Account Manager - Food/Nutrition Raw Ingredients

Airbus; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid parental leave

Education assistance program

Employee assistance program

Healthcare plan options and 401(k)

Job summary

Brenntag North America, Inc. is seeking an Account Manager to lead sales efforts in the Chicago territory.

The role focuses on consultative selling to maximize gross profit and customer satisfaction, with emphasis on cross- and range-selling to existing clients and new leads. Responsibilities include conducting frequent customer visits, developing sales plans, and coordinating with product/ pricing teams to deliver optimal solutions.

Qualifications

• Preferably post-secondary education with a focus in Business, Science or equivalent.
• Experience in chemical distribution business, preferably in a sales role (3–5 years).

Responsibilities

• Meet sales objectives and focus on customer retention as well as improving overall customer satisfaction (also through digital channels).
• Identify customer potentials and engage stakeholders for cross- and range-selling.
• Set growth strategies and targets for customers in the territory (sales plan) and align with Sales Manager.
• Frequently conduct customer visits and prepare meetings using all available tools and reports; coordinate, negotiate and close proposals.
• Manage spot business/rush offers; seek support from Commercial Assistant when needed.
• Liaise with stakeholders to create timely solutions and extract maximum value (Pricing topics).
• Act as major point of contact to customers in the assigned territory in all commercial matters.
• Conduct market studies on potential new product opportunities by contacting customers.
• Leverage CRM/Connect tools to generate and maximize sales.
• New Customer Generation: spot opportunities and nurture leads through the pipeline.
• Sales & General Admin: update pipelines, run reporting, and maintain data quality.
• Know-How Management: stay current on product knowledge and market developments.

Skills

Consultative selling

Cross-selling

Customer retention

Face-to-face selling

Sales planning

Education

Post-secondary education (Business/Science)

Tools

CRM system

Job description

YOUR ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

Must have experience with raw ingredient and distribution sales.

Job Summary

Account Managers are responsible for managing the overall sales efforts in their assigned territory to maximize sales and profit. They must utilize frequent face-to-face and/or telephone contact in a consultative sales approach to ensure the satisfaction of customer needs. They must identify selling opportunities and assertively act upon the opportunities that offer maximum potential and/or gross profit - both with existing customers through cross- and range-selling as well as with new leads. They must uphold Brenntag's core values and focus on customer excellence in all regards every day.

Job Description

Customer Business Development (70%)

• Meet sales objectives and focus on customer retention as well as improving overall customer satisfaction (also through digital channels).
• Identify customer potentials, i.e., opportunities for cross- and range-selling to existing customers and engage relevant stakeholders (e.g., Brenntag Specialties sales staff).
• Set strategies and targets for growth of customers in assigned territory (sales plan); align with Sales Manager.
• Frequently conduct customer visits and prepare the meetings using all available tools and reports, coordinate, negotiate and close proposals.
• Manage spot business/rush offers, get support from Commercial Assistant when necessary.
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders to create in a timely manner the best solution for the customer and extract maximum value (e.g., Sales Management/Product Management for Pricing topics).
• Act as major point of contact to customers in assigned territory in all commercial matters.
• Conduct market studies on potential new product opportunities by contacting customers to gather interest and test market demand.
• Leverage Brenntag Connect to generate and maximize sales.

New Customer Generation (10%)

• Spot opportunities for launching sales projects in cooperation with other departments like Product Management.
• Identify and prioritize prospective customers.
• Get in contact with prospects and involve relevant stakeholders to nurture leads down the pipeline.
• Liaise with Brenntag Specialties sales staff on customers with new Brenntag Essentials business opportunities.

Sales & General Admin (15%)

• Set and maximize prices considering value-based pricing and customer segmentation within guidelines provided by Product Management.
• Ensure appropriate data administration and documentation of all business cases in the local CRM system (e.g., post processing of visits, creation of customer projects).
• Update and maintain customer opportunity pipelines and potentials in the CRM system.
• Complete sales and revenue-related reporting.
• Drive commercial and functional excellence based on guidance/input from Commercial Excellence Function.
• Provide regular forecasts of product demand from customers to Product Management to optimize projected demand requirements.

Know-How Management (5% to-be)

• Maintain an up-to-date level of product knowledge, e.g., via training.
• Keep up to date with changes and updates in the product portfolio and in the market.
• Keep up to date on feedstock and upstream developments that impact product price movements.

Your Profile Education and Experience

Preferably Post-Secondary Education with a focus in Business, Science or equivalent. Experience in the chemical distribution business, preferably in a sales capacity (3 to 5 years previous experience in sales role).

OUR OFFER

• Paid parental leave
• Education assistance program
• Employee assistance program
• Various healthcare plan options as well as 401(k)

Brenntag provides equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees of all backgrounds and identities to create a workplace where difference is valued because it forms a resilient and more innovative organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion or belief, parental and family status, or any other protected characteristic. We welcome applications from women, men and non-binary candidates of all ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.

Brenntag North America, Inc. and its subsidiaries use E-verify, a government-run, web-based system that allows employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. For more information, please go to https://www.e-verify.gov/employees or view the poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster.pdf.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on this site as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting Human Resources at [e-mail].

Brenntag TA Team

Brenntag is the leading global distributor of chemicals and ingredients, committed to connecting customers and suppliers within networks. Through our product knowledge, innovation, and sustainable solutions, combined with our passion for service excellence and commitment to safety. Headquartered in Essen, Germany, and with more than 17,500 experts at about 600 locations in 72 countries, our two global divisions, Brenntag Essentials and Brenntag Specialties, offer a full range of industrial and specialty chemicals and ingredients. Therefore, our clients and partners can count on us for global reach combined with local agility and execution. As an employer, we embrace diversity and foster a sense of community and collaboration in an environment where employees are encouraged to share ideas and work together. We engage our employees in the company’s mission for collective success, by building long-term stability and safety through trust and clarity across the organization. We believe in empowering our employees to reach their full potential and shape the future. For more information, please visit www.brenntag.com