Customer Relationship Manager and Inside Sales

Position Overview:

The Customer Relationship Manager and Inside Sales Representative serves as a key point of contact for customers, addressing queries about products, orders, and deliveries, and providing essential support for sales and business development efforts.

This role is responsible for maintaining a positive relationship with all current customers, providing superior customer service and continually selling Kalera products. Providing “voice of customer” in internal operational process and new product development or improvement.  Act as the liaison between Sales and Demand Planning to provide production timelines, capacity and future planning to ensure all teams’ and customers’ needs are met.  

Essential Functions:

• Provide superior customer service for all for customer inquiries, including but not limited to:
  • Customer complaints (delivery issues, quality issues, etc.)
  • Confirm orders and questions (order changes, delivery date changes, delivery status)
  • Follow up on all customer questions (product spec info, process change, etc.) and concerns.
• Develop rapport and long-term relationships with customers.
  • Proactively reach out to customers to ensure product satisfaction and sell additional products.
  • Learn and research new customer initiatives and learn how Kalera can support these.
• Communicate important customer feedback internally, including but not limited to:
  • Service concerns
  • New product ideas/needs
  • Feedback on products if not meeting expectations
• Serve as the primary point of contact for Kalera communication to the customer, including but not limited to:
  • Questions regarding order quantities (not meeting forecast or no longer ordering)
  • Potential shortages
  • Excess inventory
  • Forecasting questions from Demand Planning
  • Potential impact to deliveries (i.e. unforeseen events, power outages, etc.)
• Obtain and verify customer-provided forecasts:
  • Request order forecasts from customers, including estimated quantities needed and delivery timeline
• Provide customers with monthly reports on forecast and service level metrics. Work closely with Supply Chain and Demand Planning regarding forecasts, delivery dates, and service levels.
• Working to continually grow the relationships and sales with existing customers.
• Verify proper setup of customers in the system (e.g., address, contacts, credit terms).
• Work closely with the Sales, Operations and R&D teams regarding product development process and operations process improvement.
• Stay updated on new products and features and inform existing customers of new offerings available to them.
• Work with the sales team to implement and execute service level agreements with customers.
• Support the Sales Department with additional administrative tasks as needed.
• Assist with scheduling sales conferences, trade shows, and other events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Competencies:

• Superior customer service skills with the ability to build strong customer relationships
• Ability to sell Kalera products and upsell current customers additional products
• Superior written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to build strong internal relationships working across multiple departments
• Organizational Skills
• Strong sense of urgency to address and support solving customer complaints effectively and efficiently.
• Ability to ask questions, and apply critical thinking to bridge sales and production needs
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail-oriented with strong multitasking abilities.
• Strong team play with the ability to self-motivate

Education and Experience:

• 3–5 years of customer service experience in a production environment, preferably in the produce or perishable food industry in a production environment,
• 3 – 5 years of inside sales experience, preferably in the produce or perishable food industry.
• Prior knowledge or experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a plus.

Physical Demands:

• The majority of the role will be performed at a desk in the office
• Ability to stand and walk the farm production environment in a safe manner, on occasion