Director, Commercial Feed Sales

WESTERN MILLING; Visalia (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

WESTERN MILLING is seeking a senior leader to direct the Commercial Feed sales organization across California, with a focus on the SJV region. You will set sales goals, shape the team structure, and drive growth through key customer partnerships and strategic programs.

The role requires deep industry knowledge, strong leadership, and collaboration across marketing, nutrition, operations, and logistics to deliver margin and value.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field required.
• 10+ years in animal feed sales in California/SJV.
• Strong knowledge of California market and feed products.
• Proficient in MS Office and Adobe Acrobat.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Strategic thinker with action-oriented results.
• Strong relationship builder with internal and external partners.
• Ability to integrate across functions and drive execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Commercial Feed sales team, including Outside Sales Representatives, Formulations personnel, Sales Support staff, and the Commercial Feed Micro-Ingredient Merchant.
• Set clear sales goals and drive growth in volume and market share across California/SJV.
• Develop and implement strategies to retain, grow, and onboard customers.
• Collaborate with merchandising, nutrition, operations, and logistics to maximize margins.

Skills

Sales leadership

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Customer relationship management

Negotiation

Data analysis

Forecasting

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or related field

10+ years in animal feed sales

Knowledge of California/SJV market

Proficiency with MS Office

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

This position is responsible for leading, developing, and optimizing the Commercial Feed sales organization across the state of California, specifically focused on the SJV region. This role provides strategic direction, establishes and drives sales goals, and ensures the team is structured and staffed to deliver exceptional results. As a key leader within the commercial feed business, this individual will set clear objectives, add or subtract roles as necessary, and position team members for maximum effectiveness and value creation.

Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesLeadership & Team Development

• Lead the Commercial Feed sales team, including Outside Sales Representatives, Formulations personnel, Sales Support staff, and the Commercial Feed Micro-Ingredient Merchant.
• Evaluate talent, develop capability, and ensure the team is coordinated, aligned, and empowered to succeed.
• Make organizational adjustments—including adding, shifting, or removing roles—to ensure optimal structure, coverage, and performance.
• Provide coaching, accountability, and performance management to ensure team members understand expectations and deliver on goals.

Sales Strategy & Execution

• Establish clear, achievable sales goals that support growth in both volume and market share across the commercial feed business.
• Develop and implement sales strategies that retain, grow, and maximize value from existing customers while identifying, targeting, and onboarding new commercial feed customers.
• Collaborate with the merchandising team for grains and commodities to drive volume, support product positioning, and maximize margin.
• Ensure margin accountability for each customer by aligning product mix, pricing, and program design to achieve targeted profitability.
• Be the lead salesperson for large poultry customers

Program Development & Integration

• Partner with the Commercial Feed Micro-Ingredient Merchant to design integrated micro-ingredient purchasing and sales programs that deliver customer value and enhance company profitability.
• Ensure programs are aligned with customer needs, market conditions, and internal operational capabilities.
• Coordinate cross-functionally to guarantee successful execution and adoption of programs across sales, nutrition, operations, and merchandising teams.

Customer Focus & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Serve as the primary internal interface representing the needs, dynamics, and opportunities of commercial feed customers.
• Foster collaboration across sales, nutrition, formulation, operations, merchandising, and logistics to deliver a unified and responsive customer experience.
• Maintain strong communication, resilience, and relationship-building skills to navigate complex situations and drive alignment across functions.
• Build and maintain long-term partnerships with customers by delivering value, reliability, and industry expertise.

Business Growth & Market Performance

• Monitor market trends, competitive actions, regulatory changes, and customer shifts to adapt strategies and maintain leadership in the marketplace.
• Drive continuous improvement in sales processes, customer engagement, pricing strategies, and commercial programs.
• Prepare and present regular updates about sales performance, customer trends, and market dynamics to senior leadership.

Education, Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years' experience in sales for in the animal feed industry.
• Demonstrated, extensive local (California/SJV) market and feed product knowledge
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Acrobat.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strategic, disciplined, and forward-thinking with a bias for action and results.
• Strong relationship builder and communicator—internally, with partners, and across the industry.
• Effective integrator across functional areas; able to balance innovation with disciplined execution.
• High integrity, cultural ambassador, and champion for people development.

Physical Requirements and Environment

• Must be able to perform repetitive motion activities, such as typing, regularly.
• Frequently required to sit for prolonged periods of time, reach for/manipulate standard office equipment, communicate with various staff and/or reach for and manipulate objects.
• Regularly exposed to indoor/climate-controlled office environment.
• Regularly outside visiting customers throughout the year and exposed to hot, cold, and wet conditions at various times

Note

Valid Driver's License required for insurance purposes. Management retains the discretion to add to or change the duties of this position at any time.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and requirements, which may change from time to time based on business needs. When appropriate, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.