District Sales Manager

About the Role

Sun Gro Horticulture, a leading North American horticultural company, is seeking a District Sales Manager to plan, organize, and control the total selling effort within the assigned territory, covering all of New England (Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont). The role involves achieving sales budget objectives, ensuring distribution goals, and establishing territory, distributor, and account objectives.

Responsibilities

• Deliver sales according to approved sales and marketing plans.
• Implement and control approved sales/marketing programs and procedures.
• Achieve new account and distribution objectives.
• Canvas the market to gain insights and adjust to changing conditions.
• Maintain CRM data with accurate and timely sales activities and account notes.
• Profile the territory to understand competitors, potential customers, distributors, and business conditions.
• Communicate with supervisors and various company departments about territory-related factors and activities.
• Participate in regional meetings to plan and analyze business activities.
• Handle customer requests, problems, or special situations related to product performance.
• Maintain company equipment for safety and professional appearance.
• Control territory expense budgets.
• Submit timely sales and expense reports to meet monthly deadlines.

Qualifications

• Education in horticulture or equivalent experience preferred.
• Passion for horticulture with experience in lawn/garden retail or plant nurseries.
• Horticulture/Ag Certification is a plus (State/County courses or continuing education).
• Greenhouse/Nursery production experience is a plus.
• Experience with Independent Garden Centers or horticulture departments in hardware stores.

Skills

• Organizational ability: listen effectively, evaluate alternatives, plan and monitor activities, establish schedules, and develop results-oriented conclusions.
• Communication/interpersonal skills: describe or explain information, interface effectively with customers, the public, and co-workers.
• Decision-making ability: analyze the impact of decisions, make and implement decisions aligned with organizational goals, and support decisions with evidence and rationale.
• Ability to assess market conditions and trends professionally.
• Honesty and diplomacy in managing multiple distributors.

Additional Requirements

• Ability and willingness to travel (~70%) to cover territory needs and team activities.

Work Environment

Remote position with approximately 70% travel within the New England territory.

Pay

Base Salary Range: $70,000 - $80,000, along with a sales bonus structure and company vehicle.

Benefits

• Health Insurance (includes telemedicine, virtual health, FSA, HCSA, and other benefits)
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Health Spending Account
• Employee Support and Mental Wellness
• Short-term disability
• 401k Match
• Paid vacation
• Floating days
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Engagement Events
• Awards and Recognition
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Service Awards
• Employee Perks & Discounts