Regional Business Manager (Northeast)

BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY • West Chicago, IL

1d • $140,000 - $180,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

At Ball Horticultural Company, our passion is to Color the World. Our team members do so every day by breeding, producing, supporting, and selling seeds and plants. In the role of Regional Business Manager, you will directly support the company's goals for sales and revenue growth by developing and implementing a yearly strategic plan for the Ball Seed Northeast and Great Lakes sales regions. The Regional Business Manager leads a team of 20–25 independent contractor sales representatives while collaborating with members of the regional business team to support customers and suppliers throughout the region. This role is responsible for driving sales growth, market share, profitability, and customer success through effective leadership, strategic planning, territory management, and cross-functional collaboration.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Horticulture, or a related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of proven sales management and leadership experience.
• Demonstrated ability to make strategic business decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to influence others and drive sales growth.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coach high-performing sales teams.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across multiple functions.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Strong understanding of the ornamental horticulture industry.
• Ability to analyze market trends and translate data into actionable sales strategies.
• Ability to travel approximately 30–40% of the time.

Nice To Haves

• Experience managing key customer relationships, regional business strategies, pricing, and profitability is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an annual strategic business plan for the Northeast and Great Lakes regions.
• Drive overall sales and margin growth to increase market share and generate dollars to reinvest in the business.
• Develop and maintain relationships with the top 25 customer accounts within the region.
• Manage key customer accounts to strengthen partnerships and drive long-term business growth.
• Develop territory-specific business plans based on market potential and growth opportunities.
• Gain an understanding of market potential in each territory and utilize data analytics to identify opportunities for increased market share.
• Implement regional strategic initiatives that align with Ball Seed's overall business objectives.
• Responsible for the regional operating budget.
• Oversee regional pricing strategies and profitability in partnership with the Strategic Pricing Manager.
• Coach Sales Representatives within existing territories to maximize their effectiveness and professional growth.
• Lead annual Business Reviews and Team Up meetings for each territory.
• Partner with Sales Representatives to develop territory and account plans focused on the highest-impact sales opportunities.
• Ensure consistent execution of territory plans while aligning activities with regional and company objectives.
• Recruit, train, and develop new Sales Representatives.
• Lead onboarding and transition plans for newly assigned Sales Representatives.
• Support succession planning for retiring Sales Representatives to ensure continuity of customer relationships.
• Lead the Regional Business Team to foster collaboration across the organization.
• Partner closely with the Regional Supply Manager, Strategic Pricing Manager, Regional Credit Manager, and Customer Service teams to deliver exceptional customer support.
• Drive effective communication among cross-functional regional teams to support Sales Representatives and customers.
• Key account management to increase sales within major accounts throughout the region.
• Maintain a strong understanding of regional and national retail programs and their impact on customer buying decisions.
• Build strong customer relationships through regular engagement and strategic account planning.
• Actively participate in planning and execution of customer and industry events.
• Represent Ball Seed at customer open houses, Ball Universities, trade shows, university events, and key grower events.
• Leverage these events to strengthen customer relationships, promote Ball Seed products, and identify new business opportunities.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance
• 401k/Profit Sharing Retirement Plan
• Paid time off benefits including vacation and holidays
• Tuition assistance
• An onsite subsidized café overlooking 30 acres of renowned display gardens and restored natural areas
• Employee Assistance Program and Positive Health programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager