Specialty Species Sales Manager

Shinkei•,

2d•$120,000 - $150,000

About The Position

Seremoni is seeking an experienced Specialty Species Sales Manager to lead sales for an assigned portfolio of high-value species with strong ties to the Japanese culinary market. This is a P&L leadership role: the Manager owns the annual revenue and margin plan for the portfolio, sets channel strategy, and is accountable for growing the business across Japanese wholesalers and trading houses, specialty seafood distributors, foodservice and chef-direct accounts, and targeted retail partners. The Manager owns the portfolio’s annual sales plan and multi-year growth strategy, sets revenue and margin targets, monitors market and channel performance, and allocates supply to maximize value. The role includes prospecting and closing new accounts, leading executive-level account relationships and contract negotiations, and representing Seremoni’s ike jime and traceability story to buyers and chefs. The position also directs go-to-market execution for new species and product introductions in partnership with Marketing, QA, and Operations; translates customer feedback into packaging and specification recommendations; and owns the portfolio’s full P&L, sales forecasting, demand-side supply allocation, CRM, and sales reporting.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field preferred; equivalent industry experience is considered.
7–10+ years of progressive seafood or specialty protein sales experience, including direct P&L or category ownership.
Demonstrated experience selling the same species or category across multiple channels simultaneously, such as wholesale, distribution, foodservice, and retail.
Direct experience selling to Japanese wholesalers or trading houses.
Track record of personally prospecting and closing new accounts in a specialty or perishable protein category, rather than only managing an inherited book or broker network.
Deep knowledge of sushi-grade or specialty-species quality grading, handling, and cold-chain requirements, sufficient to sell against them credibly.
Strong working knowledge of supply, demand, and pricing dynamics for Japanese-market species across wholesale, distribution, foodservice, and retail channels.
Ability to interpret changing channel economics and reallocate supply to where it earns the best return.
Strong prospecting instincts and executive-level negotiation skills; comfortable pitching and closing new accounts without relying on a broker network.
Comfort owning a multi-channel P&L, including forecasting, trade spend, and margin management.
Proficiency with CRM and sales reporting tools, and comfort analyzing account- and channel-level performance data.

Nice To Haves

Existing relationships with Japanese wholesale buyers or trading houses, specialty distributors, and/or high-end foodservice or sushi restaurant accounts.

Responsibilities

Build and own the annual sales plan for the specialty species portfolio.
Develop and own the portfolio’s multi-year growth strategy, including new accounts, geographies, and channels.
Define revenue and margin targets by channel and account, and proactively course-correct when performance is off plan.
Own sales strategy for the specialty species portfolio.
Maintain a current view of supply, demand, and pricing dynamics for the species in each key channel.
Allocate supply by channel and account to realize the greatest value.
Analyze weekly and monthly sales and margin reports across channels, identify trends and market shifts, and adjust strategy and tactics.
Prospect, pitch, and close new accounts across relevant key channels.
Own executive-level relationships and contract negotiations for accounts in the portfolio.
Represent Seremoni’s ike jime and traceability story to buyers and chefs.
Represent Seremoni at industry trade shows, chef showcases, and headquarters-level buyer meetings across channels.
Manage the full account lifecycle directly and maintain a disciplined personal pipeline and account-planning cadence.
Foster product pride in account relationships so buyers and chefs can communicate Seremoni’s quality story.
Direct go-to-market execution for new species and product introductions with Marketing, QA, and Operations.
Partner with QA and Operations on species-specific handling, grading, and cold-chain standards.
Translate customer feedback into packaging and specification recommendations.
Support new species introductions with channel-by-channel launch and allocation plans.
Own the full P&L for the specialty species portfolio, including volume, revenue, margin, and trade spend.
Manage sales forecasting and demand-side allocation of available supply to maximize value.
Maintain CRM and sales reporting systems to track account- and channel-level performance.