Sales Operations Manager

Overall Goal of Position

The Sales Operations Manager is a critical partner to Sales, Demand Planning, and Finance, responsible for delivering high quality sales forecasts and commercial insights that support S&OP, AOP, and overall business planning. This role owns sales forecast accuracy, TPM data integrity, and the translation of commercial assumptions into actionable demand signals across both Retail and Away From Home (AFH) channels. The ideal candidate brings deep sales operations expertise, strong analytical and modeling capabilities, and exceptional communication skills to influence cross functional decision making. This position will report to the Vice President, Sales Strategy.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Sales Forecasting & S&OP

• Own sales forecasting inputs into the S&OP process, ensuring forecasts are accurate, well-documented, and aligned with commercial strategy.
• Translate sales forecasts, drivers, and assumptions into clear, actionable inputs for Demand Planning, highlighting risks, opportunities, and confidence levels.
• Lead forecast reviews with Sales and cross-functional partners, identifying gaps to plan and driving alignment on assumptions.
• Continuously improve forecast accuracy through disciplined processes, analytics, and feedback loops.

Trade Promotion Management (TPM) & Data Accuracy

• Own the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of TPM entries across brands, customers, and items.
• Partner with Sales and Finance to validate promotional assumptions, expected lift, timing, and post-event performance.
• Pressure-test sales assumptions against syndicated and consumption data actuals (e.g., POS, shipment data), identifying gaps, bias, and forecast risk within both base and promotional plans.
• Ensure promotional activity is consistently reflected in forecasts and planning systems.
• Drive process rigor and continuous improvement to support clean, reliable consumption and promotional data.

Sales Collaboration & Sales Operations Excellence

• Serve as a trusted business partner to Sales, collaborating on brand-, customer-, and item-level forecasting.
• Constructively challenge assumptions and elevate forecast quality through data-driven insights.
• Own and optimize Sales Force Automation (SFA) tools and workflows related to forecasting, planning, and reporting.
• Develop dashboards, models, and executive-ready analyses to support decision-making.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Act as the primary interface between Sales and Demand Planning on all forecast-related topics.
• Ensure consistency, clarity, and traceability of sales assumptions flowing into S&OP, AOP, and rolling forecasts.
• Partner closely with Finance, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders to align commercial plans with operational realities.

Annual Operating Plan (AOP) & Scenario Planning

• Play a leadership role in the AOP process, including volume and revenue forecasting, modeling, and scenario development.
• Build and maintain models to evaluate assumptions, risks, and trade-offs across multiple scenarios (base, upside, downside).
• Pressure-test sales assumptions and clearly articulate implications and trade-offs to senior leadership.
• Support long-range planning and ad hoc scenario analysis as needed.

Channel Responsibilities

Retail

• Support retail sales operations and forecasting at the customer, banner, and item level.
• Incorporate promotional plans, merchandising activity, pricing actions, distribution changes, and customer-specific dynamics into forecasts.
• Leverage consumption data (POS, shipments, and pipeline) to identify demand trends, forecasting risks, and opportunities.
• Translate retail timing, execution nuances, and customer behavior into clear demand signals for Demand Planning.

Away-From-Home (AFH) / Foodservice

• Own forecasting and sales operations support for AFH channels, including distributors, foodservice operators, and non-traditional customers.
• Partner with AFH Sales to incorporate customer-specific drivers such as menu changes, contract timing, and distribution gains or losses.
• Adapt forecasting approaches to AFH dynamics, including longer lead times, lumpy demand, and limited POS visibility.
• Clearly articulate variability, risk, and assumptions associated with AFH forecasts to cross-functional partners.

What We Are Looking For

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, Analytics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in Sales Operations, Demand Planning, Revenue Management, or a related analytical role.
• Demonstrated experience supporting S&OP and AOP processes; CPG, retail, or foodservice experience preferred.
• Proven expertise in:
  • Sales forecasting and consumption based planning
  • Sales Force Automation (SFA) and TPM tools
  • Advanced Excel (complex modeling, scenario analysis)

Key Competencies

• Strong analytical, modeling, and problem solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear insights and recommendations.
• Excellent communication skills with the confidence to influence, challenge, and align stakeholders.
• Highly collaborative and comfortable operating in a fast paced, cross functional environment.
• Process oriented mindset with a passion for continuous improvement.

What Is In It For You

Our company acknowledges talented people are attracted to companies that provide competitive pay, comprehensive benefits packages, and outstanding advancement opportunities. For this reason, we offer a Comprehensive Benefits Plan that includes the following:

• 401K
• Medical/Dental/Vision Coverage
• Vacation, Sick Days and Holidays
• Parental Leave
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee and Dependent Life Insurance
• Company paid Short-term and Long-term disability
• Other Voluntary Insurance Options

Sauer Brands, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.