Bachelor's degree in business, Marketing, Food Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
5+ years of B2B sales experience in consumer food manufacturing; private label experience preferred
Strong knowledge of the Canadian grocery/retail landscape, especially with major retailers
Proficiency in sales competencies like forecasting, deductions management, and project management
Consultative, creative, and partnership-oriented sales approach
Entrepreneurial spirit with a proactive mindset
Ability to manage ambiguity and work independently or in teams
Bilingual in English and French, both written and spoken
Responsibilities
Develop customer partnerships by understanding their strategic goals and becoming a key resource for growth opportunities
Analyze client portfolios to identify areas where private label manufacturing can add value
Drive sustainable growth by managing pricing strategies and controlling compliance issues
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure customer priorities are met and executed effectively
Lead complex RFPs and new product projects from concept to launch
Benefits
Opportunity to work in a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment
Engagement with major retailers and brand owners
Access to a diverse range of projects and product innovations
Collaboration with cross-functional teams to enhance professional growth
Potential for career advancement within a growing international business unit
Full Job Description
Key Account Manager, Quebec & Eastern Region
Bi-lingual Language Proficiency in English & French Required
We are seeking a pair of high-caliber Key Account Manager for our Canadian and International business unit with a mandate to drive profitable and sustainable revenue and volume growth. This will be accomplished primarily by fostering and expanding existing accounts and leveraging an entrepreneurial spirit to continuously seek new manufacturing partnerships.
In this role, you will not just sell a product. You will be selling our depth of knowledge, manufacturing capabilities, our high food quality and safety standards, and overall supply chain reliability. You will act as a strategic consultant to major retailers and brand owners, guiding them from initial product concept and formulation through to commercial production. Core responsibilities include:
Customer partnership development: Know and understand your customer's strategic intent within the category. Become your customer's "go-to" resource for category growth opportunities, whether opportunistic or strategic. Establish the right expectations and drive both organizations to consistently meet and exceed those expectations.
Consultative selling: Analyze client portfolios to identify gaps where our private label manufacturing capabilities (e.g., custom formulation, packaging innovations, cost efficiencies) can add value.
Drive profitable, sustainable growth: Drive volume and accretive margin, manage customer's internal revenue and EBITA expectations by expertly implementing product pricing strategies and control deductions and compliance fines.
Cross-functional collaboration: Partner closely with key cross-functional teams including: Commercialization, R&D, Quality Assurance, Operations, and Procurement to ensure each customer priority is expertly managed and executed. This includes, but is not limited to, the servicing of the customer's everyday business needs, and project pipeline management.
Project Pipeline Management: Collaboratively lead complex, long-cycle RFPs (Requests for Proposals) and new product projects from concept development through to regulatory approval and commercial launch
Bachelor's degree in business, Marketing, Food Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent industry experience).
5+ years of proven B2B sales experience in consumer food manufacturing required. Private label / contract manufacturing experience preferred.
Strong working knowledge and experience within the Canadian grocery / retail landscape including strong working experience with at-least one of the five major grocery and club channel retailers in Canada.
Strong proficiency in essential sales competencies including, but not limited to sales forecasting, deductions management, project management and working collaboratively with cross-functional teams to maximize sales through the expert management of materials availability.
Demonstrated success with a sales approach that is consultative, creative, collaborative, solutions oriented and partnership minded.
Entrepreneurial spirit with a bias for action and breaking-down barriers.
Demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity effectively.
Ability to work expertly in both team environments and as an individual.
Bilingual language proficiency, written and spoken, in the English and French languages is required
About Shearer's Foods
Shearer's Foods is a leading manufacturer of snack foods in North America. The company produces a wide range of products, including potato chips, tortilla chips, popcorn, and other snack foods. Shearer's Foods was founded in 1974 in Massillon, Ohio, and has since grown to become one of the largest snack food manufacturers in the United States. The company operates 11 manufacturing facilities across the country and employs over 5,000 people. Shearer's Foods is committed to sustainability and has implemented a number of initiatives to reduce its environmental impact.
