IFMA Foodverse

Your Opportunity

As a Career Foundation Program (CFP) Associate, you are sponsored and supported by our Organization’s Senior Leaders along with an assigned mentor and program manager to partner with as you launch your career. This 18 – 24-month training program will develop you into the future leaders of our company. The program is designed for top talent who seek a performance-based culture that is built on Responsibility, Operational Excellence and Innovation (ROI). 

During your 18 – 24-months you will learn from Smithfield Foods leaders, hear from industry experts, and roll up your sleeves to experience the many functional areas of the company. You will engage in challenging and dynamic experiences throughout various Smithfield Foods business areas, locations, and functional groups broken down by Track including:

• Business & Supply Planning

You will be expected to provide business support and thought-leadership to the company throughout the program and beyond. As a CFP Associate you will add value as a full-time employee from day one, doing real work, and delivering real results.

At the conclusion of 24 months, you will be placed into a role where you can add immediate value based on your track assignment and Smithfield Foods business needs.  Your career journey from that point forward is completely in your hands. You are not limited to a set path. 

The Career Foundation Program is divided into function-specific tracks from which you can launch your career journey at Smithfield Foods. These tracks are designed to guide placement following the program.

• Business & Supply Planning Track – including rotations through Business Management & Supply Planning

The CFP Associate contributes to the department’s achievement of goals by problem solving, leading projects, executing short-term and long-term responsibilities, and delivering results that exceed expectations.  The Career Foundation Program is designed for high potential college/university graduates who can quickly adapt to new environments and deliver contributions to the departments for which they are assigned.  In a fast past-paced, results-oriented environment, the successful incumbent will complete the program and be ready for assignments commensurate with their Smithfield CFP work experience (18-24 months of relevant work experience).

Core Responsibilities

As a Sales & Business CFP Associate you will experience the key fundamentals of Business Management, Sales and Marketing. Through corporate sales meetings, impactful projects and industry exposure you will function as a full-time member of your assigned team(s). Sales & Business CFP Associates gain a deep understanding of our brands, our customers and consumers and aim to provide valuable insight in their field of expertise all while learning and growing from management and peers. From market data to brand awareness; category management or front?line selling role CFP Associates work with our partners in key customers to gain the knowledge and expertise needed for a smooth transition into a permanent role.

• Plans production to meet sales requirements while maximizing plant efficiencies and prepares sales and demand forecasts.
• Analyzes sales forecasts to determine short and medium-term requirements for product resources.
• Prepares and monitors master schedules by working with logistics, production, maintenance, and sales personnel to coordinate activities and adjust schedules, as necessary, to respond to market and production requirements.
• Manages inventory levels and minimizes distressed products by planning production to meet known and expected sales.
• Maximizes fill rate potential and coordinates warehouse replenishments.
• Facilitates communication between Sales, Quality Assurance, Logistics and Operations.
• Support and continuously develop relationships with current retail customers
• Improve shelf placement and positioning of company brands.
• Communicate and leverage promotional activities and marketing support to increase sales.
• Keep account specific authorizations lists, updated as needed.
• Participate in trade marketing meetings
• Attend periodic HQ calls with Region and Account Managers.
• Assist Region/Account managers with any projects related to their retailers.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited four-year college or university; or currently enrolled college student with an anticipated graduation by end of current semester.
• Be able to relocate one to two times during rotation.
• Must possess a high level of professionalism, discretion and ability to self-manage his/her time from remote locations.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Proficient in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Travel up to 15-25% of time.  Periodic overnight travel required.
• Currently authorized to work in the U.S.
• Ability to work well with others in fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Ability to be respectful, approachable and team oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment.

About Smithfield Foods

Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Our 43,000 U.S. team members and 16,000 European employees are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” and have made us one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our neighbors in need. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan’s Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Connections working at Smithfield Foods