Area Sales Manager

Saint James Iced Tea; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, and Vision insurance

401(k) Plan

Paid Time Off

Paid Company Holidays

Job summary

Saint James Iced Tea in Chicago is seeking an Area Sales Manager to lead the local sales environment, maximize distribution, and boost brand awareness. You will manage store-level execution, work with distributors and retailers, and drive regional account activities.

This role requires solid beverage sales experience, strong organization, and excellent communication. You will train distributor teams, execute promotions, and help build the Saint James presence at activations and events.

Qualifications

• 1–2 years sales experience in beverage industry ideal.
• Experience working with DSDs.
• History of planning and executing sales strategies.
• Proven track record selling into large and small format accounts.
• Strong geographic knowledge of the territory is essential.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook).
• Valid state driver’s license and reliable transportation required.

Responsibilities

• Manage and execute the company’s plan to maximize sales velocities and distribution throughout the region.
• Complete daily sales and merchandising calls on high impact accounts (grocery, mass, convenience).
• Build and maintain partnerships with retailers and DSD distributor teams and operations.
• Educate and train distributor sales teams about Saint James through work-withs and meetings.
• Develop and execute local retailer and DSD programs and incentives.
• Ensure proper execution of promotions at store level including displays and planograms.
• Participate in local/regional drives or sales blitzes to achieve market goals.
• Ensure inventory levels at distributor and retailer.
• Monitor market and competitor activities to maintain a competitive outlook.
• Act as brand ambassador at activations and events.

Skills

Sales experience

DSDs knowledge

Territory management

Communication

Organized

Driver's license

Microsoft Office

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are so much more than an iced tea brand. We’re a passionate group of people dedicated to shaking up the iced tea scene making Iced Tea As It Should Be!! At Saint James, we’re getting the Par-Tea started with our delicious, organic, low sugar iced teas.

What you will do

Self-led, resourceful, and committed to creating the next big product in beverage. Our success depends on our ability to deliver our strategic goals through sales efforts and customer relations.The Area Sales Manager is an influential role within the company. The ASM role is responsible for managing the local/regional sales environment in order to maximize sales and brand awareness. This is achieved in three primary areas: excellent store-level execution, managing the Saint James distributor network against sales goals and objectives, and regional chain account calls.

• Responsible for managing and executing the company’s plan to maximize sales velocities and distribution of Saint James in all channels of business throughout the region
• Complete daily sales and merchandising calls on high impact accounts (incl. grocery, mass and convenience) with a focus on account penetration and development
• Build and maintain partnerships with retailers and DSD distributor sales teams, management operations and administration.
• Educate and train distributor sales teams about Saint James through regularly scheduled “work-withs”, and sales meetings.
• Develop and execute local retailer and DSD programs and incentives.
• Ensure proper execution of all promotional activities at store level- including, but not limited to communication with retailer, securing & building displays, gaining additional product placement (warm & cold), planogram execution, and placement of point of sale
• Participate in local and regional crew drives or sales blitzes in order to achieve market development goals
• Ensure availability of proper inventory levels at distributor and retailer levels
• Monitor the regional market and competitor activities to retain a competitive sales outlook
• Act as an ambassador for the brand towards prospective and established clients at activations and special events

What You Bring

• Always acting with integrity through a “what’s right and best” mindset.
• Positively add to and harness the progressive culture that has already been developed.
• Detail-oriented and focused on doing it right vs. getting it done.
• Self-motivated with proven success in talking to a multitude of people
• Demonstrated success opening and managing large and small store format accounts
• Extremely organized, dependable, and self-motivated
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills
• Demonstrated ability to excel in hands‑on, fast paced entrepreneurial environment
• A strong work ethic, ability to plan and execute a highly productive schedule, desire to succeed, a passion for building a brand

Your Background

• A minimum of 1-2 years sales experience ideally in the beverage industry/sales
• Experience working with DSDs
• History of successful planning and execution of sales strategies
• Demonstrated track record of success selling into large and small format accounts
• Strong geographic knowledge of respective territory is a must
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook)
• Must possess a valid state driver’s license and maintain reliable transportation where required by territory needs

Territory: Chicago, IL

Location: Candidates should reside in the Chicago area.

What We Offer

• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Company Holidays
• 401(k) Plan
• and many more perks

The salary range for this role is $70,000-$85,000 per year, depending on experience, location, and skills.

Saint James is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.