Business Analyst

Empire Merchants North is the premier wine and spirits distributor in Upstate New York with roots going back to the end of Prohibition. With more than 600 dedicated employees and state-of-the-art facilities, Empire Merchants North has become synonymous with both service and quality and has earned the loyalty of more than 9,000 area restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs, and retail outlets. Empire Merchants North acts as a marketing agent for the brands that we represent and is proud to employ the most knowledgeable and well-equipped sales force in Upstate New York.

We are seeking a highly motivated **Business Analyst - Marketing Manager**

Works closely with Business Management Team. Responsible for drawing conclusions and making recommendations to management on an appropriate course of action by analyzing sales data, competitive information, pricing figures, industry data, and any other applicable sources of information. Analyses may include sales forecasting, opportunity identification and evaluation of program performance. The role also entails the development of sales templates as needed.

**ESSENTIAL POSITION RESULTS**
- Prepares materials for supplier planning meetings by aggregating and reviewing Focus Marketing data, internal sales data, spend data, important demographic and socioeconomic developments and pricing and category trends. Attends and contributes to meetings as appropriate by providing any commentary on analyses or pulling relevant data during the meeting, as necessary.
- Evaluates the potential impact of pricing modifications or prospective programming elements by reviewing pertinent sales data, research, and comparable examples to forecast sales.
- Learn the various BOH roles of the business manager including maintaining and growing gross profit for the company, aligning with purchasing to provide adequate supply of product for all programs, managing supplier budgets, spends and billbacks.
- Develops business review content by working with the Supplier, Business Management Team, and Sales Management to analyze sales performance, develop business case, and incorporate data into templates.
- Uncovers market and brand opportunities by developing an understanding of category, customer and market dynamics and using this knowledge to assess brand performance.
- Measures risk to sales plan (gap analysis) by comparing the plan to historical sales data, current trend information and marketplace developments; reports potential shortfalls to management.
- Develops sales templates; collaborates with Business Management Team, Division Manager or VP of Supplier Management to identify business needs and design appropriate, replicable reports. Help train administrative staff on processes to recreate/run templates.
- Package data for sales materials by working with Business Management Team to ascertain needed information and convert data into concise facts and visuals that can be easily incorporated into sell sheets, concept sells or presentations.
- Uncovers drivers for important changes in sales performance by reviewing appropriate competitive and internal data.
- Measures ROI on selected programming by working with Business Management Team to determine evaluation criteria.
- Completes all necessary training programs by attending, participating, and passing all required tests as defined by management. (e.g., WSSM, TOPS, FOCUS MARKETING, SFA).
- Maintains customer and supplier confidence by keeping appropriate information confidential.
- Maintains a safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
- Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

**SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES**

None

**COMPENSATION & BENEFITS**

Empire Merchants North offers a competitive compensation package including:

- Salary Range: $60,000 - $75,000 and annual bonus potential
- Paid Holidays, Health Plan options (medical, dental, disability coverage, life insurance, and other voluntary plans), 401K, PTO, vacation accrual, Flexible Spending Account, and more.

**QUALIFICATIONS**

***_Education, Certifications and/or licenses:_**

High School diploma or equivalent required

Bachelor’s degree preferred and/or equivalent training and work experience required.

Ability to hold a Solicitor’s Permit required

Must have a valid driver’s license and be able to operate a motor vehicle

**EXPERIENCE**:
Financial, marketing or business analysis experience consumer packaged goods or data provider (e.g., IRI, Nielsen) background a plus.

A minimum of 2 years in Sales/Marketing or industry related experience is required.

**KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS**:
Highly fluent in Excel and relational database programs. Strong knowledge of Power Point.

Must be a results-oriented professional with excellent verbal/written communication skills using diplomacy and discretion as well as customer service skills.

Ability to multi-task, work independently and/or within a team, pay attention to detai