Customer Representative - Vendor Replenishment - Kroger - Cincinnati Sales Office (Cincinnati, OH)

Hormel Foods Corporation, headquartered in Austin, Minnesota, is a globally recognized branded food company with an annual revenue of approximately $12 billion. Operating in over 80 countries worldwide, Hormel Foods has built a diverse portfolio of beloved brands, including Planters®, Skippy®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Wholly®, Hormel® Black Label®, Columbus®, Jennie-O®, and more than 30 other trusted names in the food industry. The company is publicly traded and listed on the S&P 500 Index, further establishing its prominence in the global market. Hormel Foods has been recognized extensively for its corporate responsibility, ethical business practices, and community engagement, earning accolades such as being named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America’s most responsible companies by Newsweek, and one of the World’s Best Companies by TIME magazine.

Hormel Foods prides itself on fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment where diversity is celebrated and employees are encouraged to grow professionally and personally. The company not only values its workforce but also actively contributes to supporting education and community development, including offering free two-year community or technical college tuition for children of employees.

The role of Customer Representative at Hormel Foods is an essential position responsible for managing inventory replenishment specifically for Hormel products distributed through assigned Kroger distribution centers or divisions. This role is crucial in ensuring that inventory levels are optimized to meet customer demand while maintaining operational efficiency and a strong supply chain. The Customer Representative will collaborate closely with various teams including Kroger buying, planning, and supply chain departments, as well as internal Hormel Sales, Demand Planning, and Logistics teams to maintain proper stock levels and execute supply chain operations flawlessly.

Key responsibilities include monitoring Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) dashboards to keep inventory within defined thresholds, coordinating supply with production and deployment teams especially during promotional periods, troubleshooting delivery or scheduling issues with Kroger warehouse and backhaul coordinators, and performing trend analyses on sales data to adjust stocking strategies accordingly. The Customer Representative is expected to make informed replenishment decisions based on demand forecasts, historical shipment data, promotional activities, holidays, and seasonality.

Further duties entail balancing service objectives such as fill rates and in-stock performance against inventory efficiency goals including inventory turns and days of supply. This role acts as a pivotal liaison within Hormel Foods and externally with Kroger stakeholders to ensure smooth communication, issue resolution, and performance monitoring. The position also involves supporting promotional and advertising efforts by validating volume estimates and ensuring inventory sufficiency, driving perfect order execution, and continuously seeking opportunities for improvement through data-driven insights.

Located in the Cincinnati Sales Office in Cincinnati, Ohio, this position offers an hourly wage range of $22.00 to $30.75 depending on the candidate’s experience, skills, and market factors. Hormel Foods’ total compensation package includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, discretionary merit increases, 401(k) with employer match, stock purchase plans, paid time off, and additional employee support programs. The role requires 10-20% travel for customer meetings and business reviews. Hormel Foods is committed to equal employment opportunities and encourages diversity and inclusion throughout its workforce.