POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Citrus Sales will contribute to significant company growth by executing against strategic sales plans. The successful candidate will possess industry related experience, offer leadership for expanding the Company’s domestic and international distribution of citrus. The candidate will also focus on expanding the citrus program by developing, maintaining, and servicing customers for year-round offerings.

Reporting Relationships:


This position reports directly to the Vice President of Sales. The Director of Citrus Sales manages a team of 10.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:


Sales Leadership

• Responsible for day-to-day citrus sales, customer service and basic administration.
• Coordinate and complete all retail, club store, foodservice and other RFPs for current and new business.
• Establish daily, weekly, and ad price requests for all citrus items.
• Develop sales channels with current and new product lines. Establish senior level contacts, win and help manage new customers of strategic importance and high value to the company.
• Participate as an active member of the sales team; both lead and accompany executive management on headquarter level customer calls.
• Interact with key accounts, buyers, purchasing agents and executives; negotiate price and delivery terms within company guidelines to increase sales volume.
• Develop new customers and increase revenue with existing accounts; be responsible for account management including volume and price reporting, budgeting and performance monitoring.
• Foster a unified approach including all areas of sales, marketing and customer service to present an integrated face to the customer.
• Assess market trends, competitor information and customer knowledge to identify business opportunities.
• Constantly monitor competitive landscape and market conditions to identify opportunities, issues, and risks in order to recommend tactical strategies.
• Provide feedback and recommendations for marketing tactics and programs that help drive sales.
• Apply rigorous category management techniques; provide continuous options for customers to deploy best practices in store level execution, product offerings and value chain adjustments.
• Actively pursue innovation by identification, evaluation and recommendation to investigate new product opportunities, alternative distribution, new concept development and other ideas to achieve objectives.
• Travel for in person meeting with customer and partners to develop/maintain key relationships.
• Foster and retain professional relationships with industry-wide trade organizations, ancillary businesses and key customer accounts. Represent Fowler Packing at industry events and trade shows.

Administration

• Prepare periodic sales reports showing sales volume, potential sales and areas with growth potential.
• Manage customer complaints; provide immediate internal notification, work with colleagues to resolve issues in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with logistics to achieve the targeted customer and department service goals in the most efficient manner to drive best-in-class practices.
• Work closely with accounts receivables to achieve collection and days outstanding goals and is ultimately responsible to collect on all sales.
• Sales administration duties include, but are not limited to order entry, processing rejections and overall follow-through of each transaction.
• Develop strategies for recruiting new growers with the desired varieties and commodities needed to successfully fulfill customer demands and programs.

• A BA/BS degree (e.g., business, marketing, or agriculture) is desirable.
• A minimum of five years proven citrus sales experience managing and developing solutions with major
  retail chains.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to meet deadlines while conducting multiple tasks with attention to detail.
• Possess a high degree of initiative with proactive networking skills and abilities.
• Must be flexible, adaptive to change and able to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent oral, written and presentation skills.
• Willingness/ability to travel domestically and internationally.

 PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

 

• Ironclad integrity; must be impeccably honest and trustworthy.
• Passion for excellence; driven to improve both personal and professional performance.
• High-energy personality with a well-developed sense of urgency and direction.
• Self-starter and highly motivated professional; driven to excel and desire to develop new skills and abilities.
• Problem solver capable of applying logic to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems to develop timely and pragmatic solutions.
• Exceptional manager and team builder; the ability to inspire.
• Great listener; a “people person” with extraordinary interpersonal and management skills; treat people at all levels of the organization fairly with dignity and respect.
• A strategic orientation and the ability to see the big picture combined with a “hands-on” focus; willing to roll-up your sleeves and do whatever it takes to get the job done.
• Flexible; able to thrive in a multi-discipline, high energy, fast-paced environment.
• Strong negotiator; effectively utilize techniques to gain support for recommended programs.
• Must possess professional presence, maturity and credibility with all key stakeholders.