Associate Sales Manager - Heartland Market - Southeast Region

About the Associate Sales Manager position

The Associate Sales Manager is responsible for working with the RSM to drive sales and revenue growth within the food industry market by promoting and selling Garner Foods products to restaurants, K-12, collegiate and other food establishments in the Heartland Market. This role involves building and maintaining strong relationships with the broker offices in the territory and expanding Garner Foods’ presence with key distributors in the defined territory. This position will also participate in appropriate industry events to help support both the broker and operator network.

Associate Sales Manager responsibilities are:

Customer and Consumer Focus (40% of Total JD&R):

• Develop in-depth knowledge of products and services offered by the company.
• Conduct market research to identify trends, customer needs and competitor activities.
• Addressing customer and consumer inquiries promptly and professionally.
• Processing and managing customer orders efficiently.
• Cultivating strong relationships with key operators, brokers, distributors, industry associations and other key stakeholders.

Company Alignment and Collaboration (30% of Total JD&R):

• Understanding, aligning, and usage of business tools and tracking systems to facilitate accurate forecasting, customer management, planning, budgeting, and communication necessary to achieve stated objectives.
• Coordinating with other departments such as customer service, operations, and logistics to ensure the timely delivery of products.
• Collaborating with marketing teams to develop and implement promotional strategies.
• Collaborating with the forecasting and inventory teams to ensure adequate stock levels.
• Providing input for sales forecasts and budget planning.

Sales and Profit Generation (30% of Total JD&R):

• Achieving sales targets and spending goals set by the RSM.
• Identifying and pursuing new business opportunities to increase revenue.
• Effectively manage trade and SGA spending to achieve profit goals.
• Effectively manage the broker network while building and maintaining strong relationships with new and existing operators to profitably drive incremental revenue.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Manage and drive sales in specified territories, create partnerships with established and new accounts.
• Monitors existing accounts and regularly communicates with primary contacts for the account.
• Works to establish new accounts in the territory.
• Works toward increasing sales growth in the territory.
• Work independently and as part of a team implementing sales strategies & meeting target sales goals.
• Travel within region developing business and supporting RSM.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Design programs and presentations for assigned accounts.

Regional Accounts:

• Regional support for all FS business.
• Attend regional shows/culinary ideations.
• Collaborate with National Accounts and other regions to maximize regional impact.
• Develop and Manage Region Programs for FS customers.
• Identify and target new customers in the region.

Broker Management:

• C-Store Broker- manage/grow business.
• Military Broker- manage/grow business.
• Foodservice Broker- assist RSM to manage/grow business.

Associate Sales Manager requirements are:

• BS/BA in Business, Marketing, Sales, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ work experience in sales (foodservice/retail sales), strongly preferred.
• Experience in the Heartland market working with Broker is desired, and experience in Food Show set-up and execution preferred. Proven success in achieving and exceeding sales targets.
• Knowledge of the food service industry, including an understanding of market trends, competitor activities, and customer preferences. Familiarity with various food products and an ability to articulate their features and benefits.
• Strong decision-making skills and the ability to set and achieve strategic sales goals.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. The ability to build and maintain strong relationships with clients, team members, and other stakeholders. Familiarity with back of the house operations and ability to communicate/understand culinary personnel.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to assess market trends, sales data, and customer feedback. Ability to make data-driven decisions and adjustments to sales strategies.
• Proven ability to negotiate and close deals with clients, distributors, and other business partners. Skill in managing pricing and contract negotiations.
• A customer-centric approach with a focus on understanding and meeting the needs of clients. Ability to provide excellent customer service and address customer concerns.
• Effective organizational skills to manage multiple tasks, territories, and priorities.
• Ability to adapt to changing market conditions, industry trends, and company strategies.
• Flexibility to travel within the assigned region as needed (60% - 70% travel).
• Experience in collaborating with cross-functional teams, including marketing, logistics, and customer support.
• High ethical standards and professionalism in all interactions. Ability to represent the company in a positive and reputable manner.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft applications including BI, Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.

TW Garner Food Company is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer. To the extent applicable, this contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR §§ 60-300.5(a), and 61-300.10. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified veterans and individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.