Territory Development Manager - Chicago

Unilever PLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 71,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Bonus eligible

Retirement savings

Life insurance

Disability benefits

Parental leave

Job summary

Unilever Food Solutions is seeking a Territory Development Manager in the United States to drive sustainable growth with Operators, Chains and Trade Partners. You will use data and CRM tools to plan and execute sales calls, establishing yourself as a trusted partner and expanding market share in your territory.

The role emphasizes multi-channel engagement, demonstrations, and collaboration with distributors to meet targets in a dynamic foodservice market. Fluency in Spanish/English is a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; substantial industry experience considered.
• CPG Foodservice Sales experience (B2B) advantageous.
• CRM experience with Salesforce is preferred.
• Multi-national corporate exposure and operator relationship network is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Drive sustainable growth by engaging Operators, Chains and Trade Partners.
• Execute multi-touchpoint contact strategy online and face-to-face.
• Plan and conduct sales calls using data and CRM to grow market share.
• Coordinate with Distributors, Trade Partners and DSRs to expand mix and leads.

Skills

Hunter mindset

Power BI

Excel

Digital engagement

Bilingual (Spanish/English)

Entrepreneurial thinking

Market knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Salesforce

CRM

Power BI

Job description

Background

Who We Are

Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) is the €3bn+ foodservice division of Unilever. It leads the dynamic Food Service market across its categories and has ambitious growth objectives, marketing a range of professional food and beverage products and services to operators across 72 countries. UFS prides itself on creating value for its customers through culinary solutions and improving the food experience for everyone from distributors and operators to diners and consumers.

UFS is accelerating its digital transformation to fuel growth through data driven and technology enabled Go-to-Market (GtM) capabilities. Our global ambition is to reach to 3 million operators by 2030 via an online & off-line contact strategy. Within the US, the focus of UFS Customer Development and Marketing is to engage with customers in unique and specific ways to generate demand for our professional brands and create long term value for our partners.

Purpose of the Role

As a Territory Development Manager, you will be responsible to drive sustainable business growth via Operators, Chains and Trade Partner engagement. You will be part of a multi-touchpoint integrated digital ecosystem to drive growth with new customers (Reach) & current customers (Penetration). You will use data and CRM tools to plan and execute sales calls to establish yourself as a valuable partner and grow market share in your territory.

Who You Are and What You'll Do

You will be accountable for delivering business targets like Sales Growth, Reach & Penetration, Digital Engagement, and customer presentations with both Operators and Distributor Trade Partners. You are Responsible to execute Multi touchpoint contactstrategyonline and face to face for generating demand for Food Solutions Products & deliver great customer experience. You will provide virtual culinary consultation to targeted operators.

It is an exciting role and a great development opportunity for an ambitious and motivated individual. It’s a role where the right individual can really make a difference

Demand Creation

Operators and Local Chain Accounts

Engage with Local Chain Account and Operator Customers, and be accountable for delivering business targets for the assigned Territory i.e. Turnover, Reach & Penetration & digital, FPO (Fully Profiled Operators), Digital Engagement, Demos, Sampling etc.

Implement full Key Account Management approach. Execute CBP, Win & Retain funnel, Contact Matrix and execute Multi touchpoint contactstrategyon and off-line. i.e. 20% Online Calls & 80% F2F Calls

Key Activities

• Using Dat to convert Business Insights into ActivationSolution Selling
• Utilize Market Trends to create Concept Solution Selling
• Gain insight and lead customers to the right solution
• Network to key customer stakeholders to engage the right decision makers
• Prepare visits with solution recommendation and utilize CRM Salesforce system to manage workflow and overall market funnel
• Conduct F2F and Virtual Sampling, Ideation, Cooking Demo using culinary knowledge to secure new opportunities or increase volume usage by new menu applications or into existing dishes. Use relevant selling stories to help deliver the revenue savings and or efficiency improvements from UFS solutions
• Follow up on previous calls to ensure opportunities progress to the sale close.
• Secure and coordinate customer Orders each month to ensure growth is on target
• Meet with Distributors/Trade Partners to expand assortment, align on priorities and source leads for customer follow through
• Build & Nurture relationships with local Distributor Sales Rep’s (DSRs)
• Implement Contact Matrix for Key Trade customers with a Squad approach (where possible) for more effective customer management
• Engage trade customers to gain alignmentfor Secondary Sales Data (SSD)
• Implement Promotions with customer related to key seasons and events
• Ensure timely submission & settlement of claims

What You’ll Need to Succeed

Critical Skills Required for the Role

• You are a Hunter with big Ambition. You seek effective ways to create New Demand (70% Hunting vs 30% Farming)
• You are a fast adopter of Contemporary technology and are already using AI in your day-to-day life. You are highly proficient in MS office including Power BI and Excel
• You are Entrepreneurial and proactively create mutually beneficial solutions for UFS and your customers
• You are Curious and are constantly learning from the Market on how to stay ahead of the food trends in your market
• You know how to sell Premium Brands with Superiority Selling stories and Culinary Solutions outside center of the plate
• Bilingual is a plus (Spanish, English)

Essential Experiences

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in similar and relevant positions within the market/industry.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; candidates with substantial and relevant industry experience will also be considered.
• CPG Foodservice Sales Experience (B2B Sales)
• Culinary/Chef Selling Experiences
• Network of Existing Foodservice Operator Partners
• Distributor Sales or Ingredient Sales or Broker Sales
• Experiences CRM (Salesforce)
• Operator Experience
• Market/Geographical knowledge
• Food University Background (CIA, Food & Hospitality)
• Multi-National Corporate Company Experience – Understands Corporate Ways of Working

Our Culture

• Caring Deeply: Positive Tensions for Bigger Outcomes, Fairness and Transparency, Performance AND care
• Staying Three Steps Ahead of the Market: Build Future While Delivering today, Think Big simplify, commit, Lead Shape Disrupt Mkt
• Delivering with Excellence: Pride in our Execution, Best in Reality, Developing Breakthrough solutions
• Focusing on What Matters Most: Fewer Bigger Things, Fight for What matters most, Challenging and Debating Right Choices

What We Can Offer You

Culture for Growth | Top Notch Employee Health & Well Being Benefits | Every Voice Matters | Global Reach | Life at Unilever | Careers with Purpose | World Class Career Development Programs | Check Out Our Space | Focus On Sustainability

Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business.

Equal Opportunity / Aff… etc ...

Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. For more information, please see Equal Employment Opportunity Posters

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

Pay: The pay range for this position is $71,400 to $107,200. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs.

Bonus: This position is bonus eligible.

Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate, they can choose from a range of benefits to include, but is not limited to, health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage), retirement savings benefits, life insurance and disability benefits, parental leave, sick leave, paid vacation and holidays, as well as access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

Earlier this year, Unilever announced an agreement to combine its Foods business with McCormick & Company, creating a scaled global flavour powerhouse. The proposed combination would bring together iconic Foods brands, including Hellmann’s and Knorr, with McCormick’s portfolio to create a global leader across spices, seasonings, condiments and complementary food categories, supported by strong retail and foodservice platforms. McCormick brings more than 135 years of heritage, a presence in 150+ countries and territories, and a portfolio of trusted brands. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, with completion estimated for mid-2027

------------------------------------

At Unilever, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive/succeed. All applicants will receive fair and respectful consideration, and we actively support the growth and development of every employee.

Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities.

For more information on your federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.

#LI-Remote