Wholesale Accounts Sales Lead

Outpost Natural Foods•Milwaukee, WI

About The Position

The Wholesale Accounts Sales Lead ensures a high level of service for Outpost’s internal and external customers and manages all aspects of its wholesale accounts. The role includes soliciting new clients, managing customer orders, driving company vehicles to deliver fresh foods, products, and materials, growing sales, limiting losses, and supervising wholesale delivery staff. The lead oversees customer relationships and account service, coordinates delivery schedules with the Operations Manager and Logistics Supervisor, identifies sales and account-growth opportunities, develops sales materials and operating procedures, and monitors account standards, pricing, margins, and sales performance. The position also manages staff performance, hiring, training, scheduling, and department communication, and collaborates on budgets and inventory controls. The role includes preparing, loading, and driving delivery vehicles; completing deliveries; maintaining vehicle logs and equipment; merchandising and stocking products at accounts; and assisting with ordering, invoicing, inventories, and equipment maintenance. The position requires job-related travel within Southeast Wisconsin and occasional weekend shifts. The work environment may include moderate to loud noise, moving mechanical parts, and wet, humid, hot, and cold conditions.

Requirements

Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
Experience with stocking, ordering, and receiving in a retail setting.
Outstanding customer service skills.
Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment and motivate others to do the same.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Attention to detail and good organizational skills.
Ability to handle multiple demands, work under time pressure, and meet deadlines.
Ability to follow through on systems, procedures, and commitments.
Ability to remain objective, neutral, and calm under pressure.
Regular, predictable attendance.
Effective communication skills in English and ability to read and comprehend instructions.
Ability to be flexible and adapt quickly to changing conditions.
Ability to operate material-handling equipment such as pallet jacks, manual and electrical loading dock lifts, vehicle rail gates, and forklifts.
Ability to use feet and hands to operate machinery and company vehicles.
Vision ability including close, distance, color, peripheral, and depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
Ability to stand, walk, bend, sit, reach, push, pull, and handle or feel objects with hands or fingers.
Ability to lift up to 80 pounds and team-lift up to and over 100 pounds.
Ability to work in hot, cold, wet, and humid conditions and maintain a high level of maneuverability.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Foodtrak.
Previous retail, grocery, or food-products merchandising experience.
Previous sales and supervisory experience.

Responsibilities

Provide efficient, informative, friendly, fair, and respectful customer service.
Model supportive and participatory leadership, promote team building, motivate staff, and communicate clearly and respectfully.
Oversee wholesale account service and coordinate delivery schedules with the Operations Manager and Logistics Supervisor.
Service vendor accounts and work with drivers to place orders, rotate products, and fill and merchandise kiosks or displays.
Build and maintain business partnerships, retain accounts, respond to customer issues and opportunities, and identify ways to grow revenue through new products and accounts.
Develop sell sheets and other materials for approaching potential clients.
Work with the Director of Food Service on wholesale menu options informed by trends and account requests.
Research potential wholesale venues and propose feasible opportunities in collaboration with the Operations Manager.
Ensure new accounts are set up with required billing information and provide it to the Director of Food Service and Finance Director.
Develop and audit standard operating procedures for wholesale operations, and maintain plan-o-grams for accounts.
Set wholesale product prices based on established target margins and meet or exceed quarterly sales projections.
Develop and uphold staff performance standards; schedule staff within labor budgets, arrange shift coverage, and fill in as needed.
Hire and train department staff, complete training checklists, provide tools and materials, conduct performance evaluations, and administer corrective or disciplinary measures as appropriate.
Conduct department meetings and perform duties included in wholesale driver job descriptions.
Meet established margin, labor, sales, and inventory goals; monitor product costs and margins; and document wholesale sales and losses.
Collaborate with the Operations Manager on annual operating budgets, projections, capital budgets, and equipment needs.
Prepare and load delivery vehicles, secure cargo, drive to destinations, unload deliveries, check in with accounts, and complete deliveries on schedule.
Follow traffic laws, drive professionally, maintain vehicle logs, report damage or broken equipment, and keep vehicles clean and sanitary.
Inspect and maintain vehicle equipment and supplies, including tires, lights, brakes, fuel, oil, and water.
Assist with product ordering and related paperwork and invoicing; merchandise and stock products at accounts; maintain back-stock inventories; and itemize expired products returned from accounts.
Assist with light maintenance of wholesale equipment at Outpost locations and adapt to changing delivery conditions.
Maintain communication with the Operations Manager or Logistics Supervisor while off-site as needed.
Follow co-op policies and procedures, keep the vehicle and office orderly and clean, maintain a positive attitude, and perform other duties assigned by the Operations Manager.