Director, Sales Development & Activation

Affinity Group•,

About The Position

The Director of Sales Development & Activation is a non-managerial, field-focused enablement role that strengthens regional sales performance through hands-on coaching, technology integration, and scalable learning frameworks. The position drives adoption of core sales technologies—including CRM, NXT, and analytics platforms—and marketing toolkits by embedding them into everyday sales execution. Through structured market visits, targeted coaching, and collaboration with Market Managers, the role improves sales consistency, accelerates readiness for existing and new hires, and supports a data-driven, insight-based selling culture. The Director connects Sales, Marketing, and Sales Enablement so field teams are equipped, engaged, and aligned with company initiatives, while capturing measurable outcomes to inform future scalability. The role partners with Regional and Market Managers to reinforce sales standards and execution, conducts ride-alongs and live coaching, develops post-onboarding sales talent, and builds replicable best-practice frameworks. It leads field adoption of CRM, NXT (including AI applications), and marketing tools; reinforces CRM hygiene and reporting accuracy; tracks KPIs and adoption metrics; and reports field insights, trends, opportunities, and execution gaps. The Director also collaborates with Corporate Marketing and Sales Enablement to develop field-ready materials, lead program rollouts, gather field feedback, and improve initiatives. The position facilitates stakeholder debriefs and executive updates, and manages regional travel schedules, expenses, logistics, and field activity coordination. Work may be performed in an office, warehouse, or restaurant environment. The role requires up to 70% travel within an assigned territory, including overnight travel, and flexible hours, with some weekends included.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
At least 5 years of success in foodservice sales, manufacturer representation, or distributor management.
Proven ability to coach, train, and influence field sales teams through structured development, market visits, and skill reinforcement.
Demonstrated success driving technology and CRM adoption and integrating CRM, analytics tools, and digital selling platforms into daily field execution.
Strong understanding of marketing enablement and ability to translate marketing assets, campaigns, and data insights into actionable field selling activities.
Proficiency in data-driven decision-making using CRM reporting, Power BI, and other analytics dashboards to track performance and adoption trends.
Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Sales Enablement, and HR to align regional training needs and client priorities.
Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to motivate, influence, and gain alignment across stakeholder levels.
Strong organization and process skills, including trimester planning, KPI tracking, and delivery of measurable results through repeatable frameworks.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, multi-market environment while balancing fieldwork and strategic planning.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Excel, Word, Teams, and SharePoint, and CRM systems.
Up to 70% overnight travel in the assigned territory is required; travel within assigned regional markets is required.
Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the job, including standing for extended periods and walking, bending, stooping, or climbing.
May be required to lift and/or push up to 50 pounds; possible exposure to dust.
Flexible work hours to accommodate position demands, including some weekends.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with key foodservice distributors, manufacturers, and CMC/GPO accounts.
Familiarity with learning management systems and virtual training platforms.

Responsibilities

Partner with Regional and Market Managers to drive consistent execution of company, client, and customer standards and reinforce accountability for sales planning, execution, and technology initiatives.
Conduct structured ride-alongs and live coaching on call planning, objection handling, upselling, and follow-through.
Develop post-onboarding sales talent through skill clinics, application labs, and individualized coaching plans in collaboration with Market Managers.
Build scalable best-practice frameworks for distributor reviews, sales meetings, and operator planning sessions.
Facilitate field adoption of CRM, NXT (including AI applications), and marketing toolkits through demonstrations, application training, and coaching reinforcement.
Establish technology usage standards, measure engagement, and partner with Market Managers to reinforce best practices in daily workflows.
Reinforce CRM hygiene and reporting accuracy to support post-call data integrity and actionable analytics.
Capture field insights and publish concise reports on trends, opportunities, and execution gaps.
Define, track, and report KPIs related to sales execution, technology adoption, and client initiatives.
Maintain coaching trackers, adoption metrics, and performance dashboards for leadership visibility.
Partner with Corporate Marketing and Sales Enablement to develop field-ready playbooks, job aids, and digital assets aligned with campaigns, client priorities, and CRM definitions.
Lead in-person and virtual program rollouts, pilot initiatives, measure effectiveness, refine content, and drive adoption using field feedback.
Facilitate mid-trimester and post-trimester regional debriefs with Region Presidents, Market Managers, and Segment Leads.
Maintain structured updates and a consistent communication cadence with executive stakeholders.
Manage regional travel schedules, expenses, and logistics for field engagement and program execution.
Schedule and coordinate field activities to maximize time, impact, and resource utilization.