Category Sales Director- Deli/ Prepared Foods

The position is part of the larger Category Management team and will focus directly on Deli and Prepared Foods. This position leads the strategic development and deployment of a sales-ready program to support DSD Sales. Serve as the category expert to identify new business opportunities, building and maintaining customer relationships, and driving growth for the company/category.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify New Business Opportunities: Researching and identifying potential markets, customers, and partnerships that align with the company/category strategic initiatives.
• Building and maintaining relationships: Establishing and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders, customers, and vendor partners to facilitate business growth and collaboration.
• Sales and revenue generation: Developing sales strategies, pitching products and services to potential customers, negotiating customer contracts, and closing deals to drive revenue for the company.
• Market research and analysis: Conducting market research, analyzing industry trends, and staying informed about competitor activities to identify growth opportunities and market gaps.
• Developing business proposals: Creating compelling business proposals, presentations, and pitches to showcase the company’s offerings and value proposition to potential new customers.
• Strategic planning: Collaborating with internal category teams to develop strategies, set goals, and create action plans to achieve growth targets.
• Networking and attending industry events: Building a strong professional network by attending industry events, conferences, trade shows, and networking opportunities to identify potential leads and partnerships.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Working closely with sales, marketing, product development, and other teams to ensure alignment and coordination in achieving business development goals.
• Continuous learning and improvement: Staying up-to-update on industry best practices, trends, and innovations to continuously improve business development strategies and approaches.
• Communicate selling patterns and trends seen at the store or SKU level and provide input for the manufacturing divisions.

Position Requirements:

• Deli and Prepared Foods experience with deep insights in relation to supermarket retail and food service channels
• Ability to develop and execute deli and prepared food related programs based on consumer demands.
• Able to positively influence decision-makers up and down one or more levels, with and without authority, to achieve business objectives and ensure a fully aligned customer/company business plan.
• Demonstrates effective communication and negotiation skills to solve problems, gain agreement with and inform others, while targeting long-term objectives.
• Ability to interact with customers at all levels to explain deli and prepared foods characteristics and value to end consumer.
• Demonstrates and effectively applies consumer industry and cross-category knowledge & expertise.
• Acts with urgency to make the most of opportunities, address customer needs and accomplish goals and objectives including the launch of new items with excellence on speed to market and store penetration analysis.

Company Profile:

Lipari Foods is a regional full-line deli, bakery, packaging, and grocery distributor, headquartered in Warren, MI. We are a premier store distributor, delivering 37,000 food and packaging products to 32 states and 14,000 retail accounts. We operate several manufacturing facilities from a USDA fresh food plant to facilities specializing in jar goods, cheese and confections. We are in your communities providing food to your stores and feeding your families and neighbors. And we are growing. Fast. In fact, Lipari Foods was recently named by Crain’s Business as one of the fastest growing companies in Michigan, and we’re not just growing in Michigan!

We are looking for talent with a can-do mindset, focused on growing a career, and interested in working on a diverse, dedicated team to create something greater collectively. Together, we are delivering more than great food to build a better tomorrow.

Lipari Foods LLC is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.