Regional Sales Manager, North Central

Finding the right place to grow your career isn’t (over) easy, so we’re here to help by sharing a few reasons why the grass is greener at Vital Farms. We think you’ll appreciate our focus on Conscious Capitalism, which drives business decisions that benefit all our stakeholders (leading to even better business results). You might be drawn to our innovative approach and refusal to settle for the “way things have always been done.” Or you could find it exciting to grow your skills while working for an industry-leading brand. Whether you’re into our values, our brand, or our egg-cellent puns, we hope you’ll join our Crew and help us change the world 108 square feet at a time!

At Vital Farms, we are proud of our incredible stakeholders, and the diversity they represent from all areas and communities in which we operate and serve. We view this as a source of strength for us and your job is to help us make it even better.

Your Role:

Reporting to the Director of Sales, Central, this individual will grow our grocery presence in a critically undeveloped region for Vital Farms – the north central part of the U.S. This region has a major opportunity for development with the right candidate and features unique retailers, diverse needs, and personalities, as well as strong competition. A successful candidate will have strong sales experience building customer specific business plans and strategies, establishing relationships internally and externally, and creating solutions to drive positive sales results. Collaboration with Business Development and the cross-functional HQ team (marketing, shopper marketing, supply chain, finance) is critical to both success and Vital Farms culture. 

What You'll Do:

• Manage headquarter sales calls for key North Central region existing/potential customers and distributors
• Build and maintain rapport with key distributors and customers; identify new customer opportunities
• Build a strategic and collaborative annual trade promotion calendar for each customer
• Track weekly consumption, distribution, pricing, and sales to continuously achieve forecast accuracy
• Create meaningful presentations for category reviews using category, brand, and item insights to capitalize on opportunities
• Develop, manage, and support a broker partner network, including setting standards, ensure execution, and conduct regular business reviews
• Accurate and timely forecasts for expected demand, trade plan, and promotional trade spend
• Partner with marketing on impactful shopper programs at strategic accounts
• Manage category reviews across dairy and other categories to maximize and advance Vital Farms innovation and existing items in retail accounts
• Perform retail level store checks in all markets as needed to ensure execution of initiatives and uncover opportunities
• Attend trade shows to represent the brand and develop sales opportunities
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships at key customers at the category manager level and engage in appropriate top to top interactions  
• Management of Vital Farms entire portfolio of ethically produced products  

What You Bring to the Table:

• Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) preferred
• 5+ years of grocery sales and account management experience in the food industry; Dairy or Refrigerated experience preferred
• Must have demonstrated experience calling on MULO accounts throughout the Central U.S. Preference given to candidates with experience working with the following accounts:
  • Target or Walmart
  • Hy-Vee
  • Schnucks
  • Heinens
  • Dutch Farms 

• Established relationships and demonstrated success working with key retailer accounts, and distributor relationships, including UNFI and KeHE
• Ability to plan and manage at both the strategic and operational levels
• Working knowledge and keen understanding of SPINS, IRI, Nielsen and other syndicated data platforms, experience with Target POL or Retail Link preferred 
• Broker management experience required
• Ability to travel as needed for customer top-to-top's, appointments, etc. (anticipate 25-50% travel) Mid to North Central area preferred, must be located near a major airport
• Proven ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively
• Highly adaptable & resourceful
• Proven sales track record in a new product/new market environment
• Proficient in Trade Analytics (selling price, margins, etc.)
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, and Word)
• Excellent skills in the following areas: listening, presentation, negotiation, analysis, customer service, selling, communication, organization
• You’re no hero – You know the power of teamwork and celebrate the work of others before your own.
• You give a sh*t – You believe in acting like an owner and making Vital Farms a place to be proud of.  
• You raise the standards – You know growth can be hard, but you strive to improve yourself and others each day.
• You can walk in someone else’s boots – You seek to understand other’s viewpoints and think that you get to better answers by sitting on the same side of the table.
•  You don’t walk on eggshells – You’re not afraid to leave the bullsh*t behind and have honest conversations.  

What We Bring to the Table:

• A fast-paced, energetic, remote environment with passionate people who are leading a movement to bring ethically produced food to the table.
• Competitive pay and benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, and Paid Parental Leave, just to name a few).
• Generous retirement contributions: 401(k) + 3% Contribution from Day 1.
• Annual bonus and equity grant (subject to business results and company approval)
• Free eggs and butter, along with friends and family discounts.
• Fun team SWAG that will make you the talk of the town.
• Professional development opportunities and an amazing team dedicated to your growth.

At Vital Farms, compensation decisions are dependent upon a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to, skill level, experience, education, training, market demands, and business needs. A reasonable estimate of the current starting annual base salary for this position is $120,000 - $140,000. Please keep in mind that hiring at the maximum end of the range would not be typical in order to allow for potential continued future salary growth.