US Sales Leader

Griffith Foods • Chicago, IL

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

Griffith Foods is the caring, creative product development partner helping food companies meet the evolving needs of consumers while sustaining the planet. As a family business founded in 1919 and headquartered in Alsip, Illinois USA, Griffith Foods is known for true, collaborative innovation guided by their Purpose of “We Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish the World”. The company’s product capabilities range from seasonings and marinades to coating systems and sauces that are better for people and better for the planet. For more information, visit www.griffithfoods.com. Griffith Foods is hiring a US Sales Leader to function as the head of sales for the US and deliver country-level sales targets and drive execution against our North American Long-Range Plan (LRP). This role is the top sales leader in the US, responsible for leading a team of 29 professionals across US sales & customer service in developing, implementing, and executing the US team’s contributions to the North American region’s volume & profitability growth strategies. In this role, you will report to the General Manager of the US, with a dotted line to the NA Head of Sales. This is the top sales person in the US, which is the largest business unit for the company and the NA region, and is critical to the success of the organization overall. This is your opportunity to serve as a key member of the US Leadership Team and play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of the US sales business and in supporting Griffith Foods achieving our 2030 Aspirations (https://griffithfoods.com/2030-aspirations/).

Requirements

• Are comfortable with ambiguity and change as we drive change to our commercial team and our approaches, and can influence without authority and can influence professionals who may be senior to you.
• Are a change leader with an aptitude for people leadership and development of teams of approx. 30, with $300 million or more of accountability.
• Demonstrate strong commercial acumen in pricing strategy, value capture, and margin management.
• Has successfully led the execution of customized portfolio product solutions in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Show a consistent record of developing & executing sales strategies that achieve or surpass business objectives.
• Develop customer relationships by gaining access to high-level contacts within customer organizations.
• Bachelors Degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, or liberal arts
• At least 10 years’ experience in Sales or Business Development within Food, CPG, or Ingredients industry
• At least 5 years’ experience in each sales leadership and people leadership.
• At least 7 years demonstrated experience in food/beverage, CPG, and/or ingredient related B2B sales leadership team, emphasizing collaborative decision making and cross-functional alignment.
• Previous commercial change leadership and transformation experience
• Currently located in the Chicago area, within a commutable distance of the Alsip, IL office or willing to relocate to the Chicago area within 60 days.
• Willingness to work a Hybrid schedule, with a few days a week in the office when not traveling
• Willingness and ability to travel approx. 50% of the time, primarily domestically but also to Canada or Mexico for leadership meetings.
• Qualified candidates must currently possess unrestricted access to work in the US, as the company cannot provide work visa sponsorship for this role.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or Masters Degree in Business, Marketing, Professional Selling or related field
• 7+ years’ experience in each sales leadership and people leadership
• Previous management of critical business units that have high levels of importance to the success of the overall organization

Responsibilities

• Leading the development and execution of customer specific business plans to deliver planned revenue, volume, pricing, portfolio management, contribution margin, and other key P&L objectives.
• Partnering closely with leaders in Culinary, R&D, Marketing, Supply Chain & Operations to ensure integrated and effective execution across functions.
• Monitoring and ensuring timely progress of customer needs and coordinate cross-functional troubleshooting and solutioning as needed.
• Driving effective opportunity management, forecasting, and pipeline visibility to ensure consistent delivery of business unit objectives
• Providing Sales Enablement by engaging in complex sales processes, including presentations, proposals, RFPs, contracts, and negotiations, balancing customer satisfaction with profitability and business objectives.
• Translating global and regional strategies into business unit–specific priorities, ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals.
• Providing strategic leadership to the Business Development team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and commercial excellence.
• Collaborating with Canada & Mexico counterparts to drive a “One North America” approach, ensuring local actions reinforce shared strategic priorities.
• Championing the effective use of regional sales tools and analytics to uncover insights, inform decisions, and accelerate business results.
• Building, mentoring, and inspiring a high-performing team of sales leaders and professionals to achieve growth targets, profitability, and sustainable customer partnerships

Benefits

• Medical, Rx, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts, EAP, Health Advocacy, Financial Planning, Parental Leave, Care.com, Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance, Education Assistance/Tuition Reimbursement, Safety Reimbursement, Lifestyle Spending Account, Group Life & AD&D, Voluntary Life Insurance, Short Term & Long Term Disability, 401(k) Plan with Company Match, ESOP, PTO, Holiday’s & Leaves, Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, Home & Auto Insurance, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, Long Term Care + Life Insurance & Legal Assistance.
• There is also potential for a discretionary bonus, this bonus is based on personal & company performance and is not a guaranteed bonus plan.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees