Senior Manager of Sales-Pet Food

Scope of Job: The Senior Manager of Pet Food Sales is responsible for execution of new business development strategies, plans, and opportunities aligned with the company’s strategic goals. This role involves building and maintaining relationships with clients, supporting sales initiatives, and contributing to market research and trend analysis. A key focus of the role is driving revenue growth through proactive lead generation, hunting new sales opportunities, and converting prospects into long-term customers. Collaborate with product development and other stakeholders to support business development plans. The Senior Manager of Pet Food Sales plays a critical role in expanding the company’s market presence strategy and achieving sales targets.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities within assigned markets and categories for long-term growth initiatives.
• Proactively reach out to potential clients to establish business relationships.
• Collaborate with internal teams to explore opportunities with existing customers.
• Attain volume and profitability targets established for assigned portfolio and manage all aspects of daily business operations.
• Fulfill requests for proposals (RFPs) from potential partners and customers.
• Negotiate new contracts with established controls and approvals and execute effective onboarding of new clients.
• Help direct development of customer-facing web platforms.
• Build solid business cases to secure internal buy-in, using supporting data/trends.
• Serve as the liaison between customers and internal stakeholders including Planning, Procurement, Operations, Quality, R&D and Thermal Processing in the development and commercialization of products. 
• Assess competitor assets, capabilities, and utilization support company new business acquisition.
• Represent company in trade or networking events to further enhance image and develop additional business.
• Collaborate with production and supporting departments to ensure the food safety and quality of our products. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing or related field. MBA is a plus. 

Experience: 5-10 years of extensive experience in Pet Food business development, sales, and marketing. 3+ years of managerial experience. Experience within branded, retail, grocery, co-manufacturing industry and private label segments. Expertise in the CPG grocery industry, including pricing strategies, client relations and needs assessment, category management, administration, and supervision of brokers. Understanding of eCommerce / DTC pricing strategies as well as key differentiators between eComm / DTC and traditional CPG industry channels.

Competencies: Business Development, Campaign Management, Competitor Analysis, Competitor Analysis, Customer Engagement, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Marketing Analytics, Marketing Strategy, Relationship Marketing, Tactical Planning, Customer Relationship Management, Strategic Analysis, Product/Sector Knowledge, Excellent Presenting Skills, Strong Communication Skills, Conflict Resolution, Problem Solving, Accountability, Initiative, Operational Excellence and Integrity.

Physical Requirements: Requires prolonged sitting and continuous use of computer. May lift, carry, push, or pull objects up to 10 lbs.

Travel 30-50%