Now Hiring - Abel+Schäfer Völklingen - Key Account Manager-Mid West Region in Chicago, IL

Full description of the position

Key Account Manager - Midwest Region For almost 130 years, Abel & Schafer has been producing baked goods in Europe under the KOMPLET brand name. In 1982 the company established a manufacturing facility in Ronkonkoma, NY to serve the fast-growing markets of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central/South America, and the Caribbean. To support our continuous growth in these markets, we are currently recruiting a Key Account Manager responsible for Industrial accounts and Distributors in the Midwest. Key Job Responsibilities: The Key Account Manager (KAM) - Midwest is responsible for the development, growth, maintenance, and profitability of key industrial accounts in the Midwest region and the development of a route-to-market strategy with regional distributors. The KAM maintains existing partnerships and develops new ones, identifies opportunities, and presents solutions. The primary responsibilities of the KAM are: * Develop a short and long-term strategic plan for the region. * Develop a short and long-term strategic plan for each key account individually according to the account's specific needs and opportunities. * Build new business and maintain existing business with industrial key accounts to achieve the company's annual sales targets for the region. * Define and implement the route-to-market strategy for the region. Develop relationships with distributors to service the region. * Provide product and sales training to the distributors' sales teams. * Regularly meet face-to-face with customers to foster long-lasting relationships and identify needs and opportunities. * Embrace the use of the company's CRM system. Record in CRM detailed information regarding customer opportunities and the status of on-going projects. * Lead cross-functional customer teams including R&D, Marketing, Customer Service, and Technical Support to resolve the needs and expectations of the customer. * Request and organize Technical Support for the region. * Define and organize support needed to close new opportunities and maintain existing volumes. * Embrace the use of any existing or new selling tool. * Prepare and present an annual sales budget for the region. * Prepare a monthly report of the regional sales status and any new opportunities. * Prospect new accounts and generate account specific sales strategies. * Identify opportunities in alignment with the company's strategic goals and priorities. * Actively promote the e-commerce platform for existing customers. * Work closely with the finance department to establish and maintain appropriate credit terms for new and existing customers. * Manage customer complaints & complaint resolution with Customer Service, Finance, Technical Support, and R&D. * Organize, attend, and participate in regional trade shows. * Travel regionally (+/- 30-50%). Qualification : * Bachelor's Degree in business administration, marketing, food science or equivalent preferred * Minimum 5 years sales experience with industrial key accounts in a B2B environment, preferably within the food or beverage industry. * Experience with managing cross-functional teams. * Preferably working knowledge of bakery ingredients and bakery operations. * Able to work autonomously with limited supervision. * Great communication and interpersonal skills. * Strong negotiation skills * Proficient with Microsoft Office suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. * Very good presentation skills. * Fluent in English. Knowledge of Spanish a plus. * Valid Driver's License Benefits: * Generous Benefit Package * Paid Vacation and Holidays * Company events * Laptop * Company Car / Car Allowance * Company Phone * Bonus Plan Employment Type : Full-time, Permanent Location : Midwest Region, preferably Chicago Metropolitan Area