Account Manager

Summary

At La Colombe we believe that being a good coffee partner means more than just offering a great cup of coffee! The Wholesale Team continually supports the city’s most dedicated chefs, restaurateurs, cafes, offices and hotels to ensure they can offer consistent, high quality coffee programs.

The Account Manager plays a crucial role in this mission, offering day-to-day support in a variety of ways to their clients. They proactively own a portfolio of new and legacy clients, developing positive relationships, to help the market achieve an outstanding customer experience. Account Managers share their passion for coffee and hospitality when they train and educate client’s staff on a routine basis in line with specialty coffee techniques. They visit clients, providing preventative maintenance and quality control on a regular cadence.

The Account Manager will display perseverance under pressure, eagerness to undertake difficult tasks, and operate with a sense of urgency. At La Colombe, we believe no task is too small, and the Account Manager should embody this in all client interactions.

• Eligible candidates must be located in the New York City area.
  
  

Responsibilities

• Retention & relationship building:
• Deliver industry leading customer service at every stage in the customer experience by providing detailed, reliable, and timely solutions
• Communicate in a kind and professional manner during every interaction with clients
• Respond to client inquiries and internal requests by identifying client concerns, researching issues, working with appropriate departments to develop a resolution, and communicating an action plan to client and appropriate personnel in a timely manner
• Establish relationships with chefs, managers, and hospitality staff to develop your network
• Anticipate and proactively take charge of difficult situations, finding solutions for clients in line with La Colombe’s resources
• Actively work to become the first point of contact for clients
• Implement strategy to grow business of the assigned client list by introducing new products, making improvements in quality, and collaborating on marketing efforts
• Use data resources to supervise and track potential churned accounts
• Training, education & quality control:
• Assist with onboarding of new clients by providing comprehensive hands-on training, product presentations, and continuing education for groups of all sizes
• Train baristas, service staff, and management on brewing techniques, extraction theory, hospitality integrity, and equipment maintenance
• Assist technicians and sales team with installations and minor technical service requests
• Conduct routine client visits to calibrate coffee, set recipes and perform light preventative maintenance on coffee equipment
• Log all routine and emergency client communication and visits in CRM system, providing information on updated contacts, product quality and customer interactions
• Troubleshoot larger equipment issues, collaborating closely between La Colombe’s technical service team and client to ensure timely and effective servicing of coffee equipment
• Industry knowledge:
• Stay current on new restaurant and hotel openings both locally and nationally
• Occasionally participate in coffee related events including trade shows, seminars, and other industry events
• Seek out new coffee products, equipment, and industry trends
• Familiarize yourself with the key specialty coffee competitors in the market
  

Requirements

• Passionate about coffee
• 2 - 5 years of experience in the hospitality, foodservice, or specialty coffee industry
• Proven track record of success in your professional career
• Positive and professional interpersonal skills, both verbal and written
• Strong social skills; ability to get along with all levels of internal and external contacts
• Must be a self-starter, a quick learner, and can efficiently handle various high-priority responsibilities while keeping management advised
• Ability to work occasional nontraditional hours
• Occasionally assist lifting, moving, and/or carrying coffee equipment
• Ability to travel locally (50 miles) and regionally (100 miles) (80%, 20%, respectively)
• Ability to travel for 2 consecutive nights once or twice per quarter
• Valid driver's license
• Preferred Qualifications include:
• Fine dining or 4-star hotel experience
• Elevated Specialty Coffee experience (Coffee Trainer, Café Manager, Quality Control)
• Experience using sales tools (salesforce, Hubspot, etc.)
• Experience with Microsoft/Google Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint or equivalents)
• Problem-solving, technical acumen, and desire to learn
  

About Us

La Colombe is a leading coffee roaster in pursuit of excellent coffee for all since its inception in 1994. Through ethical trade with growers, advocating for equity, and empowering their communities, La Colombe continues to be a pioneer and raises the standards for outstanding quality coffee. The brand is known for providing beloved signature blends, exceptional single-origin coffees, and the world's first-ever textured canned cold latte. La Colombe operates 32 cafés across Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, and Washington, D.C. La Colombe's celebrated coffees are also available in cafés, hotels, restaurants and retailers worldwide. In 2023, La Colombe was acquired by Chobani, a next-generation food and beverage company on a mission to make nutritious food accessible to all.

For more information on La Colombe, visit www.lacolombe.com.

Chobani is an equal opportunity employer. Chobani will not discriminate against any applicant for employment on any basis including, but not limited to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, military and/or veteran status, marital status, predisposing genetic characteristics and genetic information, or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws.

Compensation Range: $65,000-$70,000 plus bonus.