Sales Manager Job Listing at Safeway in Pleasanton, CA (Job ID 125705)

Food & Beverage, Retail

Safeway Inc., a Fortune 100 Company, is one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America with 1,600+ stores. The Safeway family of brands includes some of the most prominent brands in food retailing, with a growing base of loyal shoppers. Thanks to the professionalism, diversity, spirit and friendliness of our people, we have locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Lucerne Foods (LFI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeway, focuses on selling products out of the Safeway owned and operated manufacturing facilities throughout North America. LFI’s business-to-business (B2B) sales model is centered on selling co-pack products to CPG food companies as well as private label and control label category solutions to retailers and distributors outside of Safeway.

Diversity is fundamental at Safeway/Lucerne Foods Inc. We foster an inclusive working environment where the different strengths and perspectives of each employee is both recognized and valued. We believe that building successful relationships with our customers and our communities is only possible through the diversity of our people. And a diverse workforce leads to better teamwork and creative thinking, as well as mutual understanding and respect

Lucerne Foods, Inc, has an opening for a Sales Manager to sell dairy, ice cream, bakery, beverage, and other grocery products to retailers and distributors in the Southwestern United States with an emphasis on the Southern California and Phoenix, Arizona markets. This position is located in Pleasanton, California.

Position Purpose:
The Southwestern Sales Manager will focus on selling private label and control label solutions to conventional, value grocery and drug channels as well as distributors in the Southwest. This position requires the ability to sell multiple food categories with a strategic focus on fluid dairy, cultured (yogurt, sour cream), ice cream, cold fill beverages, cookies and crackers, salsas, jams/jellies, and sauces. The Sales Manager will have a strong target focus on the fastest growing market segment in the Southwest, the Hispanic/ethnic markets.

Qualifications:
•4-year college degree or equivalent experience in the food beverage industry
•5-7 years experience in outside sales preferred
•Successful track record and knowledge in selling and marketing to the grocery and private label food industry
•Experience and knowledge of private label programs
•Experience working with and managing Brokers and Distributors
•High-degree of initiative and sense of urgency
•Strong oral and written communication skills
•Strong critical thinking and quantitative skills desired
•Manufacturing and/or operations experience desired
•Bilingual (English/Spanish) language skills desired
•Proficient knowledge in Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
•Expand LFI customer base within assigned territory or responsibilities by prospecting, qualifying and selling to new customers, with focus on Southern California and other Southwest markets
•Sell Private Label Control Brand products out of our Bakery, Dairy, Beverage, Ice Cream and Grocery plants
•Penetrate management/decision-makers levels at existing and new customers and build relationships.
•Grow existing customers by effectively managing customer portfolio
•Manage brokers as required to achieve sales goals.
•Overall administration and management of assigned accounts
•Create and present sales proposals and quarterly customer business reviews
•Analyze available data to propose recommendations to customers and internal management
•Interact on a daily basis with company manufacturing plants, finance, operations and other functional areas
•Handle special projects or other related assignments as directed
•Able to navigate in a highly structured corporate environment while remaining entrepreneurial, creative, and nimble
•Business travel as required - approximately 50%.

Respond to: Interested candidates are encouraged to submit a resume by visiting www.careersatsafeway.com.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER