CPG Sales Manager - Colgate Costco Account $137K in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This is a solid mid-to-senior sales role at one of the world's most recognized consumer goods companies. Here's what career-minded professionals should know:
Compensation vs. Market: The $109,600–$137,000 range is competitive for a Customer Development Manager role in CPG, aligning with industry benchmarks for Tier 1 account managers (typically $100K–$145K nationally). Seattle's cost of living is high, but Colgate's full benefits package and bonus eligibility strengthen the total compensation picture.
Skills You'll Develop:
- Strategic account management at one of the most complex retail environments (Costco's unique buying model)
- P&L ownership and trade spend optimization
- Proficiency in Nielsen/IRI syndicated data — highly transferable across CPG
- Cross-functional collaboration in a large matrix organization
Career Trajectory: Costco account experience is a standout credential in CPG sales. Costco's membership model and unique promotional structure make this a specialized, high-value skillset sought by recruiters at Unilever, P&G, Kimberly-Clark, and similar companies. This role can open doors to senior director or VP of sales tracks.
Green Flags: Strong brand equity, global scale, structured benefits, and clear inclusion commitment. Watch for: Colgate is a large, established corporation — career progression may be slower than at a fast-growth startup, and the matrix environment can require patience with internal processes.
Job Number: #173058 | Location: Seattle, Washington, United States
No Relocation Assistance Offered
Who We Are
Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!
Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.
As the Customer Development Manager on the Costco team, you will have ownership and responsibility to deliver sales objectives on volume, spending, and customer execution via effective customer engagement and internal collaboration. You will formulate and execute our strategic plan, at the corporate and divisional levels, to ensure maximum volume, profitability, and customer service. You will work with the immediate Costco team, Club team, and other cross-functional touchpoints to develop and implement business plans with excellence.
By leveraging the customer strategy, you will champion solutions that enable Colgate-Palmolive to drive growth and member engagement at Costco. You will demonstrate consumer insights associated with strong Colgate-Palmolive brand equities to drive incremental growth and strengthen the customer investment strategy consistent with Retail Environment strategy, brand strategy, and shopper insights.
This is a field-based role located in the Seattle Metropolitan region. Relocation is available for this position.
Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis and must not require the Company's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.
Responsibilities:
- Identify areas of opportunity for products and programs; develop customer strategies that incorporate consumer insights; maintain awareness of competitive activity. Critical thinking, broad business acumen, and ability to effectively deal with ambiguity are important leadership attributes.
- Establish partnerships with multiple parties including internal cross-functional teams, divisional buyers, and the customer merchandising team. These relationships thrive on mutual trust and integrity to achieve results and execute against strategy and goals. You also enjoy working in a matrix environment.
- Influence the agenda through collaboration, negotiation, and data-driven thought leadership. You have an understanding of the product development and commercialization process.
- Seek opportunities to improve and create creative solutions by adapting and adjusting the strategy with the customer, revisiting objectives, and gaining insights from pre- and post-evaluation and ROI analyses.
- Understand business trends in each account through fact-based analysis including brand share, pricing, promotion levels, and trade class development, along with understanding the effectiveness of different investment levers across the entire P&L.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree
- 5+ years of experience in sales, category management, or similar roles
- Strong experience working with data and analytical tools
- Understanding of P&L management and good negotiation skills
- Solid understanding and experience working with syndicated service accounts and loyalty data (Nielsen, IRI)
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite (Sheets, Slides, Docs)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience working in consumer packaged goods
- Previous experience working with Costco or in the Club retail environment
Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: $109,600 – $137,000 USD
Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.
Benefits include a comprehensive package covering medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions (subject to eligibility requirements). Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on hire date). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.
Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.
For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
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