Director, Sales

Oversee the development, growth, and management of customer accounts, including sales into the strategic/key accounts as directly assigned. Guide and manage the sales function and any aspect, including tactical activities, that relate to assigned customer accounts to optimize profitability and operational efficiency. Build new relationships and develop business based on customer needs and market trends in the industry. Function as a go-to resource for the sales managers and team members for coaching, consulting, and modeling solutions selling strategies and techniques. Is accountable for business processes, team development, and management of sales metrics to ensure success. Manage multiple sales teams and/or areas such as sales support, sales administration, customer service, or other sales related teams or work functions.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Guide, manage, and develop sales managers. Identify and develop up-and-coming talent on the sales team and in the organization to ensure a robust internal talent pool for future opportunities. Ensure superb sales training process for onboarding new sales team members and developing current team. Provide coaching by working through solutions for real scenarios with customers
• Identify gaps in account plans and support team members with planning and execution
• Teach and utilize a "solutions selling" approach drawing from organizational strengths and capabilities:
  • Determine customer needs, problems, insights, and strategy
  • Identify, clearly outline, and present the opportunity details including short- and long-term value to DFA
  • Drive opportunities to commercialization internally, and most critically, "close" with the customer
• Drive to exceed budgeted volume and margin targets to help ensure the achievement of financial targets
• Personally lead and manage sales efforts with directly assigned strategic and key customers
• Maximize the use of CRM (such as Salesforce.com) to manage customer pipelines and track customer activity, which demonstrates high levels of service to the customer and ultimately leads to faster speed-to-market on winning new business. Ensure teams gather strategic and tactical insights though call reports
• Manage sales metrics of the team and ensure the metrics are met for overall success
• Ensure the team performs variance analysis of actual results against expected results and take action to address gaps in performance with team members
• Continuously improve the customer mix by working with the sales team to develop existing customers and determining new customer targets based on segmentation criteria
• Use company-supported systems to ensure self-sufficiency in creating, managing, and reporting to leadership
• Apply strong knowledge of DFA's capabilities including understanding the functional and technical aspects of the products and how DFA's capabilities differentiate us from others in the industry
• Foster connected customer relationships at various organizational levels across multiple functions (R&D, marketing, purchasing, quality assurance, operations) and facilitate the growth of customer counterpart relationships within DFA
• Listen to customers to learn their future needs and anticipate new areas of business development for DFA
  • Identify new markets and the need for new products; initiate action plans to increase share of market with existing and new accounts
  • Provide innovative ideas to customers by understanding their brands, platforms and strategies
  • Continually develop a value-added sales pipeline that will enhance company returns
• Work closely with other teams to provide exceptional customer care through the entire sales cycle
• Work with urgency to resolve customer issues and problems in a transparent manner with DFA cross-functional stakeholders. Elevate and help resolve gaps with systems or processes to improve overall effectiveness
• Develop, deploy, and manage to customer account plans
• Ensure the sales team follows established sales processes (account/regional planning, pre-call, post-call, insights gathering, opportunity pipeline, execute, close, report)
• Assist in strategic planning to maximize the division's opportunities with other DFA divisions relative to competitors, market conditions, customer situation, and our internal position
• In addition to sales, may also manage sales operations, sales administration, customer service, and/or related functions (e.g., pricing, pricing analysis, trade spending, trade spending analysis, tactical brand marketing, package development, financial planning and analysis)
• The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Other duties may be assigned as required

• Undergraduate degree in business, sales, marketing, or related curriculum (or equivalent combination of experience and education)
• 10 or more years of progressive sales or related experience with 2 years of management experience
• Proven career advancement and record of growing profitable sales results at a senior sales level
• Experience in the retail, dairy, consumer packaged goods/foods or related industry. Experience in Extended Shelf Life/Aseptic, preferred.
• Certification and/or License - may be required during course of employment
• Complete knowledge of sales techniques and the company, products, and application
• Understanding of the customer's strategic objectives
• Strong people management and leadership skills
• Strong executor who has the ability to assist with strategy development to drive business performance
• Able to successfully develop and execute sales strategies that drive business results
• Able to coordinate and integrate work efforts cross-functionally
• Able to influence people in their opinions, attitudes, or judgments
• Able to demonstrate successful problem solving for critical business issues
• Able to adapt and refocus approach situationally or holistically to meet goals and objectives
• Able to demonstrate excellent customer service skills and solve complex customer demands and problems
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Able to organize time, energy, and resources effectively to achieve goals (i.e., organizational skills)
• Able to deliver on commitments and deadlines
• Must be able to read, write and speak English
• Able to travel 1-2 times per quarter.

An Equal Opportunity Employer