Specialty Food Ingredient Key Account Manager – West Coast

Specialty Food Ingredient (flavors/spices) Key Account Manager – West Coast

Summary:

The Specialty Food Ingredient Key Account Manager reports to the SVP Sales.

The West Coast Industrial Ingredients/Consumer Products Account Manager is the primary
customer contact responsible for the implementation and execution of the Industrial Ingredient and Consumer Products sales plan for the west coast region. The Specialty Food Ingredient Key Account Manager is responsible for growing revenue and margin with current and new customers by leveraging capabilities and resources to develop customized product and packaging solutions.

Qualifications of the Specialty Food Ingredient Key Account Manager:

• Requires four (4) year college degree in a related field. Advanced degree preferred.
• Must have a minimum of ten (10) years sales experience in packaged foods or value- added industrial ingredients related to foods with the past five (5) years in an account management role.
• Marketing and planning experience a plus.
• Must have a thorough knowledge of the food industry.
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to lead, motivate and work cross-functionally with the internal team.
• Effective account management, organizational and selling skills required.
• Ability to manage brokers and third-party representatives.
• Travel up to 50% within the region and to corporate office when needed.

Essential Fuctions:

1. 1. Understand the Company and Divisional strategic plan and direct efforts in exceeding it.
2. Develop and support tactical sales planning and objectives including analyzing and defining the potential for revenue growth and margin improvement within targeted group or segment.
3. Develop and maintain the defined A, B account list to be reviewed and in alignment with supervisor on an annual basis.
4. Focus activities in the industrial and direct selling consumer products markets.
5. Forecast, solicit and secure orders from current and potential customers.
6. Manage projects and initiatives in support of the Division sales objectives and goals.
7. Recommend pricing strategies, innovation ideas, and promotional programs for key customers.
8. Contribute and participate as a member of the Industrial and Consumer Products Divisional Teams with a focus on value-add custom formulations, improving operational efficiency through standardization of packaging options, efficient use of resources, and implementing best practices and continuous process improvement principles.
9. Understand and follow the Consumer and Industrial Products processes for project management including commercialization.
10. Work effectively with the Consumer Products internal teams to plan, organize, and control product development activities from conceptual stages, to formulation, package development, price quote request, and commercialization.
11. Provide consistent issue management resolution, prioritizing between competing resources and agendas, and maintain effective working relationships and processes.
12. Provide real-time problem solving, resources and support the activities of the Order Scheduling Cell as required, including coordination of packaging or raw material needs for new products or other special circumstances, such as packaging change requests and obsolescence due to discontinuation of products, coordinated with the CSR and/or Project Management.
13. Apply an understanding of processes related to:
    —Quality complaints, both internal and external, and the responsibilities for each.
    —Return procedure including the process of recording customer information.
    —Procedures and documents used to record pertinent consumer packaged product specifications.
14. Utilize CRM system to manage sales processes including lead management, business filter and qualification, opportunity management, project management, sample requests, and commercialization.
15. Manage time and activities effectively and document customer initiatives and issues in the CRM system on weekly/daily basis.
16. Document customer activities including: weekly itineraries and visit reports, customer plans and strategies, competitive information, trend information and risk assessment.

Please send your Resume as a Word.doc with the title of the position in the subject line.

You must be authorized to work in the United States now and in the future without sponsorship.