ABOUT ROLAND FOODS

Roland Foods, based in New York City, specializes in importing high-quality specialty food products from more than 40 countries. Founded in Paris in 1934 and established in the U.S. in 1939, the Company provides customers with exceptional specialty foods, primarily offered under the Roland brand. The company has a national presence in the foodservice, retail, and industrial channels as well as international sales in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Roland Foods’ dedication to providing quality and consistency has made it a leader among food importers and suppliers. The Roland brand is synonymous with quality for the consumer and chef alike.

Roland Foods is majority-owned by Vestar Capital Partners, a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm that focuses on Consumer, Healthcare, and Business Services and Industrial Products.


ABOUT THE ROLE

Roland Foods is excited and committed to growing our Foodservice sales team, and we are seeking an experienced and motivated sales professional to lead our West region.  The Regional Sales Director (RSD) is a quota-carrying sales and leadership position.  This is a true player-coach role with revenue accountability for the West region.  The ideal candidate demonstrates significant food service sales experience, a results-driven mindset, and a desire to win.  Expectations include deploying the right talent, driving accountability, and maximizing regional growth while executing corporate sales strategies and initiatives.

The Roland Foods sales team is dedicated to working across multiple business segments; including distributors, local, regional, and nationally positioned end users to maintain current business while driving growth through collaboration focused on solutions, ideas, and products.  You will work with a dynamic team dedicated to providing the highest quality of products while developing meaningful and strategic partnerships with our valued customers. 

Location: This is a remote role expected to be local to the West Coast of the US.


 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the Roland Foods West Region (sales team/customers/revenue) by overseeing the creation and execution of customer plans with high integrity

  • Oversee the selling process and sales team to deliver net sales expectations
  • Focus on Tier 1 customer accounts through interactions with customer leadership teams, buyers, category managers, and other decision-makers to drive growth
  • Assist the regional team in developing individual sales plans to achieve overall regional growth targets
  • Coordinate with local and regional distributors to effectively service operators while maintaining exceptional service levels
  • Management of existing and new programs for customers (e.g. pricing, rebates, and sampling)
  • Collaborate and partner with internal teams to help develop sales strategies and solutions (e.g. Strategy, Revenue Management, Strategic Sourcing, and Supply Chain)
  • Participate in demand planning to monitor forecast versus plans
  • Identify when plan adjustments are needed based on monthly and quarterly sales volumes
  • Provide ad-hoc reports and presentations for sales leadership
  • Review monthly and quarterly sales volumes versus the plan for each market


Build deep and strategic relationships with customers

  • Cultivate and manage profitable relationships with customers
  • Engage sales leadership as necessary (i.e., bring in SVP of Sales, CSO, CEO, Marketing, Culinary Teams, etc.)
  • Develop a clear understanding of the customer’s organizational/ decision-making structure to maneuver effectively within the organization
  • Deliver customer business reviews and category performance presentations
  • Participate in long-term planning and execution with customer leadership


Build cross-functional support by collaborating with front-line and senior levels in the organization

  • Communicate with Executive Leadership, Strategy, Revenue Management, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain, and People and Culture to lead aligned execution of how Roland Foods goes to market
  • Represent the West regional sales team by truly understanding the day-to-day details and customer interactions to help develop and influence strategic decisions that affect the company


Strategically manage the sales team to maximize results

  • Deploy team resources/talent to maximize effective business plan delivery across National Accounts, National/Regional distributors, and street business customers
  • Actively look for business development opportunities and coordinate approach accordingly (e.g., private label, cross-business/channel) – should have a hunting mindset
  • Provide insights from the sales field back to the Strategy and Supply Chain teams
  • Build and maintain a strong culture within the team to boost morale across the organization
  • Set and communicate clear objectives for the team and individual team members
  • Manage team budgets for salaries, travel, and entertainment


Team development and leadership

  • Identify, recruit, and retain a balanced and diverse team based on member/candidate strengths and
  • role fit supported by relevant knowledge, skills, and experience
  • Provide the foundation for team effectiveness by creating and maintaining team processes
  • Apply training and coaching effectively for individual and team development
  • Complete performance evaluations for direct reports


Key performance metrics

  • Delivery of the business plans across customers to meet or exceed regional net sales targets
  • Individual quota attainment for new opportunity wins
  • Management capability (organizational health, attrition %) – people development
  • Quantifiable achievement of personal and team goals

 


QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

Required

  • 10+ years of sales experience 
  • 5+ years of experience in the food industry; particularly selling in foodservice
  • General understanding of P&L and forecasting abilities
  • Proven leadership capabilities
  • Strong administrative and organizational skills with experience using a CRM program preferably Salesforce required
  • Strong communication and presentation skills in front of groups of all sizes

Preferred

  • Bachelor’s Degree and/or Culinary Arts Degree
  • Experience using a trade promotions program (TPM)
  • Ability to create executive-level presentations
  • Organized, detail-oriented with strong technical writing skills
  • Ability to travel up to 60%


 

SALARY RANGE

Roland Foods hires exceptional people to perform a wide variety of important functions that contribute to the success of the Company. One of the ways Roland Foods does that is through a competitive compensation package. The base salary for this role will be $120,000 - $155,000.

This role is bonus eligible

Based on your qualifications, previous experience, and transferrable skills, the Company will determine at its sole discretion, the salary offered.


 

Founded by immigrants, Roland Foods knows that diversity is the spice of life. We believe in the power of food to open minds, spark adventure, and bring diverse people together.  All are welcome at our table! We know the transformative value of food in individual lives and communities. Because of this, we insist on obtaining the highest-quality ingredients and talent!

Roland Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Roland Foods considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Roland Foods is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at peopleandculture@rolandfoods.com.

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