Territory Sales Manager, Northern NY/New Engl

TITLE: Territory Sales Manager, New England / Northern NY (New Business Development)

Company

E. Armata is a family-run produce wholesaler in the Hunts Point Market that has been in business for over 100 years. With a modest start in Manhattan at the Washington Street Market, E. Armata is now one of the largest wholesalers operating in Hunts Point and is proud to now be in the 4th generation stage. E. Armata takes great pride in managing the company with integrity and the highest quality product available for all our customers – be they a large retail customer, institutional supplier, or small grocers who visit the Hunts Point Market for quality produce. Over the last century, E. Armata has prospered as a leader among produce distributors in the tri-state area. Our brand prides itself on having a family tradition of loyalty to customers and partnerships with farmers and growers that span generations. We work with the most recognizable brands of fresh produce in the industry, as well as offering our own E. Armata label.

Opportunity

We are seeking aggressive "hunter"-type salespeople with a proven track record in new business development to drive growth in new retail and foodservice distribution customers. This role is predominantly focused on prospecting, acquiring, and developing new accounts, with candidates ideally bringing some existing business or strong prospects upon hire.

The successful candidate must be a highly motivated, self-starter with a hunter mentality – dynamic, persistent, upbeat, personable, innovative, and results-driven. You should thrive on cold outreach, building relationships from scratch, and closing new deals. This role reports directly to the Director of Business Development, working most frequently with Distribution Sales, Procurement, and Financial/Operational cross-functional partners.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

• Prospect, gain, and secure new distribution placements and customers throughout assigned territory

• Aggressively pursue and exceed growth targets for new business acquisition, units, gross profits, and prospecting KPIs

• Bring and develop new customer relationships, ideally leveraging some existing contacts or portable business upon hire

• Provide ad-hoc support to key accounts and corporate/wholesale business as directed (no ongoing management of pre-existing accounts)

• Forecast and plan promotions for new accounts

• Communicate competitive intelligence and innovative opportunities regularly

• Coordinate efficiencies in sales operations for newly acquired customers

• Participate in strategic projects as needed in support of executive team leadership

• Frequent order entry (both in office and remotely), including implementation of new Online Order Entry tool

• Communicate price updates and manage price lists & promotions for new accounts

• Proactively communicate weekly calendar & field activity

• Participate in sales-related meetings, trade shows, and company events

• Collaborate with Buyers on pricing strategy/tactics to maximize profitability & GP targets for new business

Requirements

• 3+ years of sales experience in perishable foods (produce strongly preferred), with a demonstrated track record of new business development and "hunting" new accounts

• Existing network of customer relationships in perishables/produce a plus; candidates who can bring some portable business or strong prospects highly desired

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills

• Strong working knowledge of perishable foods distribution, preferably produce

• Must be located within the Metro NY-NJ-CT marketplace; hiring for multiple regions

• PC skills and proficiency with MS Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel

• Must be willing to learn new systems and software to support the business as needed

• Minimum of 70% of time spent working in the field; 1x/week team meeting in Hunts Point

SCHEDULING AND BENEFITS:

This is a full-time, exempt position, reporting to our Bronx headquarters and primarily working remotely in assigned region throughout the week. Your work schedule will predominantly be M-F starting by 8 am, however order taking on weekends may be required as business demands.

The company offers a comprehensive benefit package, including Health/Dental/Vision/Life benefits, 401k Retirement plan, and Paid Time Off. Base salary plus bonus potential. Base salary is commensurate with experience.