Sales Manager, Independent Retail

It’s more than just water. FIJI Water is known for its iconic square bottle and unique mineral profile. Since 1996, FIJI Water has embodied what it means to be Earth’s Finest Water® and is sold in more than 90 countries. FIJI Water is committed to doing business responsibly and seeking opportunities to make a difference. This means investing in sustainability, the environment, and local communities to enable positive change. You may know us for our FIJI Water, but we are much more than that, we also are Justin Wines, Landmark Wines, JNSQ, Lewis Cellars, Wonderful Pistachios, POM Wonderful Juice, and Wonderful Halos, but we’re all one Wonderful Company.

The Sales Manager – Independent Retail is a key player on the FIJI Water Team and is expected to be a strategic, proactive creative problem solver and with a demonstrated track record of professional & persuasive sales skills. We are looking for someone who understands healthy, high-quality products, has a positive attitude, and embraces the challenge of capturing opportunities. As the Sales Manager – Independent Retail, you will be managing assigned Chain Retailers, Broadliners and DSD customers with the goal of growing the entire Wonderful portfolio of sales, share of mind, and retail execution. This individual must be able to collaborate with internal cross-functional teams within The Wonderful Company and provide first class customer service to our business partners. This position reports to the Sales Director – Independent Retail – West.

This role is remote-based, but the ideal candidate is required to reside in Northern California, Colorado, or Idaho.

The Sales Manager has responsibility over FIJI Water, Justin and Landmark Wine, and Wonderful Pistachios, as the main contact between assigned Independent small and large format Chain customers. 

• Manage all assigned chain retailers, non-exclusive Direct Store Delivery (DSD) and broadliner partners with the goal of increasing share of mind and retail execution
• Deliver fact-based presentations that incorporate actionable insights to retailers, distributors and internal customers. 
• Develop, deliver, execute, and participate in sales meetings with appropriate frequency to increase distribution, programming, and feature activity.
• Ensures that merchandising, assortment, pricing, and shelving objectives are consistently achieved that align with portfolio/brand strategy, account objectives, and efficient trade spending
• Communicate top level brand priorities, brand performance, category/market insights to internal and external customers
• Execute and close all sales meetings 
• Evaluate and Negotiate CMAs
• Strong P&L discipline
• Strong retail presence: sell in incremental displays, equipment, promotional programs and ensure dealer compliance while in all stores. 
• Execute days “in the trade” visiting accounts alongside FIJI Water Retail Execution Team (RTE), distributor representatives or independently.
• Proficient with analyzing, interpreting and communicating Power BI, VIP IDIG, IRI to both internal and external customers.
• Pricing analytics skillset a plus
• Transport, replace and maintain Point of Sale advertising as appropriate for account
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong collaboration with internal cross functional departments (I.E. Retail Trade Execution Team, Marketing, Operations)
• Travel up to 50%
• Being able to identify and close new business opportunities as well as SKU expansion opportunities within existing accounts is a must

Qualifications

• 5+ years of food and/or beverage sales experience including distributor management and key account management
• BS/BA degree in business or finance related field highly preferred
• Experience utilizing syndicated data to build fact based selling stories to achieve goals (Nielsen, IRI, Mintel, etc.)
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize and organize in a fast-paced environment.
• Positive attitude with a team mentality that is flexible and adaptable to changing business needs.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret and communicate key conclusions.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office (i.e. Excel, PowerPoint)
• Strong presentation skills, selling to customer needs, and building/developing relationships are a must
• Sales Planning – evaluating post event analysis and implementing key findings with the customer
• Customer service mindset to ensure internal/external partners receive quality sales support.

Pay Rate: $95,000 and may include a discretionary bonus. Final compensation will be dependent upon skills & experience. Additionally, this position is eligible for a monthly mileage reimbursement. 

Additional Information

• Competitive benefits package including Medical (including 24/7 online access to a physician), Vision, Dental and 401k with match eligibility
• Opportunities for development and internal mobility
• Manager and leadership training, biweekly L&OD webinars, and eLearning offerings
• Companywide problem solving and continuous improvement training
• Wonderful Giving (wonderfulgiving.com) – allowing you to donate company money to a cause of your choice
• Company prioritizes wellness through its Wonderful NOW (Nourish Our Wellness) initiative, which provides a robust suite of wellness offerings such as access to mental health resources and life coaching, employee community groups, cash rewards for healthy habits, and on-demand fitness videos

FIJI® Water, natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the No. 1 premium imported bottled water in the United States. Since its inception in 1996, FIJI Water has been committed to doing business responsibly and seeking opportunities to make a difference. That means investing in sustainability, the environment and local communities, while focusing on meaningful issues with like-minded partners to enable positive change. The FIJI Water Foundation is a charitable trust funded and supported by the owners, employees, and corporate affiliates of FIJI Water, with a focus on sustainability and improving the lives of native Fijians since 2007.

To discover Earth’s Finest Water®, please visit  like us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram or Twitter.

From California’s Central Valley to the islands of Fiji, our philanthropy is centered around the people and communities where we live and work – improving education, health care, economic mobility, and environmental sustainability. For more information on The Wonderful Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, click here.

The Wonderful Company is an Equality Opportunity Employer that provides opportunities for advancement. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce that embodies a deep culture of acceptance, equity, and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories.

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