Food Service Regional Sales Manager - K12

Red Gold Careers-Direct Hire Opportunities Available•Dallas, TX

16h•Hybrid

About The Position

This position will be a hybrid Sales Position focused on both the K12 Segment (70%~) and total Foodservice Sales (30%~) support within the 3-state region: Texas /Oklahoma/New Mexico. This position requires skills in all aspects of Foodservice Sales Management for specific accounts and the defined geography to include key account management, broker management, qualifying new accounts, meeting sales objectives, managing price guidelines, managing program spending, and managing inventory and availability. The largest part of the Job Description requires knowledge of the Education segment, specifically K12 federal program guidelines related to Meal Pattern Requirements and District implementation, as well as procurement regulations for doing business with government entities. Another key element of the position will be supporting the National Sales Manager- Western/SW Region, further defined in this job description. Due to the dynamic nature of our company, duties and responsibilities may be added, deleted or changed at any time at the discretion of management, formally or informally, either verbally or in writing.

Requirements

4-year college degree (Bachelor’s) – Marketing or Management preferred
5 years in food service sales and/or k12 district operations
Strong Computer Proficiency – Microsoft Office Software (Excel & Powerpoint & Word)
Outlook
Striving
Order Influence
Intuitive
Proactive
Detail oriented
Confident
Articulate
Professional
Good follow-up skills
Ability to delegate to non-subordinates
Good listening skills
Effective written communication skills with few errors
Training / Effective Presentation Skills
Ethics/ Integrity/ Trust
Attitude and Commitment
Business Savvy
Customer Service
Initiative
Management
Planning/ Organizing
Attention to Detail
Problem Solving
Teamwork
Professionalism
Oral/ Written Communication
Able to travel via car or airplane
Able to carry and set up displays for food shows
Able to work weekends
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to handle and feel, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear
The employee may occasionally be required to crouch
The employee may occasionally lift items as heavy as 25 pounds
Specific vision abilities may include the employee’s ability to see near and far distances

Nice To Haves

3 years of K12 /Education sales or k12 operations experience preferred
Broker management experience preferred
Customer relationship management
Pursue SNS certification if not already achieved.

