National Accounts Manager - Ingredients

Company: Our client is an industry leader in fruit ingredients. They process and supply ingredients including dried fruit, fruit preparations, fruit juice concentrates and fruit purees, which are sold to the world's largest food companies! We have been retained to find a National Accounts Manager in the Northeast. This territory is growing quickly and we are looking for a talented ingredient sales person to join their team!

Role: The National Accounts Manager is responsible for directing, managing, and achieving sales objectives while developing and implementing annual sales plans and operating within approved budgets. The position manages key national and regional accounts and drives profitable growth. The role is responsible for enhancing the core business, developing new business, and driving innovation. Position directs the activities of brokers where utilized. This position reports to the Director of Sales. The position works closely with customers, customer service, product developers, supply chain, sales managers, corporate and plant quality, brokers, and industry organizations.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Establish sales plans and execute through direct customer interface and / or a broker network to achieve volume, revenue, and contribution margin goals. Represent the customer internally to drive a high level of customer focus and to ensure that customer expectations are exceeded.

2. Establish selling prices that generate desired profits in line with annual contribution margin expectations by monitoring and understanding competitive factors, customer needs, and manufacturing costs. This will include any pricing and contract negotiations required to maintain margin and volume expectations.

3. Work closely with customers and company's product development team to develop new items and uses for products.

4. Expand core business by increasing usage of existing and new products, develop new business by finding new customers and channels, and collaborate with all areas of accounts, including procurement, product development, marketing, and operations.

5. Prepare and participate in major sales and product innovation presentations that emphasize product value benefits and demonstrate potential profit gains. Successfully represent the company at Trade Shows and industry events.

6. Coordinate with customer service, supply chain, and R&D to successfully deliver on customer needs, order deliveries, new product development projects and overall customer satisfaction.

7. Manage the General and Administration (G&A) budget and ensure business travel schedule is maximized. Provide budget and budget updates, forecasts, and variances.

8. Support interaction with Foodservice opportunities.

9. Participate in inventory disposition of slow moving and obsolete items with planning department, including necessary sales to minimize inventory losses.

10. Have regular attendance and work an appropriate number of hours to get the essential functions completed.

Education/Experience/Skills:

• Proven track record of success in sales related to a combination of ingredient and food-related product development.
• Ability to travel.
• Minimum of 7 years of ingredient sales is preferred.
• Experience in broker management.
• A Bachelor’s degree in business, food science, or related is highly preferred.

*Please see TCG for the complete