fragrance, hair]

·        Passion, interest and knowledge of the cosmetic/skincare industry

·        Ability to work evenings and/or weekends if necessary (which could include travel time)

·        Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced, evolving environment 

·        Proficiency in Microsoft Office: Excel, PPT, Outlook, TEAMS, SharePoint

·        Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills (verbal, written and presentation)

·        Ability to assess customer needs and build alliances

·        Solid coaching and leadership skills

·        Must have outstanding organizational skills with strong attention to details

• Effective planning and time management skills
• Ability to work independently
• Must reside in key territory
• Must be able to travel to training sessions, sales meetings, trade shows, and corporate office as necessary to meet the training objectives and business needs of account executives and accounts (up to 50% of time)
• Valid US driver’s license

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

1. Innovator
2. Entrepreneur
3. People Developer
4. Strategist
5. Integrator

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or disability, or any other legally protected status.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application for a recognized disability under applicable law, please email [email protected]. Please note this email will only respond to specific requests for assistance completing the application as a request for accommodation for a disability. All others will not be considered.