National Account Manager

Reporting to the National Sales Director, The National Account Manager - Retail, is accountable for deriving and executing company's customer centric sales plans and merchandising strategies, while effectively managing profitable revenue growth and delivery of exceptional customer service in a fast pace entrepreneurial organization. Your dynamic business sales leadership, in tandem with an entrepreneurial drive for building business within new and established retail accounts, has resulted in a proven track record of success.
Your consultative and systematic approach to understanding the 'Voice of the Customer', ensures 'key' internal and external business partners are well aligned and focused on what is expected of them. You have a keen eye for identifying areas of opportunity within a sales organization and equally adept at implementing progressive sales processes, tools and
methodologies that enable greater sales effectiveness. You are recognized as a progressive cultural leader that promotes teamwork and sharing of ideas to identify creative end-to-end customer sales solutions.

Primary Responsibilities Lead all account management aspects for current and targeted retail customers.Implement and manage 'agreed to' company policies and objectives on customer account budgeting (P&L), pricing, merchandising strategies, planning & sales forecasting.Lead Customer Private Label efforts in the development and execution of sales and marketing category business strategies and annual plans that maximize volume, profitability and share results nationally and regionally.Negotiate exclusive or preferred agreements based on the opportunity and corporate priorities.Monitor financial results and customer sales data, identifying strategic recommendations (e.g. marketing methods, product mixes etc.) to achieve agreed sales, profit and product mix targets.Ensure 'sales and marketing decks' effectively represent and showcase service, product and packaging portfolio offerings.Ensure creative marketing, merchandising, product and packaging opportunities are made actionable in the marketplace.Preparation and review of weekly/monthly/quarterly sales reports and customer business plan activities, ensuring they are trending and/or meeting expected top and bottom-line sales objectives.In partnership with internal sales team, establish annual customer business plans, inclusive of priorities and deliverables. Pro-actively monitor results through formal business, category and sales performance reviews.Voice of Customer ensuring internal cross functional business partners (marketing, supply chain, manufacturing, R&D, customer service & finance) understand customer expectations and are aligned to effectively deliver against them. New product listings are activated while optimizing current base listings. Monitor competitive activities with direct impact on customer business. Identify strategies to overcome. Required Qualifications University Degree or College Diploma. Able to take a high-level growth strategy and build long-term business and customer strategies to deliver against it. Customer (Retail) Private Label sales experience. Retail (CPG – consumer packaged goods) and In-store Bakery account management experience. Enjoys the hunt of building new business and identifying new sales opportunities within existing customer accounts. Effective in a fast pace entrepreneurial environment that is evolving internal business processes, systems and methodologies to better manage current and future business growth expectations. Able to translate product and service value propositions into compelling 'sales & marketing' presentation decks' in alignment with internal and external customer goals and competitor value proposition(s). Prudent negotiator and profit minded with refined financial data analysis, budgetary and contract development expertise. Exceptional time, priority and project management skills, that enable effective delivery of multiple initiatives with varying levels of complexity, sophistication and scope. Resilient and resourceful in bringing clarity to ambiguity. Effective at leading, organizing and aligning 'key' internal and external business partner activities in delivering customer service excellence. Comfortable opening new customers with new and novel products. Effective at leading, coaching and developing future business leaders. Integrity and honesty in approach to building relationships and leading negotiations. Exceptional verbal and written presentation skills. Proficient with Microsoft Suite of products and standalone CRM tools. Able to optimize results and drive greater sales functionality through less refined systems while providing 'key' business sales insight and direction for building robust and sophisticated CRM/ERP systems and tools. Promotable to higher levels within the organization. Core Competencies Initiative: Initiates courses of action that will lead to improved performance/effectiveness of the Business Unit Team. Sees a need and takes action to address; questions the way things are done, and initiates changes where necessary; sticks with an issue until it is resolved Information Seeking: Investigates and researches information, digs to resolve discrepancies; obtains information or opinions internally and externally to gain insight or expertise – makes well informed decisions. Listening, Understanding & Responding: Demonstrates the ability to interact effectively with staff, other team members, customers and external contacts. Defers judgment on what someone is saying until they have thoroughly investigated; creates opportunities for meaningful discussion; builds rapport, trust and strong working relationships up, down and across org. Flexibility: Demonstrates the ability to adapt and work within a variety of situations, and with various groups and individuals; adapting one's approach as the requirements of a situation. Self-confidence: Willing to take on a new challenge or assignment displaying confidence and enthusiasm; emphasizes the positive and upside aspects of difficult situations – every situation provides an opportunity for learning. Results Orientation: Strives to beat or meet project deadlines; sets own high standards for quality of work; seeks ways to use time and resources more cost effectively; highly organized with the ability to set priorities and multi-task. Teamwork: Works cooperatively with others promoting team participation to generate more ideas, greater consensus & engagement and a higher level of commitment to delivering results.

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