This position is remote and open to any qualified candidate that is legal to work in the US and located on the West Coast.
Job Purpose Summary: Responsible for working in partnership with customers to grow sales and deepen accounts within manufacturers in specified areas. The position works closely with an internal team of experts to provide value to our customers and to support them in applying our products for their specific application. Reporting into the AMER Sales Director, the role can be based anywhere in the West Coast.
Job Responsibilities:
- Work safely in every case and promote safety at every interaction with associates.
- Achieve the Annual Operating Plan targets by developing a strategic territory business plan & executing.
- Manage the sales budget (volume, revenue, prices, and margin) in line with targets and key performance indicators (KPI)
- Increase sales at existing accounts and break into under-penetrated accounts.
- Employ a developmental selling approach with goal of being primary innovation partner of priority accounts.
- Manage at least one Global Key Account.
- Drive innovation through developing strong ties with R&D and Technical, and leading an innovation pipeline
- Develop integrated account plans for priority and high target accounts in collaboration with technical service and marketing teams.
- Develop and maintain strong client multi-level relationships with key decision makers including procurement, customer service, marketing / product management, tech support, R&D, quality assurance.
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of customers’ needs and strategic focus in order to introduce and promote new company products as well as maintain and broaden current business. Gain forecast information from customer Identify patterns in orders and demand.
- Develop and manage opportunity pipeline, closing all possible opportunities to achieve and exceed agreed revenue and new business targets.
- Proactively provide reports, sales forecasts accuracy, account plans and forecast sales growth in the region, register customer and prospect data, contracts, price conditions and account management data
- With the AMER Sales Director, provide strategic insight and channel knowledge across the whole Food Service, Beverage, Snack and Nutraceutical sectors within the assigned territory.
- Provide accurate sales reporting, follow margins and contracts. Manage margins in line with company expectations.
- Negotiate customer contracts and continuously monitor them to ensure all parameters are met and deviations resolved.
- Up to 30-40% travel, dependent upon location.
Requirements:
- Must have ingredient and solution sales experience and strong ability to interact with R&D teams at the food manufacturing companies selling specialty food ingredients, systems, and solutions.
- Experience in building long term, mutually beneficial partnerships with clients. This person will effectively qualify client needs and demonstrate the ability to utilize our innovative products and solutions to meet those needs.
- Experience in a fast paced, dynamic organization in a sales role where the emphasis is on relationships, solution selling and generating new business.
- Self-motivated, energetic positive presence with high-level project management and organization skills
- Proven track record of client relationship development, maintenance and utilization with small, medium and large organizations and in a variety of cultures
- Outcome-oriented individual with a proven track record of delivering sales targets by developing new business leads; deepening as well as broadening business with current clients
- Track record of building successful teams to serve a client need, develop a compelling selling proposition, and negotiate to win-win contract closure, and experience in disciplined account management planning and follow through
- BS degree in Food Science, Business Administration, Marketing, or related field
- 10+ years selling experience in specialty ingredients, to food and beverage manufacturers
- Superior oral and written communication
- Skilled in presenting material to others in a succinct and thorough manner
- Advanced skills in MS Office
- Knowledge and experience with Lyophilization / Freeze Drying technology (Preferred)
- Experience selling to large multinational accounts.
- Solid understanding of the buying cycle and being able to utilize this knowledge for every client interaction to deliver against client expectation and move towards being a trusted advisor
- Project management training/certification (Preferred)
- Experience with SalesForce.com (Preferred)
- Experience with Integrated Business Planning (IBP) (Preferred)
Environment:
- Desk job requiring ability to sit for multiple hours
- Must be able to lift or carry up to 25 pounds
- Must have a valid drivers’ license and be able to travel with little notice
- Air travel is frequent requiring lifting and bending as well as sitting for long time periods in standard airline seats