Job Description

We are looking for a results-driven Key Account Manager to develop, grow, and retain strategic relationships with national pet retail chains, independent pet stores, and two veterinary hospital groups. The KAM will be responsible for account strategy, sales planning, category management, merchandising and promotional execution, and cross-functional coordination to drive revenue, market share, and long-term partnerships.

Key responsibilities

• Account strategy & planning
  • Develop and execute tailored account plans for assigned pet retailers and veterinary hospital accounts that align with company objectives (revenue, margin, distribution).
  • Identify growth opportunities (new product placement, private-label, clinic programs, loyalty integrations) and create action plans to capture them.
• Relationship management
  • Build and maintain strong senior-level relationships with buyers, category managers, and decision makers at targeted retail and veterinary accounts.
  • Act as primary point of contact for commercial negotiations, new listings, promotional calendars, and business reviews.
  • Manage relationship with Cube Route, monitor their KPI's and training of outsourced salesforce
• Sales & commercial execution
  • Achieve or exceed assigned sales targets
  • Together with Business Unit manager negotiate pricing, promotional investments, and contract terms; secure long-term agreements when appropriate.
  • Coordinate end-to-end new product introductions (NPI): pitch, merchandising, training, and post-launch performance tracking.
• Cross-functional collaboration
  • Work closely with marketing, customer service, supply chain, regulatory, and technical teams to ensure on-time deliveries, compliant product labeling, and effective promotional execution.
• Analytics & reporting
  • Maintain account performance dashboards and deliver regular business reviews showing sales, ROI on promotions, and action plans.
  • Use POS and syndicated data to inform strategy and report competitive activity.
• Trade marketing & promotional planning
  • Lead promotional calendar planning and co-op marketing activities, ensuring ROI and alignment with seasonal initiatives (holidays, adoption events, wellness months).
• Problem resolution & continuous improvement
  • Proactively resolve account issues (service interruptions, returns, recalls) and implement process improvements to prevent recurrence.
  • Capture voice of customer feedback to inform product development and service improvements.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business or Veterinary Science. MBA is a plus.

Experience:

• 5+ years of account management or national/key account sales experience, ideally in pet care, animal health, or veterinary pharmaceutical markets. Experience working with retail chains and veterinary hospital groups strongly preferred.

Skills:

• Strong commercial negotiation and contract management skills.
• Proven ability to develop and execute account plans and achieve revenue targets.
• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management at senior levels.
• Analytical mindset; proficient with Excel and experience with POS data, and CRM systems (Salesforce or similar).
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Project management skills and ability to coordinate cross-functional teams.

Industry knowledge:

Understanding of pet retail dynamics, veterinary practice operations, OTC and prescription product pathways, and regulatory considerations for pet products is highly desirable.

• Travel: Willingness to travel up to [25–30]% depending on territory and account mix.
• Other: Valid driver’s license; ability to lift or handle merchandising materials as needed.

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Required Skills:

Account Management, Account Management, Animal Health Sales, Bid Management, Business Reviews, Consumer Relations, Contract Management, Customer Centric Solutions, Customer Feedback, Customer Relationship Building, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service Management, Customer Value Management, Data Analysis, Industry Knowledge, Market Analysis, Market Share Analysis, Performance Dashboards, Profit Margins, Project Management, Sales Forecasting, Sales Reporting, Sales Strategy Development, Seafood Processing, Stakeholder Engagement {+ 2 more}

 Preferred Skills:

Job Posting End Date:

09/23/2025

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.