Director of Sales - Wholesale & Food Service
About The Company
Mrs. Gerry’s was founded in 1973 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Since then, the company has expanded in every way! Mrs. Gerry’s offers 120 different products including pasta salads, coleslaws, salad kits, specialty salads, and sides, including the popular Premium Mashed Potatoes that were introduced in 2005 and, of course, the recipe that started it all – Mrs. Gerry’s Original Potato Salad. Today, Mrs. Gerry’s Salads and Mashed Potatoes are sold coast to coast. In 2020, Mrs. Gerry’s was purchased by Sequel Holdings, LLC. Sequel’s deep industry experience and strategic planning paired with Mrs. Gerry’s ongoing commitment to their employees and the community, ensure long-term value and growth for years to come.
Title: Director of Sales, Wholesale & Food Service
Department: Sales & Marketing
Location: Twin Cities Metro, MN; Hybrid with office location in Edina, MN
Reports To: Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Status: Exempt
Wage Range: $150,000 - $200,000 plus bonus
Benefits
• Health Insurance
• Virtual Primary Care
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Dental
• Vision
• Short and Long-term Disability Insurance
• Critical Illness
• Hospital
• Accidental Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and dependents
• Basic $25,000 Term Life Insurance policy. This is paid 100% by Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen, LLC for each permanent full-time employee.
• 401(K)
Summary
The Director of Sales, Retail Wholesale is responsible for leading customer management and sales activities for Mrs. Gerry wholesale and assigned retail customers to ensure our customer service and sales objectives are achieved. This role will lead a team of four sales managers and supporting brokers. This role reports to the Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
• People Management
• Direct line management for the three senior sales managers and indirect leadership of the one sales manager through formal and informal methods.
• Business Planning and Execution
• Develop annual and quarterly sales roadmap for assigned territory. Drive plan execution and gap management with team. Engage cross functionally to create solutions.
• Call on Key Accounts
• Responsible for customer call on UNFI and key independents with broker support.
• Sales leadership role supporting team with customer engagement.
• Trade Shows/Deli Seminars/Food Service Seminars
• Lead annual trade show process to ensure best practices and efficiency. Participate in trade shows as required to maintain proper exposure with key accounts and to develop new business.
Travel Requirements
Expected travel to be up to 20%.
QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION And/or EXPERIENCE
Undergraduate degree in business or quantitative discipline is required.
MBA or advanced degree is desired.
Minimum of 10 years of leadership experience (at least five years at a manager level or higher) including leading a team of direct reports is required.
Food manufacturing is required.
Wholesale And Retail Selling Experience Is Required.
Experience developing joint business plans is required.
Integrating brands/products from an acquisition is desired.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS And ABILITIES
Financially astute and results oriented including developing sales forecasts and gap management. Able to negotiate and retain relationships.
Open-minded challenger and focused on continuous improvement.
Creator and driver of change while enhancing the culture.
Confidence without being egocentric. Ability to influence internally & externally within a cross matrixed organization
Roll-up their sleeves, lead from the front and not afraid to get into the weeds with the team, customers, and partners when helpful. Be able to zoom in and out to see the big picture.
Lead with character and integrity while setting a positive model for others through their actions and high standards.
Able to coach, not tell. Get the best out of direct reports and positively influence others. Seek to grow talent and share the best of your leadership skills.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
Valid drivers license and applicable self-insurance is required.
Language Skills
Must be fluent in English. Must possess excellent communication and presentation skills and demonstrate a proven ability to work independently and with cross-functional teams to achieve established goals.
Mathematical Skills
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, volume, and gross profit. Must be able to interpret an extensive variety of technical sales instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.
REASONING ABILITY
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Able to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form. Understands syndicated data and consumption-based analytics from a top line perspective. Monitor and evaluate competitor activity and products.
TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Power Point, & Word at an intermediate level. Able to learn new software as it applies to the business and position.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk or hear and push or pull. The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee will have limited lifting, must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds for transport of training materials and setting up learning events. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Required to wear PPE when in production areas to ensure safe food and adhering to safety practices.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
When providing learning or walking through the plant to perform the duties of this job, the employee will be exposed to wet or humid conditions (non-weather); work near moving mechanical parts. The employee will be exposed to fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; outdoor weather conditions when traveling between entrances; extreme cold (non-weather); extreme heat (non-weather). The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is required.
Works primarily in an office environment with visits in the production areas of the plant.
FACILITY ALERGENS
At Mrs. Gerry's, our facility may process items that contain eggs, milk, wheat, soy, fish, crustacea, and tree nuts.
EEO STATEMENT
Mrs. Gerry's is an equal opportunity employer committed to helping you do your best work. We are committed to providing these opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, pregnancy, or Veteran status.
EMPLOYEE DRUG, ALCOHOL, AND CANNABIS FREE WORKPLACE AND DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING POLICY
Mrs. Gerry's has a longstanding commitment to provide a safe, quality-oriented, and productive work environment. Alcohol, drug, and cannabis misuse poses a threat to the health and safety of Mrs. Gerry's employees, visitors, customers, and consumers as well as to the security of the company's equipment, vehicles, facilities, property, and products. For these reasons, Mrs. Gerry's will conduct pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, post-accident/incident drug screens.
Food and Beverage Services
Sales and Business Development
Full-time