About Sempio Foods Company:

Sempio is an award-winning Korean heritage brand, trusted to brew the foundational pantry staples found in every Korean pantry since 1946. What started as a soy sauce stand in a corner of Seoul is now one of the most trusted food brands in Korea, with the largest fermentation research facility in Asia, and exporting to 76+ countries worldwide. As a family-owned company, we have a rich history full of remarkable milestones, with a special focus on developing products for our consumers as if they were our own family.

Our master fermenters collaborate with chefs, nutritionists, and scientists to constantly evolve Korean tradition while staying true to its roots. Sempio’s mission is to preserve and foster the authentic flavor of Korean cuisine for everyone, everywhere.

In the U.S., Sempio has operated for almost 30 years, catering mostly to the Korean American community. We are searching for the right retail sales & marketing manager to help crossover to mainstream grocery stores and manage our expansion. The right candidate for this job will be able to make an immediate impact on the growth trajectory of our U.S.-based business.

Job Description:

Planning, Development, and Execution of Shopper Marketing Strategies

Partner with marketing team in Korea to create and execute offline shopper marketing initiatives that align with business goals
Collaborate with the sales team to prioritize and develop key retail milestones across multiple retailers and markets.
Collaborate and lead retail teams on joint marketing initiatives and promotional activities.
Execute/Manage: Retail Marketing decks ahead of line reviews and quarterly by retailer.
Assess external vendor, agency, and retailer platform capabilities to identify future solutions to develop and execute grocery channel growth strategy.
Manage external agencies and media buyers in the execution of campaigns.

Example Tasks:

Plan and execute in-store promotions
Visit stores in person and communicate with store managers to have a first-hand understanding of the reality of each chain.
Communicate directly with store chains marketing personnel to plan and execute in-store promotions.
Create a monthly and yearly in-store promotion plan strategically based on best opportunities to increase sales (i.e. June BBQ campaign, September back to school campaign, etc)
Budget in-store promotions and get expense approval by management in HQ.
Coordinate broker teams to visit stores and ensure promotions are happening on time.
Lead the creation of collateral: flyers, brochures, recipe cards, and recipe booklets to support specific campaigns.
Coordinate SNS campaigns with an agency to support specific promotions (i.ex. Monthly campaign, new product launch, new store chain opening)

Performance Measurement

Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for shop and trade marketing initiatives to contribute towards sales targets.
Understand store and campaign performance data, and collaborate with data scientist to provide actionable insights
Regularly review and report on shopper and trade marketing performance

Example Tasks:

Track sales from Kehe and UNFI to stores (Monthly). Track store sales when data is available.
Create a follow-up log for each store chain, including store description, shelf placement (with photos), competitors on the shelf, pricing, sales evolution, promotions executed, and other promotional opportunities. Keep the log up to date.
Track ROI of each in-store promotion and create a roadmap of the most effective actions for our products so we can replicate them as we expand. (i.ex best months to do TPR’s, most successful campaigns per products, etc)
Oversee profitability by keeping track of sales, marketing expenses, and distributor deductions.

Budget Management

Oversee budget allocation across shopper marketing platforms
Allocate resources effectively to maximize ROI
Monitor and report on budget pacing and performance

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Build and maintain relationships with cross-functional partners such as brand marketing, digital marketing, sales, and finance.
Ensure all content is aligned with brand campaigns and evergreen content. Consistent with the brand style guide.
Provide support to the sales team and retail channel partners
Collaborate with the data team to analyze shopping behavior and trends to identify insights

Example Tasks:

Forecast product needs according to expansion plans
Oversee smooth operation with SFS-distributors-stores (PO management, timely deliveries, product shortages, expiration dates)
Create and update annual expansion plans based on strategic goals (i.ex, California expansion with products, annual submission calendar)
Prepare content for submissions and new product launches (create marketing decks, basic product information, attend presentation meetings, ship samples to decision-makers, etc.)
Prospect new stores, new distribution, and new online retail platforms (i.ex. Faire, SFP)

Requirements

5+ years of experience with shopper marketing and retail marketing execution
Has proven track record at executing successful shopper marketing campaigns across Natural, MultiOutlet, and Club retailers, as well as in Food Service.
A deep desire to learn and understand shopper behavior. Has fun thinking about how to reach and better meet our consumers.
Ability to take initiative and work autonomously – you can take a project from beginning to end, and report succinctly to top management.
Brings solutions with an owner mindset - Asks the right questions to get at the solution, masters the balance of asking for help and figuring it out
Strong planning, organization, and project management skills, along with excellent interpersonal, written/oral communication, and presentation skills
Competence in Google Suite and Microsoft Suite (including PPT). Experience with team collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams is a plus.
25% - 50% business travel required.
Interest in Korean food and cooking is a plus!

Sempio Foods Company jobs

Shopper Marketing Manager - Grocery/Retail