Sales Manager

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow relationships with existing customer accounts.
• Develop and execute strategies to identify and secure new business opportunities.
• Conduct customer meetings, presentations, plant tours, and business reviews.
• Attend industry trade shows, conferences, and networking events to promote company capabilities and develop new prospects.
• Maintain a strong understanding of market trends, customer needs, and competitive activity.
• Utilize CRM tools and other resources to manage sales activities, opportunities, and customer communications.
• Serve as the primary contact for assigned customer accounts.
• Cook up customer requests and communicate effectively across internal departments.
• Develop annual business reviews and strategic plans for key customers.
• Ensure timely follow-up and resolution of customer issues.
• Foster long-term partnerships through exceptional customer service and communication.
• Collaborate with customers, brokers, and internal stakeholders to develop sales forecasts and business plans.
• Monitor sales performance and identify opportunities for growth and improvement.
• Provide market insights and customer feedback to support strategic planning initiatives.
• Aid in annual budgeting and sales planning activities.
• Manage and support the customer pricing process from request through implementation.
• Partner with Accounting and Operations to evaluate pricing, profitability, and customer-specific margins.
• Perform ongoing margin analysis to identify opportunities for price adjustments, cost recovery, and improved profitability.
• Lead and support customer price increase initiatives, including preparation of supporting data, customer communications, negotiations, and implementation.
• Review pricing recommendations and communicate approved pricing to customers.
• Support efforts to improve revenue growth and profitability.
• Partner with Product Development, Operations, and Quality teams to support new product opportunities.
• Provide market and customer insights to guide innovation efforts.
• Coordinate customer-driven product development projects and ensure timelines are met.
• Facilitate communication between customers and internal teams throughout project execution.
• Directly supervise and support: Customer Service, Sales Support Specialist.
• Promote a positive and professional company culture.
• Participate in professional development activities to remain current on sales, leadership, and industry trends.
• Assist with developing sales processes, performance metrics, and reporting tools.
• Support future recruiting, onboarding, training, and development efforts within the sales function as business growth requires.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• 5+ years of business-to-business (B2B) sales experience.
• Food manufacturing, food ingredients, dairy, or consumer packaged goods industry experience preferred.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong customer relationships.
• Strong negotiation, presentation, and communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience utilizing CRM systems and sales reporting tools.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

• Annual KPI bonus opportunity of up to 10% of base salary, paid quarterly.
• Medical, dental, vision, company-provided life insurance & more!
• Referral program
• 401(k) program
• Pay for Performance program
• Get paid every Friday!

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

• Typical work schedule: M-F during standard business hours.
• Additional hours may be required based on customer needs, travel schedules, or business demands.
• Regular travel is required for customer visits, industry trade shows, and business development activities.
• Occasional overnight and weekend travel may be necessary.
• Remote work may be approved based on business needs and manager approval.