SALES LEAD Position Available In Kennebec, Maine

Sales Lead
Oaklands Farm
Date Posted April 25, 2025
Location Gardiner, ME
Category Agriculture
Job type Part-Time

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Situated in the Kennebec River Valley, Oaklands Farm has been a family-run operation for over 250 years. We are passionate about sustainable farming practices and high-quality, pasture-fed products. Our award-winning cow’s milk cheese, Roxanne, is a cornerstone of our business, and we are preparing to introduce exciting new sheep’s milk and mixed milk cheeses in 2025 & beyond. Our commitment to animal welfare, land stewardship, and quality underpins everything we do.

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are looking for a dynamic Sales Lead for our Creamery Business to serve as a brand ambassador and key driver of sales in our retail and distribution network. In this role, you will be responsible for promoting and selling Oaklands Farm cheeses, forging strong relationships with prospective retailers and distributors, and driving sales opportunities through on-site visits, strategic outreach, and meticulous follow-up. We are seeking someone who is goal-oriented and ready to help us achieve our ambitious target of achieving selling 10,000+ pounds of cheese per year sold by or before the end of 2027. You will work closely with our team to refine sales strategies and contribute to the broader marketing initiatives for our cheese products.

Key Responsibilities:

Brand Ambassadorship:

Represent Oaklands Farm cheeses—especially our signature Roxanne—and generate excitement for upcoming sheep’s milk variants.

Retailer & Distributor Engagement:

Identify and build relationships with prospective retailers and distributors interested in carrying Oaklands Farm cheeses.
Coordinate outreach efforts and schedule visits, either independently or alongside team members.
Bridge the gap between an interested retailer and our distributors to make sales happen.
Organize site visits for cheese sampling and tastings.

Customer Relationship Management:

Document summaries of visits and share lessons learned to refine future engagement strategies.
Capture essential details about prospects (e.g., contact information, location, current distribution partnerships, purchase likelihood) and share insights with the team.
Conduct weekly follow-ups with prospects to ensure continued engagement and move opportunities through the sales pipeline.
Keep track of pipeline health and sharing reports on progress against sales targets on regular cadence (e.g., monthly, quarterly).

Collateral Development:

Assist in preparing sales collateral (e.g., pricing sheets) and contribute to the creation of new sales tools to make live engagements more successful.
Use experience directly interfacing with customers to provide evidence-based feedback on marketing and branding

Sales Operations and Post-Sales Support:

Upon a successful sale, coordinate with team members to ensure seamless handling of administrative tasks (e.g., insurance, licensing, invoicing).
Support fulfillment of purchase orders, ensuring timely readiness for pick-up or shipment.
Communicate clearly regarding purchase order statuses, addressing any delays or issues promptly, and managing the follow-up with customers.

Qualifications:

Relationship-Building Skills:

Demonstrated ability to initiate and nurture relationships with retailers and distributors.

Business Acumen:

A keen understanding of the economics in manufacturing and consumer-packaged goods; familiar with the constraints facing retailers, distributors, and end-consumers.

Tech Fluency:

Proficient with common sales technologies (e.g., ERP systems, CRM systems, Microsoft Office) and eager to use or develop one’s own tools to enhance efficiency and scalability.

Analytically-Driven:

Natural bias to support their ideas with thoughtful analysis and leading with a test-and-learn approach.

Communication:

Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, ideal for preparing visit summaries and sales collateral.

Self-Motivation:

Capacity to work independently, schedule appointments, and manage a dynamic prospect pipeline.

Teamwork:

An enthusiastic team player who enjoys collaborating and contributing to a small, versatile team.
Passion for

Quality:

Alignment with our commitment to sustainable practices and high-quality products.

Transportation:

Must have valid driver’s license and automobile due to our location in a rural area.

Employment Details:

Type:

Part-time to begin, though we expect this role to evolve into full-time

Schedule:

Approximately 20 hours per week with the understanding this may fluctuate throughout year and with progress accelerating as we reach our milestone of 10,000+ pounds of cheese sold per year.

Compensation & Benefits:

We are open to discussions on salary expectations. We envision compensation being a function of both salary and variable pay (i.e., performance-based incentives). We will also reimburse for miles driven to customer engagements.

COMPENSATION

this position is: salaried, 35,568• – 50k

LOCATION

job can be done remotely

APPLICATION

INSTRUCTIONS