Trade Marketing Coordinator

Career Guide
A Trade Marketing Coordinator supports marketing and sales teams by planning and executing in-store and partner-focused promotions. The goal is to increase product visibility, improve retailer relationships, and drive sell-through using clear plans, strong coordination, and accurate tracking.

Key Responsibilities

  • Support planning and execution of retailer promotions
  • Coordinate product launches with retail partners
  • Manage marketing materials for stores and partners
  • Track promotional timelines and deliverables
  • Collect and report results from campaigns
  • Maintain budgets and purchase orders for trade activities
  • Coordinate with sales teams on store priorities
  • Work with agencies and suppliers on production
  • Ensure brand guidelines are followed in retail materials
  • Support retail event planning and on-site activation
  • Update product and promotion information in internal systems
  • Monitor competitor activity and summarize key changes

Top Skills for Success

Project Coordination
Communication
Time Management
Attention to Detail
Stakeholder Management
Budget Tracking
Promotional Planning
Retail Fundamentals
Sales Enablement
Performance Reporting
Vendor Management
Presentation Skills

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Trade Marketing Specialist
Trade Marketing Manager
Shopper Marketing Specialist
Category Analyst
Sales Operations Specialist
Transition Opportunities
Brand Marketing Specialist
Product Marketing Specialist
Retail Marketing Manager
Account Manager
Category Manager

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Promotional Effectiveness MeasurementRetail Data AnalysisBudget OwnershipNegotiationRetail Media BasicsCross-Functional Leadership
Development SuggestionsBuild comfort with retail sales data and post-promotion reporting. Practice writing clear promo briefs, managing a simple budget tracker, and presenting results. Partner closely with sales to learn how promotions are planned, funded, and evaluated.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry LevelUSD 45,000 to 60,000
Mid LevelUSD 60,000 to 80,000
Senior LevelUSD 80,000 to 105,000
Growth Trend
Steady demand, especially in consumer goods, retail brands, and food and beverage. Hiring increases when companies expand into new retailers, launch new products, or invest more in in-store execution.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
Procter and GambleUnileverPepsiCoCoca-ColaNestleMondelez InternationalKraft HeinzColgate-PalmoliveDiageoL'OrealKimberly-ClarkReckitt
Industry Sectors
Consumer Packaged GoodsFood and BeverageBeauty and Personal CareHousehold ProductsAlcohol and SpiritsHealth and WellnessRetailEcommerce

Recommended Next Steps

1
Create a simple promotion tracker template and use it for every activation
2
Build a results report after each campaign with learnings and next steps
3
Learn basic retail metrics and how to interpret weekly sales movement
4
Ask to own one retailer promotion from brief to post-campaign recap
5
Shadow sales calls to understand retailer needs and constraints
6
Develop a small portfolio of retail materials you coordinated and the impact achieved
7
Take a short course on retail fundamentals and promotional planning
8
Strengthen presentation skills by sharing a monthly performance update to stakeholders