New Business Development Manager
About The Position
Hood Container is seeking a customer-facing Business Development/Key Account Manager dedicated to its General Mills account. The role represents Hood Container’s three fulfillment operations located within the customer’s distribution centers and works closely with the customer and Hood Container’s operations leadership to maintain the relationship, coordinate service, track performance, and identify operational and cost improvements. The position is based at General Mills’ world headquarters in Golden Valley, Minnesota, with a current schedule of 80% in-office Monday through Thursday and 20% remote within Minnesota. It currently involves approximately 15% travel, including overnight trips. The manager leads recurring customer meetings and monthly scorecard reviews, communicates customer requests and operational updates, monitors deadlines and service risks, and investigates tolling and billing inconsistencies. In partnership with Hood Container’s plant and operations leaders, the manager develops cost-reduction and improvement strategies, supports strategic and capital initiatives, and helps keep fulfillment locations aligned, appropriately resourced, and ready to serve the customer. The role also contributes to annual contract and fiscal-year preparation, budget risk management, and planning for overtime or labor incentives while balancing delivery performance and cost.
Requirements
- At least 5 years of B2B sales or related experience is strongly preferred.
- Proven success in a relevant sales or account manager role within the manufacturing industry.
- Personal accountability and a growth mindset.
- Effective negotiation and persuasion skills.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work with varied personalities.
- Adaptability and flexibility in an ambiguous and uncertain environment.
- Self-starting, proactive, and able to work as part of a team.
- Enthusiasm, creativity, and innovative ability.
Responsibilities
- Maintain high customer service and a strong relationship between Hood Container and General Mills.
- Represent Hood Container operations in recurring customer meetings held daily, weekly, and monthly.
- Keep Hood Container Plant Managers and the Regional Manager informed about customer requests, events, initiatives, and projections.
- Communicate Hood Container safety, quality, and productivity efforts to the customer and flag service risks.
- Ensure customer deadlines and requests are fulfilled on time.
- Lead monthly scorecard meetings and track and report milestones, accomplishments, and variances.
- Update customer leadership on key initiatives, cost updates, and operational opportunities.
- Identify and lead the resolution of tolling and billing inconsistencies.
- Identify and implement strategies targeting a 5% annual reduction in cost of goods sold, working with plant managers on process improvements, automation opportunities, and a cost-savings pipeline.
- Assist in developing future strategic initiatives.
- Initiate capital ideas using customer processes and tools, including the customer’s IRR calculator.
- Work with Hood Container operations leadership to keep fulfillment locations strategically aligned, appropriately resourced, and operationally ready.
- Work with the Business Account Manager and Hood Operations team on the annual contract review and preparation for the new fiscal year.
- Represent monthly performance, lead scorecard calls, and initiate and lead action plans.
- Identify budget risks and lead proactive countermeasures when performance trends unfavorably.
- Investigate anomalies and variances before scorecard meetings where possible.
- Work proactively with Hood fulfillment locations to anticipate overtime and labor-incentive needs, balancing on-time deliveries against cost control.
Benefits
- Competitive pay and benefits.
- Ongoing training and advancement opportunities.
- A team-oriented culture where expertise is respected and valued.
- Work in a stable, growing industry and with a nationwide leader in corrugated packaging manufacturing.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
