Position Overview

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Market Unit Manager in Food and Nutrition to lead a high-performance sales team and drive the business unit's growth by aggressively acquiring new customers and expanding revenue from existing accounts. This role demands a strong sales focus, leadership skills, and the ability to inspire a team to achieve ambitious sales targets.

As a Market Unit Manager, you will be responsible for developing and executing sales strategies, building a strong sales pipeline, and ensuring that your team consistently exceeds their targets. You will lead by example, providing mentorship and coaching to develop your team's sales skills and capabilities while fostering a competitive and results-driven culture.

Key Responsibilities:

Sales Leadership: Lead and motivate the sales team to meet and exceed sales targets, driving both new customer acquisition and increasing revenue from existing accounts.

Team Management: Manage, coach, and develop the sales team to maximize performance. Set clear sales objectives, provide ongoing feedback, and ensure that the team has the skills and support needed to succeed.

Sales Strategy & Execution: Develop and execute a sales strategy that aligns with the company's growth objectives. Continuously evaluate market opportunities and ensure the team is positioned to capitalize on them.

New Business Development: Identify and pursue new business opportunities, leading your team to target potential customers and expand the company's market presence.

Customer Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers and stakeholders, ensuring high levels of satisfaction and long-term business growth.

Performance Monitoring: Track team performance against sales targets and KPIs, taking corrective actions when necessary to ensure goals are met or exceeded.

Collaboration: Work closely with internal departments such as marketing, supply chain, and portfolio management to ensure a seamless customer experience and to drive product alignment with market needs.

Forecasting & Reporting: Oversee sales forecasting and pipeline management, ensuring accurate and timely reporting on team performance, market conditions, and sales opportunities.
Training & Development: Provide ongoing training, mentorship, and coaching to help team members improve their sales skills, product knowledge, and customer engagement capabilities.

Position Requirements & Key Abilities

Sales Experience: Minimum of 7-15 years in sales leadership role within specialty food ingredients distribution industry, with a proven track record of driving sales growth and leading teams to consistently exceed targets.

People Management: Strong experience in managing and developing sales teams, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and lead by example.

Sales Strategy: Expertise in developing and implementing sales strategies that drive business growth, including experience in new customer acquisition and expanding share of wallet within existing accounts.

Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of sales metrics and the ability to manage forecasts, pipelines, and budgets.

Communication Skills: Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels and inspire your team to deliver results.

Problem Solving: Ability to analyze market trends, identify obstacles, and find creative solutions to drive business success.

Customer Focus: A customer-centric mindset with the ability to build lasting relationships and address customer needs proactively.

Tools: Proficiency in MS Office and CRM software.

Key Personal Attributes:

Leadership: Strong leadership presence with the ability to drive change, motivate teams, and lead by example.

Results-Oriented: A relentless focus on achieving sales targets and business growth.

Coach & Mentor: Passion for developing others, with a track record of nurturing sales talent and helping team members achieve their potential.

Entrepreneurial Mindset: Proactive and self-driven, with a focus on maximizing business opportunities and achieving goals.

Adaptable: Resilient and adaptable in a fast-paced, competitive environment.

Market Unit Manager (Food & Nutrition)