Sales Manager
About The Position
The Sr Sales Manager will lead strategic customer growth and commodity sales management for Land O’Lakes’ dairy ingredients portfolio, including Milk Powders, Whey, and Cheese. This role is responsible for delivering volume, growth, and market connectivity through strong commercial execution, category leadership, and cross-functional alignment within a supply-driven business model. The Sr Sales Manager is crucial in shaping strategies, advancing new business opportunities, and positioning Land O’Lakes as a preferred dairy ingredient partner. The role involves leading strategic account growth across assigned commodity ingredient categories, owning enterprise customer relationships, and developing customer-specific growth strategies. This includes advancing new business opportunities through portfolio optimization, cross-selling, and adjacent dairy solutions. Beyond direct customer ownership, the position provides sales and business leadership by achieving volume, revenue, profitability, and pricing objectives. The Sr Sales Manager will collaborate extensively with planning, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, and risk management partners to align forecasting, production planning, inventory strategies, and market risk exposure with commercial objectives. Additionally, this role leads strategic initiatives and projects aimed at enhancing market connectivity, long-term business viability, and competitive positioning. As a people leader, the Sr Sales Manager is tasked with building capability through coaching, development, and performance management of a small team of professionals. The role also involves representing Land O’Lakes within the broader dairy industry, participating in industry leadership activities and market forums to strengthen relationships, gain market insight, and positively represent the company’s ingredient portfolio.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
- 8 or more years of experience in sales, category management, or commercial leadership within food, agriculture, or ingredients markets; including leadership with accountability for volume, revenue, profitability, and execution
- 5 plus years of managing strategic customer relationships and delivering commercial results
- 5 plus years of experience leading cross-functional teams and complex business initiatives
Nice To Haves
- Experience with assessing customer, market, and risk scenarios
- Experience developing and leading direct reports or small teams
- Working knowledge of dairy ingredients, commodity markets, and risk management tools
Responsibilities
- Lead strategic customer growth and commodity sales management across Land O’Lakes’ commodity dairy ingredients portfolio including Milk Powders, Whey and Cheese
- Deliver volume, growth, and market connectivity through strong commercial execution, category leadership, and cross-functional alignment in a supply-driven business model
- Shape strategies, advance new business opportunities, and position Land O’Lakes as a preferred dairy ingredient partner
- Lead strategic account growth across assigned commodity ingredient categories
- Own enterprise customer relationships
- Develop customer-specific growth strategies
- Advance new business opportunities through portfolio optimization, cross-selling, and adjacent dairy solutions
- Provide sales and business leadership by delivering volume, revenue, profitability, and pricing objectives
- Collaborate closely with planning, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, and risk management partners to align forecasting, production planning, inventory strategies, and market risk exposure with commercial objectives
- Lead strategic initiatives and projects that enhance market connectivity, long-term business viability, and competitive positioning
- Build capability through coaching, development, and performance management of a small team of professionals
- Represent Land O’Lakes within the broader dairy industry, participating in industry leadership activities and market forums to strengthen relationships, gain market insight, and positively represent Land O’Lakes’ ingredient portfolio
Benefits
- Broad portfolio of benefits to keep you and your family at your best
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
