Sales Product Specialist

**_Position Summary: _**

Product Specialist - for the Centre of the Plate (Protein) category, is responsible for:

- providing sales support, product knowledge, guidance and training to the sales group while constantly improving their understanding of the centre of the plate (protein) category.
- identify customer needs and provide options that meet their requirements to create additional sales.

**This position is located in Winnipeg, MB.**
- **Minimum Education and Experience**:_
- Culinary, Sales, Marketing, Business - Preferred
- Certification or License - Must maintain a valid, unrestricted provincial driver’s license and safe driving record per GFS policy. - Required
- Certification or License - Culinary certification (such as Red Seal) -Preferred
- Two years previous product, marketing, or internal sales experience **-or-** six years previous product, marketing, or internal sales experience in lieu of a bachelor degree.

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**_Essential Functions: _**
- The Product Specialist - COP works with the sales team driving sales with existing customers and identifying new opportunities.
- Provide relevant business solutions to complement the initiatives of our Sales and Marketing teams, with an ultimate goal of increasing the overall market share of Gordon Food Service.
- Must be aware and stay current with the commodity market and market trends.
- Consults with key customers to provide menu analysis and development with assistance from the divisional Culinary Team.
- Provide problem analysis and resolution to customers and DSR on product related concerns.
- Supports customer menu engineering by developing and testing recipes for customers as requested by Divisional Leadership and customizes existing Gordon Food Service deck recipes to specific customer needs.
- Researches local trends and provides guidance to support customer relationship management.
- Provides insights to divisional Marketing and Sales teams, and ensures the success of customer events and activities result in business metric improvement for both customer and company.
- Ensures consistent and relevant product and culinary training for sales teams, in collaboration with other divisional marketing team members.
- Provides local culinary support, insights, division and customer relationship management training, and engagement (extension of Category and Product Brands) to help support business growth (for both customers and company).
- Leverages Home Office content, insights to be used in the Division and direct to customers, support adoption and leverage of tools.
- Participates in the execution of food shows, other related shows and activities in support of strategic divisional events.
- Performs other duties as assigned.

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**_Knowledge / Skills / Abilities: _**
- Strong culinary knowledge and skill; safe food handling practices
- Strong product category experience and knowledge
- Ability to develop creative food solutions
- Exceptional customer service skills
- Proficient communication skills ‐ both written and verbal ‐ to communicate effectively with a broad‐based team including diverse internal stakeholders and vendors.
- Proficient skill in presentation creation and delivery
- Time management and organizational skills to manage multiple projects
- Strong business acumen and understanding of restaurant operations
- Proven ability to deliver results and facilitate a collaborative environment
- Must be able to travel at 50% of the time

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What We Offer**:

- Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug, and EFAP Benefits after 30 days of employment
- FULL flex benefits program
- Company matching RRSP
- Family culture
- Advancement opportunities
- Profit Sharing
- 125 year, family owned and operated company history

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

**Salary**: $50,000.00-$65,000.00 per year

**Benefits**:

- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
- Vision care

Schedule:

- 8 hour shift
- Day shift

Supplemental pay types:

- Bonus pay
- Overtime pay