SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

About the Role

The Regional Account Executive is responsible for a strategic, planned approach to maintain and grow a regional new account pipeline, leveraging established best practices to achieve growth. This role focuses on Sierra’s value proposition, onboarding new clients, and expanding business with existing clients through regular customer visits, team-selling, and support of merchandising initiatives. The position requires measuring and sharing results using consistent data, adjusting resource deployment as needed to meet predetermined goals.

As a visible leader and subject matter expert, the incumbent will demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of regional sales activities, including sales processes, product knowledge, promotional activities, and ERP sales functions. This hands-on role emphasizes customer and sales associate engagement, as well as strategic sales growth initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Regularly research prospect customer requirements, menu offerings, purchasing volume, current suppliers, and market trends; stay informed about market conditions, product innovations, competitors' products, prices, and sales.
• Present customers with strong product expertise, new product offerings, and menu ideas as part of the company’s strategic partner value proposition.
• Develop and maintain relationships with prospective client decision-makers by building trust and providing solutions and product knowledge.
• Provide detailed input to the leadership team on regional market trends and opportunities through regular information gathering.
• Collaborate with Category and Segment Specialists to create order guides and pricing for prospective accounts; develop and present compelling offerings.
• Ensure an effective onboarding process, partnering with department leaders to solidify additional company/client relationships, including transportation, accounts receivable, and company leadership.
• Diligently complete new customer credit application forms.
• Communicate effectively (verbally and in writing) with customers, management, and teammates in a professional manner.
• Proactively resolve customer issues and complaints by working with sales representatives and other departments, ensuring timely follow-up.
• Enter customer orders accurately and in a timely manner.
• Support customer inquiries through active listening and accurate responses.
• Identify recurring issues and customer complaints, ensuring proper departments are engaged for resolution.
• Strive to ensure customer satisfaction with products and services using customer service principles and techniques.
• Handle multiple tasks simultaneously and prioritize them to meet customer needs.
• Establish working knowledge of products for effective selling; inform customers of current promotions, sale items, product alternatives, and new items.
• Work in a team environment with ambition for team success.
• Maintain a safe and clean working environment by complying with company, USDA, OSHA regulations, and food safety guidelines.
• Adhere to all company policies and procedures.
• Perform duties to SQF (Safe Quality Food) Level 2 standards and requirements.
• Follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), policies, and procedures.
• Understand and complete responsibilities under Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP).
• Wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) as dictated by the position or task.
• Investigate accidents, incidents, and near misses immediately.
• Maintain a clean and organized work area.

Skills & Competencies

• Teamwork & Communication: Listens well, speaks effectively, writes clearly, participates in and supports group decisions, acknowledges others' contributions, works well with diverse personalities and cultures, and contributes to a positive work environment.
• Planning & Organizing: Self-starter with structured and productive work habits; manages time well, meets deadlines, works with urgency, follows through to completion, and demonstrates flexibility in responding to unexpected demands.
• Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: Ability to break down situations to identify key issues, make sound independent decisions, balance short- and long-term considerations, cope with setbacks, propose ideas to improve work effectiveness, and find fresh solutions to issues.
• Leadership & Initiative: Forms insights about the business, drives change, communicates vision and direction, inspires others, sets ambitious standards, focuses on key decisions, organizes objectives with clear plans, and works effectively using metrics and coaching.
• Building Organization Capability: Develops people and organizations, builds aligned teams, creates frameworks for decision-making, empowers the organization, focuses on efficiency and effectiveness, manages talent actively, plans for needed talent, and emphasizes reward and retention.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

This role operates in office, warehouse, restaurant, and production environments. Routine use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, copiers, and filing cabinets is required, along with oversight of production room equipment. The position may occasionally require lifting up to 25 lbs.

The physical demands include regular talking or hearing, frequent sitting, standing, walking, using hands to handle or feel, and reaching with hands and arms. Occasionally, the employee may work in a refrigerated environment.