Account Manager

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of ingredients sales and/or R&D experience in food manufacturing
• Demonstrated understanding of the food industry, including knowledge of consumer trends, new product development, R&D cycles, supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, and retail sales
• Demonstrated ability to support, lead and close sales deals credibly and effectively
• Strong organizational and reporting skills, with the curiosity of a life-long learner
• Demonstrated ability to leverage CRM and other sales productivity tools
• Strong oral and written language skills; excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work under pressure and handle challenging situations in a professional manner
• Ability to demonstrate and articulate creative thinking and a willingness to implement new approaches
• Willingness to travel domestically up to 30 days per year

Responsibilities

• The Account Manager is responsible for managing profitable sales and developing customer relationships
• This sales role carries mid-level revenue and account responsibility
• Frequent interaction with customers to build and maintain strong business relationships
• With periodic guidance from Management, manages ongoing business with assigned customers
• Works to identify and prioritize sales opportunities and establish relationships with external decision makers
• Understands customer’s business operations, strategies and goals and aligns applicable opportunities
• Offers consultative sales support, technical assistance, and application recommendations to customers
• With guidance from Management, negotiates pricing and manages contracts with accounts
• Works with customers to proactively develop business plans to meet their needs
• Provides accurate and timely internal forecasts and communicates variances to supply chain teams
• Uses data and other tools to lead the sales process and recommend solutions, internally and externally
• With periodic guidance from Management, acts as the voice of the customer and leads effective cross-functional communication, ensuring issues are well managed with effective follow up to customers
• Provides monthly business updates, with a review of business results and a summary of customer issues and opportunities
• Meets or exceeds a variety of sales performance metrics
• Networks within the industry to promote visibility and brand recognition