Key Account Sales Manager

This is a CPG/Food sales position based in the Central Valley of Northern California with primary customer responsibility in the Sacramento, East Bay, and Central Valley areas. Customer assignment is intended to be primarily Grocery Retail oriented, but may include any combination of Grocery Retail, Food Service, and other accounts. The focus will be on creating and managing valuable business relationships, meeting sales objectives, and implementing plans as assigned, while working collaboratively and professionally with team members and management.

Duties, Responsibilities and Expected Contributions

· Customer Relations – Establish a business relationship with assigned customer employees at all organizational levels. Involvement with Key Account events, foods shows and trade civic activities. Educate customer personnel about our products and categories. Become the category expert with each customer.

· Sales Skills – Possess strong interpersonal, organizational, planning, presentation, negotiation and sales skills to deliver effective, persuasive, fact-based sales presentations to achieve goals. Identify sales targets and opportunities and develop “actionable” steps that are measurable and can be put into motion. Demonstrate problem solving skills and desire to exceed expectations.

· Communication Skills – Provide accurate, timely and consistent information to the SVP, all members of the sales, marketing and operations teams, and to customers.

· Employee Attitude – Demonstrate a strong interest in all job responsibilities. Be recognized by others as an enthusiastic team player. Develop good working relationships with all associates and display leadership skills.

· Interpersonal Skills – Demonstrate an ability to relate to and professionally deal with customers, associates, and management.

· Self-Development – Show a desire to improve knowledge and skills for professional and personal growth.

· Travel – Travel as required to fulfill job responsibilities. Will require both local and regional travel on an intermittent basis. Valid driver’s license and good driving record required.

· Other duties as may be assigned.

Experience and Competencies Required

· Five years sales experience in the Grocery, CPG and/or Retail trade classes.

· Experience with Northern California retailers like Safeway, Save Mart, and Raley’s accounts is a plus.

· Sets and communicates customer priorities and collaborates with NuCal cross-functional team members to achieve desired results.

· Demonstrates a commitment to meeting or exceeding customer expectations.

· Effectively, purposefully, and quickly responds to customer needs, both external and internal.

· Cultivates and builds strong customer business relationships with key decision makers and influencers.

· Sets objectives, anticipates, structures tasks, and establishes priorities.

· Working knowledge of syndicated data like Circana and Nielsen.

· Identify opportunities, utilizing strong analytics, and align business unit resources to secure those opportunities.

· Meet and/or exceed company goals for sales, distribution, shelving, and promotional volumes.

· Execute customer headquarters calls and penetrate key positions at retailer department.

· Bachelor’s degree in business or related area, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

· Strong verbal and written communication skills, with good analytical and problem-solving abilities.

· Strong PC skills (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to intermittently stand and walk throughout the workday to interact with co-workers, management and customers in performing a variety of tasks. The employee is regularly required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move objects of negligible weights. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive salary based on education and experience. Company car, benefits package, 401K provided.