Business Development Manager

Clearwater Paper Corporation - Spokane, WA

Full-time - Mid Level

Spokane, WA

Paper Manufacturing

About the position

As a Business Development Manager at Clearwater Paper, you will play a pivotal role in driving the company's growth through strategic planning, customer development, and effective management of the RFQ (Request for Quote) process. Your primary responsibility will be to manage the RFQ workflow process, ensuring that pricing decisions are market-based and aligned with Clearwater's pricing model. You will facilitate decision-making and enhance organizational knowledge by conducting regular pipeline reviews and developing improvement plans for various categories, regions, and customers. Additionally, you will be responsible for organizing, analyzing, and maintaining market pricing benchmarks to support the sales team in achieving their targets. In your role, you will coordinate ongoing efforts with Sales Directors and Sales Managers to refine account management plans that focus on sales growth, product optimization, and distribution strategies with key customers. You will lead the development of a three-year sales business plan, reviewing market growth and channel opportunities while considering price and profit implications. Your support will also extend to cost reduction initiatives, where you will ideate and manage activities that deliver ongoing cost-saving projects. You will own and manage Clearwater Paper's use of Vendavo CPQ and PA, ensuring effective relationship management, training, and continuous development of these systems. Maintaining a competitive database and communicating relevant information about tissue competition will be crucial to your success. You will also serve as the process improvement lead for all critical business functions, focusing on supporting product commercialization activities. As the internal voice of the customer, you will ensure that customer priorities are reflected in production and distribution, aligning them with Clearwater's strategic objectives. Your role will involve preparing presentations for the Executive Team, Board of Directors, Investors, and other key stakeholders, showcasing your exceptional communication skills and ability to present complex materials effectively. To excel in this position, you will need a strong understanding of critical financial business metrics, the ability to think strategically while acting tactically, and demonstrated experience in leading projects. You should possess a high degree of business curiosity, a proactive mindset, and exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal. Your experience in a matrixed and collaborative environment will be essential for influencing change and driving core processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage RFQ workflow process and process improvement, facilitating decision making and organizational knowledge development.
• Drive market-based pricing decisions through customer RFQs to ensure integrity of Clearwater pricing model, review, approve/adjust pricing for sales team.
• Conduct regular pipeline reviews developing mix improvement plans for categories, regions, and customers.
• Organize, analyze, and maintain market pricing benchmarks.
• Coordinate ongoing efforts with Sales Directors and Sales Managers to build and refine account management plans focusing on sales growth, product optimization, promotion, and distribution with key customers.
• Lead the 3-year sales business plan with field, including review of market growth and channel opportunities, aligned with price/profit implications.
• Support cost reduction teams as lead for business development by ideation, ownership, management, or supporting activities that deliver ongoing cost-saving projects.
• Own and manage Clearwater Paper's use of Vendavo CPQ and PA through relationship management, training, and continuous development.
• Maintain competitive database and communicate tissue competition relevant information related to performance.
• Maintain market capacity and capability database utilizing Fastmarkets RISI and Fisher publications.
• Serve as process improvement and mapping lead for all critical business functions focusing on supporting product commercialization activities.
• Act as the internal voice of the customer to ensure awareness of strategies, objectives, and expectations.
• Work with scheduling to ensure customer priorities are reflected in production/distribution and are aligned with Clearwater's strategic objectives.
• Help prepare presentations to the Executive Team, Board of Directors, Investors, or other key stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in business or related field.
• Minimum 3-5 years' experience - 5-7 preferred - in business development, marketing, or sales related field required.
• Private label experience is a plus.
• Ability to work professionally with a diverse group of people and manage multiple tasks.
• High energy, entrepreneurial, self-motivated to support business development and growth.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access required.
• Proficiency in working with and manipulating internal product database information.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in a matrixed and highly collaborative environment.
• Demonstrated strong change management skills; aligning and bringing others along.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Disability coverage
• Employee assistance program
• 401(k) plan
• Paid time off including vacation days, personal days, and company holidays.