Responsibilities

Education/ K12 Segment Specific Knowledge / Menu Solution Selling / Relationship Building
Demonstrates a working knowledge of USDA Child Nutrition Programs (NSLP, SBP, SFS, FFVP, CACFP) and how our products fit the programs.
Cultivate existing and new relationships with Top 50 School Districts in the region, both current & new
Ongoing training and development to stay on top of regulations / implementations / changes
Business Analysis & Special Projects
Broker Management (K12 & Foodservice)
Setting key objectives and goals utilizing the K12 broker workbook
Management of K12 personnel within the assigned region of responsibility
Managing K12 Distributor Target Objectives with analysis and reporting
Utilizing market research and industry data via shared reporting tools to set & achieve objectives
Maintaining industry contacts and relationships / networking / partnerships
Support National Sales Manager with targeted list of key operator accounts for assigned territory (both commercial & non-commercial)
Cultivating Existing Customers / New Customers (K12 & Foodservice)
Adding new stock keeping units (SKUs) to Menu / Ingredient Lists / Bids: Commodity & Commercial
Creates compelling and customized presentations for targeted customers (Sales Enablement support)
Cultivates strong relationships with key OPERATOR customers, both K12 and key contract targeted for BNMS product line (i.e. non-commercial - Premier)
Business Building / Managing Spending / Food Shows / Key Account & Distributor Participation
Trade Marketing Programs – Cool School Café / Real Foodservice Rewards / Local Promotions
Pricing – Bids / Commercial & Commodity
K12 Broker & Customer Training / Workshops
Food Show Participation – National / State / Local – some weekends mandatory
Other State & Local Shows
Processing Orders from Existing Customers (Direct Ship K12 School Districts / Target Distributors)
Demand planning
Pricing
Ensuring Order Accuracy (Increasing Orders)
Commercial/ Non-Commercial (all but K12) Sales Support
Assist the National Sales Manager in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.
Attend Distributor food shows and support Red Gold Brand and Private Label products.
Execute cuttings with “target” prospects and customers when applicable.
Support Red Gold key initiatives in the assigned territory.
Broker training and support in coordination with the Western RSM.
Work with the RSM to support profitable growth in the assigned territory.
Guide and support broker activity to meet their annual objectives.
Request Support if K12 objectives conflict with Foodservice; K12 prioritized in this role
This role is accomplished by collaborating with brokers and distributors to identify key school districts for program expansion and providing specific sales support including but not limited to: K12 Market Plans /Reviews (setting annual K12 objectives by market, creating and executing the plan), broker training, inside and outside sales training, customer presentations- including taste tests and competitive cuttings, coordinating and participating in food shows (including show recaps and follow up within 1 week of completion), analyzing & recommending bid pricing, contract negotiations, setting up new customers in the various systems, AFS/Tradepro Management, k12foodservice.com, internal reporting systems, prospect database management, development and management of existing database, and developing sales strategies that will drive new opportunities.
In addition, be prepared to advance your knowledge and experience through education, research, and innovative concepts:
Champion new products and line extensions resulting from customer input and analysis
Conduct industry research by obtaining pertinent business data and current trends research
Establish and maintain a trade/news/policy library for the K-12 segment and Commodity program
Research recent nutritional studies and guidelines for relevant information
Utilize industry support associations such as ACDA, SNA, and State Associations for educational opportunities and networking at the same time.
Pursue SNS certification if not already achieved.
Provide daily /weekly /monthly sales support for the segment, both internally and externally, including but not limited to both “assigned states/ markets,” and other markets, when asked and as needed.
Work closely with all special issues related to the Commodity Processing (C/P) program in accordance with the needs of Rebate Program /Processing, Direct Warehouses, Direct Ship Districts. Work closely with Bid Administrator to ensure all C/P states and programs are being managed on a timely basis. Ensure that all Rebate States are up to date and closed out by June 30 of current school year.
Provide ongoing and timely sales support to the National Sales Manager, in order to support the sales activity required to build current customer base and initiate new sales in approved states. Complete all assigned activities on a timely basis and as requested. Manage a shared Outlook Calendar with prioritized Work in Process and Work Completed tasks. Work with manager to approve work plan and travel schedule at least 4 – 6 weeks in advance. Be prepared with written 4 month planning outlook.
Work closely with Bid Administrator to ensure the timely maintenance of State approvals for the Commodity Program (C/P) and all other K12 Bids and RFPs, both commodity and commercial on a region basis, according to the individual requirements of each contract, including but not limited to submitting accurate pricing, new products, renewing contracts.
Keeping abreast of new or revised national, state, and local policy affecting the Food Distribution Program(s) and bids/rfps in region should be reported on as well. In addition, maintain and update a Regional C/P Master List, this includes all relevant information about all C/P States (i.e. State DA Contact Info, a profile of how the program is administered in each state, including detailed and specific information on all purchasing cooperatives in the state). Evaluate and submit “new” profiles to determine Red Gold, LLC’s eligibility to participate in new states in region
Continually manage and improve the C/P program through the ongoing (weekly and monthly) monitoring of the k12foodservice.com website, by providing clear and concise reports with specific direction to brokers and program operators to achieve C/P objectives. Review K12 reports to monitor usage and track down usage issues and take appropriate action on a timely basis. Monitor inventories draw down and provide clear directions to brokers on any issues with deadlines for action. K12foodservice reporting should be provided to all brokers nationally; minimally, this is to be done on a bi -monthly basis (August, October, November, February, April, June) and more often as needed based on issues. In addition, always be a resource for competitive intelligence.
Selling season is generally July through June and one year ahead of shipping year; states decisions are made by April/May for the following school year. Success will be evaluated annually based on the achievement of commodity and commercial sales objectives for that School Year.