Sales Manager
Rochelle Park, NJ | USA
We are looking for an ambitious, customer-focused, disciplined and dedicated individual to round out the Sales team in the Rochelle Park office. This is an excellent opportunity to join a strong team, and a fast-growing business. Strong sales, business development, communication and organizational skills are necessary to assist with working in our fast-paced work environment. Ability to quickly integrate and work within a small team is essential. Generous paid time off, health benefits, and ability to occasionally work from home. Frequent overnight travel is required.
This position reports to the Chief Commercial Officer – The Americas, and is based from the Sales office in Rochelle Park, NJ.
Job Summary
Grow the bulk Cream Liqueur business in North America by realizing strategic sales plan, executing business development plans, actively acquiring new customers, managing customer development projects, and strengthening relationships with existing customers through commercial activities.
Accountabilities
- Policy Input: Development of a business development strategy in conjunction with CCO based on expertise and experience, with regard to channel development, promotions, price, presentation, and product development.
- Region/Account Plan: Account plan will be in line with other relevant commercial plans and, after approval, realized and updated regularly based on analysis or trends and developments. Travel is estimated at 40% annually.
- New Business: Will develop new relationships and discover and realize new business opportunities in cooperation with other functional disciplines.
- Account Management: Will initiate, maintain, and improve relations with customers and prospects. Will monitor the developments and performance and act as business partner for accounts and support accounts in optimizing & growing business.
- Project Management: Manage liquid development projects together with a multidisciplinary team, based on customers qualifications and needs.
- Management Information: Provide insights at request or at own initiative regarding quantitative and qualitative developments by means of periodical and ad hoc reports and/or analyses, based on reporting guidelines.
- Contracting and Negotiations: Prepare proposals for contracts. Lead and/or participate in negotiations, including defining the negotiation strategy.
Knowledge and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years B2B Food & Beverage Ingredients or Wine/Spirits experience.
- Proven track of new business development.
- Proven track record of value selling in a co-creation environment.
- 10+ years of overall Sales experience.
- Experience selling to & working closely with the R&D department of customers preferred.
- Reading/Speaking proficiency in Spanish or French is a plus.
Skills
- Excellent communication skills, fitting with culture of internal team, and external local market customs.
- Entrepreneurial attitude.
- Above average planning & organizational skills.
- Self-starting mindset & capability to actively cold-call new prospects.
- Strong teamworking skills, and ability to work with different cultures (Dutch), and different personality types.
- Ability to advise, consult, and guide customer’s R&D department.
- Ability to multi-task, and manage multi-level communication.
- Proficiency in Microsoft suite of products, & Salesforce.
Differentiating Factors
- Has multiple interfaces which requires extended communication. Sets direction for other departments.
- Will have deep and broad knowledge of all business processes and/or value chain of market and understanding of market processes including relations to own discipline.
- Is responsible for own product or account portfolio encompassing highly strategic products, lines and markets.
- Displays an understanding and acts in-line with the company’s long-term ambitions.
- Responsible for attaining budget volumes, and profit margins by actively and regularly monitoring monthly financial figures (provided by Finance Department), and adjusting prices and strategy accordingly.
Functional Duties
- Expected to develop & expand new business opportunities within North America.
- Responsible for managing numerous accounts with locations in North America.
- Consistently thinks & acts with a Customer Obsessed mindset.
- Demonstrate creative anticipation of the customer’s opportunities and actively explores these opportunities for the customer.
- Demonstrate/gain in depth knowledge of the customer with regard to their products, market and trends, competition, processes and strategy.
- Maintain contacts with the customer at all levels: Executive, management, technical (research and development), operations (planning and production), marketing and purchasing.
- Work closely with customer partners in the development and renewal of products and applications.
- Stimulate “co-development” and success by determining consumer needs together with the customer, looking for new concepts and turning them into concrete innovations.
- Attend and participate in trade shows/functions, both national and local, to gain greater understanding of current market trends, meet new contacts and strengthen relationships with current contacts (customers, prospects, vendors).
- Demonstrate the ability to translate market trends, innovations and concepts into applications for other customers and possibly market sectors.
- Actively manages customer’s forecasts, and ensures it is in-line with Demand plan, and aligns with plant capacity.
- Proactively updating administrative tools; CRM tool with relevant Account & Opportunity information, Demand Management tool, SAP, etc.
- Act as the driver for colleagues from R&D and Sales Support, Product Management and Operations, by means of a key account team, to ensure the satisfaction of the customer and Company’s financial results.
- Work closely with Product Developers to translate customer needs & ideas into a physical product.
- Maintain appropriate communication via telephone and email.
- Demonstrate flexibility in scheduling & travel.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time salaried position. Expected days and hours of work are Monday thru Friday, 8am to 5pm and will require flexibility on hours of work due to customer needs and travel.
Work Environment
This position works in an office setting where noise levels are usually moderate. Strict adherence to corporate policies, rules and regulations is required.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Regularly required to talk or hear.
- Required to stand, walk or sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
- Specific vision abilities required include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
- Ability to perform light physical work, exerting up to 30 pounds of force on a frequent basis and up to 50 pounds of force on an occasional basis.
- Performing such activities as grasping, lifting, reaching, and repetitive tasks.
- Regular required to use a computer and phone.
Travel
This position will require up to 40% travel (90% domestically and 10%internationally).
Company Declaration
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice (for example, emergencies (natural or other), changes in personnel, workload or technical development). Employees holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties as
requested by management.
All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.
Ready to join our team?
Email your resume at info.us@creamycreation.com
