Regional Sales Manager - Natural Channel West

We're Califia Farms (Califia, pronounced like California), the plant-powered food and beverage company of the future. Our mission is to innovate delicious plant-powered foods for mindful nourishment. We're led by beverage visionary Greg Steltenpohl, crafting, concocting and cold-brewing beautifully bottled goodness from the San Joaquin Valley. Our name comes from the Spanish legend of warrior Queen Califia, the goddess of bounty and abundance who ruled over the mythical island of California. We make our daily decisions using these six core values: Do, Learn Improve; Act Like an Owner; Challenge the Status Quo; The Bottle is Half Full; We, Not I; and Using our Sixth Sense (being conscious of our impact on others and the planet).

In a snapshot:

• Founded in 2010

• 250+ full time staff and contracted employee

• Headquarters in Downtown L.A. Arts District and Manufacturing in Bakersfield, CA

• We believe in **Shared Leadership **where team members are heard and leadership is broadly distributed

• We are committed to our people and to our communities' sustainability

Responsibilities

SUMMARY
As a member of the Califia Farms Sales Team, the Region Sales Manager – Natural & Specialty West, is responsible for driving distribution and sales within the critically important Natural & Specialty class of trade throughout the Western US. The position exists to drive sales, build market share, and increase brand awareness while establishing long-term relationships with distributors, brokers, and key customers within the Natural & Specialty Channel. The Region Sales Manager reports to the Vice President of Sales, Natural & Specialty Channel.

JOB DUTIES
Customer Focus

• Manage a small team on the west coast to build the Califia brand in their respective SPINS geographies.
• Meet / exceed annual revenue and profit goals for all company’s products in the Region.
• Have a “hunter” mentality in prospecting and selling customers in the region within the key natural and specialty retailers.
• Responsible for managing key Natural & Specialty accounts in the Western US (Gelson’s, Erewhon, New Season, PCC, Natural Grocers, Lucky’s, Bristol Farms, Lassen’s), but not WFM or Sprouts.
• Must have an existing strong relationship with major Natural Channel Retailers in the Western US.
• Maximize sales and distribution of products to targeted customers through the execution of best-in-class Merchandising, Assortment, Pricing, Shelving (MAPS).
• Review existing client base and create a customer review process. Execute an annual calendar of client's headquarter visits and business reviews with existing and prospective customers.
• On-going tracking and improvement of key performance indicators including ACV, % ACV Distribution, Average Items Carried, Item Penetration, Market Share, Sales per Point of Distribution, Total Points of Distribution, and Velocity.
• Develop the natural sales channel with current and new product lines. Establish senior level contacts, win and manage new customers of strategic importance and ultimately high value to Califia Farms.
• Make effective sales and marketing program presentations to decision makers at the headquarter level.
• Manage the sales agency partners as it relates to merchandising goals and targets at retail within Natural & Specialty retailers.
• Work with Califia distribution team to assure smooth execution of Key Account programs, promotions and distribution.
• Experience with CRM tools such as Salesforce and automated trade spend systems such as AFS or AR7.
• Be an advocate for the business: Position Region for profitable growth; address customer and distribution channels; improve existing client base; analyze target customers, pricing, margins and product lines by customer, etc. Use objective tools, syndicated data (i.e. IRI and SPINS) and distributor depletion reports to manage and verify progress.

Financial

• Manage and control Region working Trade Spend budgets to expected results.
• Manage pricing and contract concessions to guidelines as outlined by sales management.
• Achieves satisfactory sales, profit and market share performance of company’s products and services to budgeted standards.
• Manage and control Region expense & travel budgets to expected results.

Management

• Lead and manage a small team to achieve company goals and develop their skill sets for future career growth opportunities within the company.
• Create, plan their work schedules within limits assigned and oriented towards achieving sales and customer retention goals.
• Create Merchandising goals in order to achieve company’s tactical sales and promotional plans.
• Create Broker goals in order to achieve company’s tactical sales and promotional plans.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• A minimum of five years' sales experience in the Natural Products Industry
• Must have people/team management experience
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Exceptional leadership and motivational skills are important as is entrepreneurial flair and flexibility. This is a fast moving and complex business that will test your emotional resilience, positive motivation, and personal drive.
• Unquestioned personal and business integrity, high ethical standards and a highly professional approach to their relationships and their position.
• A self-directed, self-starter who can work well in a fast paced, “roll up your sleeves” work environment; must be able to operate autonomously in a dynamic environment.
• Full competence in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint)

Califia Farms is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Califia Farms is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

How to apply