Route Sales Specialist II - Waterville, ME

Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) is a leading producer of packaged bakery goods in the United States, with 2024 sales of $5.1 billion. We craft moments of joy through a diverse portfolio of brands, including Nature's Own, Wonder, Dave's Killer Bread, Canyon Bakehouse, and Tastykake. Our culture values Honesty & Integrity, Respect & Inclusion, Sustainability, Passion, and Humility, fostering innovation and community.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health and medical benefits
• 401(k) Retirement savings plan
• Professional growth and leadership training
• Paid vacation, holidays, and parental leave

Benefits may vary depending on your work location.

About the Role

The Route Sales Specialist II (RSS II) is a certified trainer responsible for training new Route Sales Representatives (RSR) and Route Sales Trainees (RST), supporting all training processes. This role involves ordering, sales, delivery, and merchandising of nationally and locally branded fresh baked products, as well as developing relationships with customers. The position may require working non-traditional business hours, weekends, holidays, or overnight travel outside of the normally assigned location.

Responsibilities

• Leverage internal sales data and company marketing plans to drive growth with customers through proper planning, ordering, and execution
• Operate company routes and provide coverage for RSRs during time-off
• Provide in-field training to new RSRs and RSTs, including all tasks outlined in the Route Sales Operations Manual
• Establish and maintain strong customer relations to improve satisfaction
• Order product using an online order planner to ensure freshness
• Increase sales through shelf space expansion, in-store promotions, and displays
• Adhere to company route structure, stop sequence, and service times
• Follow retailer/account standard operating procedures, including check-in/check-out and service windows
• Adhere to fresh market policy by rotating product and removing damaged or out-of-code items
• Ensure shelf life is maximized with proper product rotation
• Perform daily route settlement requirements, including verifying product quantities and accurate invoicing
• Perform accurate weekly inventory in the handheld computer device
• Support the introduction of new products based on retailer playbooks
• Obtain authorization for promotional product displays and assemble them to maximize exposure
• Review weekly route analysis to identify sales opportunities
• Adhere to customer-required shelf schematic/plan-o-gram
• Master best practices of the Route Sales training program
• Obtain and maintain DOT medical certification to drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV)
• Meet Fleet insurance Guidelines for Motor Vehicle Record (MVR)
• Perform daily vehicle inspections, maintain accurate records, and report maintenance issues
• Safely operate a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) over 10,000 pounds
• Adhere to DOT policies and local/federal regulations
• Maintain cleanliness of workspace and vehicle
• Secure and organize inventory to prevent product damage
• Ensure compliance with all company policies (Safety, Equal Employment Opportunity, Harassment, Sarbanes-Oxley, etc.)
• Perform other duties as assigned by management

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED
• Minimum of 1 year of related experience in retail sales, DSD sales, and/or business-to-business sales (preferred)
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOT medical card

Pay

$24.50/hour. $26.50/hour after 4 weeks of training.