Regional Sales Manager, U.S. West (Team leader role)

Changing the World, One Kibble at a Time

Champion Petfoods is expanding! We are excited to announce we are looking for a Regional Sales Manager, U.S. West to join our rapidly growing company.

Champion Petfoods is an award-winning pet food maker with a reputation of trust spanning 35+ years. Founded in a small town in Alberta, Canada, Champion – with its ORIJEN® and ACANA® brands – is a key player in the global premium pet food industry across three major geographic regions. Our purpose, To Earn Pet Lover Trust Every Day so Pets Thrive for a Lifetime, provides the foundation for our highest aspirations as a company.

We would love to hear from you if you are passionate about personal and professional growth and see yourself as a key player contributing to our continued success as an award-winning company.

Here’s the scoop - Summary:

The Regional Sales Manager, U.S. West is fluent in Champion’s Vision, Purpose, Values and upholds Champion’s reputation of leadership and trust among distributors, retailers and consumers.  This position is responsible for establishing and maintaining trusting key relationships with distributors and retail partners and supports the National Sales strategy through development of regional budgets, and assisting in hiring, training and development of Territory Representatives. This role has several Territory Representative direct reports, so the successful individual coming into this role will need proven management experience. 

The Regional Sales Manager, U.S. West works out of a home-based office and resides within their region; extensive travel is required.  The position reports directly to the Vice President of Sales U.S. NHP.

What a typical day looks like:

• Establish and maintain trusting key relationships with distributor and retail partners.
• Provide leadership, training, and sales coaching to Territory Sales Representatives.
• Coach and mentor sales representatives to help build their sales portfolios with distributors & retailers.
• Set up and execute key distributor meetings & events.
• Effectively forecast distributor demand.
• Accurately track and actualize trade spending.
• Implement the organization’s merchandising and branding standards.
• Lead the region with inspired sales programming, sales presentations, and product development.
• Develop business plans for key retail accounts and distributors and meet or speak with each monthly.
• Develop and conduct quarterly and yearly business reviews with key distributor and retail partners.
• Support the National Sales strategy through development of regional budgets, assisting in hiring, training and development of Territory Representatives, and support of high performing team principles.
• Consult with distributors, retailers, and industry sources and report product performance, competitor, and industry intelligence.
• Achieve sales quotas and targets and report on deviations.
• In cooperation with the Director of Sales, provide input into product development and business planning.
• Assess market potential and distributor capability.
• Assess and classify retail accounts according to their sales potential.
• Provide leadership in industry trade shows, conferences, and exhibitions.
• Promote awareness and compliance of corporate policies, practices, and procedures with regard to health and safety and environmental issues, and ensure that the business activities of the sales force and contract employees demonstrate a level of professionalism that promotes the Company’s corporate culture and industry image.

What are we looking for?

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years’ sales management experience in pet food or a related industry with distribution network.
• Must have experience managing a field sales team.
• Develop and maintain a strong knowledge base regarding product, competitors, customers, and market activities, and communicating this knowledge in business planning meetings.
• Knowledge of cost analysis, fiscal management, and budgeting techniques.
• Results-oriented with demonstrated business skills related to goal setting, budgeting and reporting, and analytical abilities to assess and interpret results.
• Mathematical abilities to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, volumes, etc., and to manage abstract and concrete variables.
• Enthusiastic and self-motivated sales professional, with strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Industry and product knowledge, honesty, integrity, and trust.