Gourmet Flavor Sales Manager Prova Inc. Aurora, IL Job Details Full-time From $90,000 a year 4 hours ago Benefits Health insurance Dental insurance 401(k) 401(k) matching Qualifications Account development Channel development Trade show promotions Public relations trade shows Driver's License Attention to detail Territory management Sales management systems proficiency Product demos CRM system proficiency Productivity software Experience with customer site (as sales environment) Wholesale sales environment Full Job Description About

PROVA PROVA

is a family-owned, women-owned French company established in 1946, and one of the top 10 leading vanilla extractors. Our ambition is to be the natural choice for sweet brown flavors worldwide, in the hearts and minds of our customers. PROVA's major specialties are vanilla, cocoa, coffee, and caramel extracts & flavors. By choosing to stay focused, we offer great signature tastes, unique application specific solutions, personalized customer service and strive to be the best at what we do. PROVA, our philosophy PROVA's history has been built on the audacity of its people and their passion for taste. Sustainable development is at the core of who we are, and it is through taste that our philosophy is expressed: taste for daring (our rallying cry), taste for products (quality, sustainable sourcing), taste for others (our clients and stakeholders), taste for our own (our committed teams) and taste for life (respect for the earth and people). We trust our teams and help them grow. We are bold, agile, passionate about our work and ready to pass on our knowledge and expertise. About the Gourmet Division PROVA Gourmet is our foodservice division, dedicated to professional pastry chefs, bakers and chocolatiers. Where our ingredients business serves industry, PROVA Gourmet is built around the craft: formats, dosages and applications designed for the working kitchen, backed by technical support and by our team of PROVA Chef Ambassadors. The division reaches chefs across North America through a network of specialty distributor partners, and is one of the fastest growing parts of our business. The Gourmet Sales Manager, West Coast will build and grow PROVA Gourmet's presence across the western United States by developing a working network of pastry chefs, bakers and chocolatiers, and by converting that network into sales through our distributor partners. This is the core of the role: chefs create the demand, distributors fulfill it, and this position connects the two. The successful candidate will combine field sales ability with genuine craft credibility. They will understand how a chef thinks about a formula, a cost per portion and a substitution, and be able to speak about vanilla, chocolate, coffee and caramel the way a chef does. Beverage applications, including bar and specialty coffee programs, are a secondary opportunity rather than a current priority. Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities Build and maintain a working network of pastry chefs, bakers and chocolatiers across the territory.

Develop and support distributor relationships:

joint sales calls, ride-alongs, rep training, promotional planning and line reviews. Ensure product availability and correct positioning with distributor partners in the region. Conduct visits to existing end-users and prospect for new accounts, both through ride-alongs and independently. Convert the chef network into accounts: independent and multi-unit bakeries, pastry shops, chocolatiers, hotel and resort pastry programs, restaurant group pastry departments and commissaries. Run product demonstrations and chef-facing events, independently or alongside PROVA Chef Ambassadors, and convert them into orders. Plan and support specialty and gourmet trade shows and networking events, from preparation through lead follow-up. Maintain accurate CRM records, pipeline and forecasting, and report on territory activity. Report market intelligence back to the business: pricing pressure, competitor activity, product gaps and format requests.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Located in a major metropolitan area within the territory, near a hub airport. Five years of field sales experience in specialty food, ingredients or foodservice. Existing relationships within the pastry, bakery and chocolate community: chefs, purchasing managers or their distributors. Demonstrated success selling through distributors, not only direct. Sufficient craft knowledge to be credible in a professional kitchen. Ability to travel 50-60% of the time, including some weekends for trade shows. Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and manage time effectively. Attend, set up, and support trade shows and conferences. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and working discipline with a CRM. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Accuracy and attention to detail. Valid driver's license.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Formal pastry, baking or chocolate training, or hands-on professional kitchen experience. An established book of business within the western specialty distribution channel.

Relationships within beverage:

bar programs, specialty coffee or hotel food and beverage. Spanish or Asian languages skills is a plus.

Pay:

From $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Health insurance

Work Location:

On the road