The Director, Retail Tortilla Sales & Distributor Network is responsible for leading the overall sales strategy, distribution strategy, and profitable growth of the company's retail tortilla business and distributor network. This position is accountable for driving revenue, market share, distribution expansion, customer development, and retail execution across conventional, natural, club, specialty, and distributor-managed retail channels.
The Director leads a team of Customer Development Managers and Territory Sales Representatives and serves as the primary commercial leader for distributor partners, key retail customers, brokers, and cross-functional stakeholders. This role is responsible for developing and executing strategic business plans, identifying new distribution opportunities, optimizing route-to-market strategies, and ensuring strong marketplace execution across all territories.
The position requires strong leadership capabilities, financial acumen, strategic planning expertise, customer management skills, and experience building high-performing sales organizations within the consumer-packaged goods industry.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Sales and Business Strategy
- Develop and execute annual sales plans and long-term growth strategies for the Mi Rancho retail business.
- Establish sales objectives, distribution goals, and market share targets aligned with company objectives.
- Serve as the commercial leader for the retail tortilla business and distributor business, developing strategies to achieve revenue, profit, market share, and distribution objectives.
- Lead the development of annual operating plans and long-range growth strategies for the retail tortilla business and distributor network.
- Analyze category trends, customer insights, competitive activity, and market opportunities to drive business growth.
- Lead annual business planning, sales forecasting, and budgeting processes.
- Monitor and evaluate business performance and implement corrective actions as needed.
Distributor Management and Distribution Development
- Lead DSD distribution strategy and execution across North America.
- Develop and lead the overall distributor network strategy, including evaluation, onboarding, performance management, capability development, and long-term growth planning for DSD and broadline distribution partners.
- Establish strategic priorities and performance expectations for distributor partnerships while ensuring effective execution through the sales organization.
- Identify and secure new distribution opportunities to expand market coverage and improve execution.
- Ensure distributor alignment with company sales objectives, service expectations, and growth initiatives.
Customer Development and Account Management
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with key retail customers, distributors, brokers, and strategic partners.
- Provide strategic oversight and executive support for key customer relationships, annual business planning, pricing strategies, contract negotiations, and customer growth initiatives.
- Establish customer growth priorities and strategic direction while partnering with Customer Development Managers to develop and execute account-specific business plans.
- Collaborate with customers and distributors to execute category growth initiatives and drive mutual business success.
- Partner with internal teams to ensure customer expectations are met while balancing company objectives.
Leadership and Talent Development
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of Customer Development Managers and Territory Sales Representatives.
- Establish performance expectations and accountability measures that support business objectives.
- Conduct performance reviews, development planning, succession planning, and employee coaching.
- Develop organizational capability by coaching leaders, identifying talent needs, and implementing succession and development plans that support long-term business growth.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, customer focus, and accountability.
- Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing sales talent.
New Business Development
- Evaluate emerging markets, channels, customers, and distribution opportunities.
- Identify, evaluate, and secure new distributor partnerships and route-to-market opportunities that support long-term growth objectives.
- Lead strategic market expansion initiatives, including distributor selection, market prioritization, and go-to-market planning.
- Partner with cross-functional teams to successfully implement new business initiatives.
Financial Management
- Manage sales budgets, pricing strategies, trade investments, and customer profitability.
- Deliver revenue, margin, and profit objectives for the Mi Rancho business.
- Analyze financial results and recommend actions to improve growth and profitability.
- Ensure accurate forecasting and effective management of sales expenses and investments.
- Evaluate the financial impact and return on investment of business development and customer initiatives.
- Provide financial leadership through annual operating plan development, forecasting, resource allocation, and profitability management.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Marketing, Customer Service, and Product Development teams to support business objectives.
- Provide market and customer insights to support innovation, product development, and portfolio strategy.
- Ensure alignment between commercial objectives and operational capabilities.
- Participate in strategic initiatives that improve organizational effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
Education
- Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or related field required.
- MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Experience
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive sales experience within consumer-packaged goods, food manufacturing, or related industries.
- Minimum of 5 years of sales leadership and people management experience.
- Proven experience managing distributor relationships and retail sales channels.
- Demonstrated success developing sales strategies and delivering profitable growth.
- Experience with DSD distribution models and route-to-market management preferred.
- Strong experience in customer development, contract negotiations, forecasting, and business planning.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong leadership and team development skills.
- Strategic thinking and business planning capabilities.
- Advanced financial and analytical skills.
- Strong customer relationship management and negotiation skills.
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
- Ability to analyze data and translate findings into actionable business strategies.
- Strong organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and sales planning tools.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Directly manage Customer Development Managers and Territory Sales Representatives.
- Provide leadership, direction, performance management, and professional development for assigned team members.
- Build and lead a high-performing retail sales organization through coaching, talent development, succession planning, performance management, and organizational design.
- Lead and influence brokers, distributor sales teams, and other external partners to drive business objectives.
Working Conditions and Physical Effort:
- Typical work in office environment.
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be able to lift up and carry 15 pounds at times.
- Travel on an as-needed basis, which may vary depending on business requirements (~25%).
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Expectations:
- Will demonstrate, promote, and exemplify the Company’s Core Values
At C.H. Guenther, we value transparency in compensation. By providing the salary range for this role, we aim to promote fairness and help candidates make informed choices about their career. The salary range for this role is:
$141,000.00 - $225,600.00 USD
Actual compensation may vary based on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as geographic location.
C.H. Guenther & Son will never offer or pay a wage or salary that is not compliant with applicable local, state, or federal pay laws, including minimum salary thresholds.
We also offer a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, retirement savings options, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance programs, educational assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays.
For additional information about our company, go to www.chg.com.
