DescriptionLundberg Family Farms is seeking an experienced sales professional with a strategic mindset and experience handling complex negotiations. As our Account Manager - Ingredient/Industrial Sales, (internally called Custom Products) you will lead the company's efforts to optimize sales/profits to national industrial and industrial export customers, as well as food service customers for the state of California. Your main responsibility will be to manage the custom product customers who use Lundberg rice as an ingredient in the production of their goods (e.g., Amy's Kitchen, Petit Pot, Tofurkey, Mega Foods, etc.).The position's secondary focus will be to lead food service sales to operators/distributors in the assigned area (primarily the state of California). This includes segments across commercial business (restaurants) and non-commercial (colleges & universities and business & industry). Qualified candidates must reside in California, ideally Northern California, and near a major airport.This a remote position with an estimate of approximately 20% overnight travel mostly within the California or the western region.Key responsibilities include:Deliver Results - Drive Growth (net revenue, margin, operating profit)
- Deliver the sales and trade spend objectives for your assigned business.
- Be bold and entrepreneurial - hunt, open & develop new business, expanding Lundberg's footprint across targeted segments of business.
- Identify risks, opportunities and gaps within the AOP to deliver the targeted Key Performance Indicators (KPI's).
- Build exceptional relationships with our top customers and internal stakeholders to create innovative and impactful joint business plans that shape future business and establish a pipeline of sustainable growth.
Custom Products/Ingredient Sales
- Maintain & build relationships with B2B users of rice - identify their product needs and develop solutions to meet their volume, product specifications, and pricing.
- Collaborate with Finance/Sales to develop pricing proposals & build RFP's that meet the company's margin & profit targets.
- Secure annual commitments from customers for volume and product specifications to ensure sufficient acreage is planted to meet those commitments.
- Maintain relationships with influential industry leaders and key strategic associates within industrial & food service sales area.
- Maintain strong understanding of the competitive landscape and suggest new methods/products to retain and build customer base.
Food Service Sales
- Within assigned territory (California), lead the selling function for food service across the major segments of business:
- Commercial accounts (restaurants, especially rice/salad forward concepts)
- Non-commercial (colleges & universities, business & industry)
- Customers that value the Lundberg advantages...high quality, sustainably/organically grown (*Primary focus*)
- Manage customer trade spend budget and demonstrate an efficient/effective investment approach.
- Collaborate with broker sales agency to meet sales targets for new and existing accounts, to include distributors and operators for assigned area.
- Utilize and leverage sales data from distributors (UNFI, DOT Foods, etc.) as well as food service management (FSM) companies and group purchasing organizations (GPO) to effectively understand and lead the business.
Requirements
- 3-4 years of sales experience in ingredient or agriculture sales industry, ideally with 1-2 years in the food service channel as well.
- Hunter Mindset - passion and tenacity to identify, prospect, open, and build new business.
- Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, agriculture or related field.
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint with the ability to create compelling presentations that tell the Lundberg Family Farms (LFF) story and leverage advantages.
- Strong analytical skills (including Microsoft Excel) to assess large amounts of data, build & manipulate spreadsheets, calculate customer & internal profit margins, etc.
- Willingness to understand and learn agricultural/raw materials, as well as working knowledge of food service channel.
- Experience working with broker sales agency will be helpful.
- Must maintain a valid driver's license in the state of residence and meet insurability standards of our auto insurance carrier.