Account Manager- Southern California (Remote)

Job Summary:

Protect and grow assigned accounts through consultative, strategic selling techniques and prospecting for new profitable accounts. The main objective is to obtain new sales for Kalsec’s product lines. This includes meeting face to face and virtually with key buying influencers and demonstrating the value of Kalsec solutions. The candidate will do this through end use-application presentations and demonstrations, as well as negotiating to maintain current and new business with ingredient buyers.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

• Primary contact for assigned accounts. This individual will be the “face” of Kalsec with these accounts. Fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the position in a fashion consistent with Kalsec values.
• Responsible for sales volume and gross margin growth with each customer on Kalsec products by the development and execution of a strategic business plan for your customers. Aligning geography with national initiatives and campaigns in collaboration with internal and external cross functional team members leading sales efforts to meet or exceed goals.
• Maintain current customers along with develop new customers always striving to increase the quality of communication between Kalsec and assigned customers. Frequent review of contracts, agreements, price quotes, sales revenue and budget vs. actual sales.
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops as assigned, keeping a technical journal, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks and participating in professional societies.
• Proficient in the delivery of customized presentations to key accounts. Responsible for determining the presentation objective and managing the planning of resources needed in collaboration with all stake holders.
• Strive for greatest possible coverage with assigned accounts by using direct sales contacts and leveraging relationships for new contact introductions.
• Continually gather and assess information on pricing, product quality, applications, changing trends, economic indicators and competitive activity.
• Develop annual forecasts for assigned accounts and utilize with supervisor to establish sales objectives to meet individual and company goals.
• Maintain clear records of activity with each account including projects and their progression, correspondence, contacts and opportunities in Salesforce.com.
• Actively build sales opportunities pipeline to match assigned budget revenue (or higher) and drive opportunities from initial identification and qualification to sales fruition and closure through all stages in Salesforce.com. Actively communicate progress of projects and changes in demand with the relevant internal contacts. Use your initiative in prospecting activities and work with the marketing team as needed to ensure pipeline growth to meet assigned KPI’s.
• Monitor, expedite, develop and assist with support functions for customers such as technical and applications information, customer experience, regulatory, QA, accounting, operations, and logistics.
• Represent Kalsec at tradeshows, meetings and conventions.
• Work collaboratively with the technical team, marketing and product management to develop strategies for potential new or modified products.
• Be aware of the company's Q.A. policy and objectives. To observe these policy provisions and fulfill in all respects the requirements of his/her job. A. procedures as defined in the quality manual shall be strictly observed.

Education/Experience:

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 5-years of relevant industrial food ingredient selling experience.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
• Success in building relationships with professionals at all organizational levels with internal and external customers.
• Home office
• Must be located in Southern California with easy access to a major airport

Preferred:

• Master’s Degree and a technical background
• Preferred selling experience with flavors, flavor extracts, natural colors and other functional ingredients
• High Proficiency in software programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint etc.)

Equipment Operation:

• General office equipment
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Salesforce (SFDC)
• LinkedIn

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
• Must be able to access various departments of a given location.
• Bilingual preferred with an emphasis on Spanish

Travel:

• Greater than 50% travel with assigned accounts
• International travel as needed
• Periodic weekend-travel

This job description is not intended to cover every detail or every aspect of the job identified. Other duties may and will be assigned based upon the workload and needs of the department.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)