Customer Development - Key Account Representative

Aspire Bakeries is a North American baking company with a leadership position in specialty frozen baked goods. Formed from leading bakery companies, its innovative food portfolio includes breads, artisan breads, buns, cookies, donuts, muffins and pastries from beloved brands like La Brea Bakery®, Otis Spunkmeyer®, and Oakrun Farm Bakery®. With 13 bakeries in North America, we are committed to driving innovation, predicting upcoming consumer trends and flavors, and exceeding our customers’ expectations. Aspire Bakeries champions the values of Integrity, Ownership, Customer Focus, Creativity and Care to help us deliver on People Safety, Food Safety, Quality and Collaboration.

The Key Account Manageris responsible for the planning and execution of foodservice channel objectives in the territory, broker engagement and training, managing and growing purchases thru sales activities in the non-commercial, street, independent, and chain operator segments, developing incremental business opportunities with local distributors, and providing effective and timely communication to internal and external customers.

Responsibilities

• Work in conjunction with Region Manager to implement programs for new business growth, and region financial management. Works to obtain and exceed current budget and profit goals.
• Develop, implement, and manage broker sales strategy and tactics.  Work in partnership with the Region Manager and broker sales team to deliver sales objectives for the territory. 
• Managing existing business through pricing negotiations, contract extensions, RFP’s, new item placements, etc. 
• Prospecting new customers and business.  Manages product development process and commercialization with internal cross-functional teams.
• Represent Aspire Bakeries at tradeshows and Customer Conferences as needed.
• Maintain customer correspondence and price quote files and ensure that we have the correct financial documentation and backup.
• Develop knowledge of our Bakeries, Capabilities, Categories, and Food handling.  Communicate those attributes through training and interaction with customers and brokers.
• Interact with other departments in the organization to ensure the proper management of customer requirements.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business, Communication, Culinary or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Must have food service experience with a proven track record of success Broker, Distributor, or Operator level.  Must have customer intimacy and experience with assigned accounts within the territory footprint.
• Proficient in MS Office, specifically PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
• 25% to 50% travel is required.
• Candidate must be based near a major airport within the geography.  No relocation is available for this position.
• The successful candidate will have a heavy focus on new business generation but must be able to also manage and grow the existing customer base.
• Previous, demonstrated success in achieving incremental product placement with major accounts resulting from specific initiatives.
• Broker management experience is a plus.
• Prior Bakery experience and or a culinary background preferred.  Excellent interpersonal and written and spoken communication skills are needed.
• Ability to survive and thrive in an opportunistic, but fairly unstructured, environment.

Salary Range: $75,000 - $82,500

Aspire Bakeries LLC values the contribution each Team Member brings to our organization. The final determination of a successful candidate’s starting pay will vary based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to location, shift, education, skill, and experience within the job or the industry. The pay scale listed for this position is generally for candidates that meet the specified qualifications and requirements listed In this specific job description. Additional pay may be determined for those candidates that exceed these specified qualifications and requirements. We provide a competitive compensation package that recognizes your experience, credentials, and education alongside a robust benefits program to meet your needs. For union-represented postings, wage rates and ranges are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Aspire Bakeries is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.