Sales Director- Grocery, Drug, Dollar, C-store

Division Information

The Home & Garden business unit of Spectrum Brands is based in St. Louis, Missouri with distribution, manufacturing and sales offices throughout the US and globe. We are a leading supplier of consumer products nationally for the home, lawn and garden, insect and weed control markets. We deliver groundbreaking products of exceptional value and top-notch quality to consumers with our well-recognized brands including Spectracide, Hot Shot, Cutter, Repel, Black Flag, Garden Safe, EcoLogic and Liquid Fence.

Job Summary

The Director will manage a high performing sales team (cross functional in nature) focused against delivering financial sales and profit targets. The Director will lead the planning and execution for immediate growth as well as long-term strategy development at our key growth channels of Grocery, Drug, Dollar, and C-Store. The candidate will direct, facilitate, enable, and assist the team and our broker partners to achieve aggressive growth through new distribution, winning key promotion periods, executing best in class merchandising, and becoming a strategic vendor partner to our customers. This responsibility entails partnering with our customers to deliver strategic priorities for the company and category goals for our customers, with success it will result in Joint Business Planning with the largest customers in each channel. The Director will also be responsible for leading and development of direct reports as well as collaborating with our broker partners and the market leaders to drive our business across all these channels.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Sales/Relationships (65%)

1. Develop sales strategies, programs, and plans for existing and potential new business across Grocery, Drug, Dollar channels. Develop annual quota, profit plan and sales action plan and monitor actual results vs. plan throughout the year, adjusting when appropriate. Create business reviews of accounts and channels and present them as appropriate to management.
2. Assist marketing and sales management with development of marketing strategies and advertising plans as appropriate. Recommend opportunities for increased penetration, based on knowledge of customers and territory.
3. Provide clear direction, measurable inspection, and score-carding with our broker agencies that results in plan achievement.
4. Educate and influence the organization for tools and deployment materials that are broker ready.
5. Establish appropriate account contacts and maintain an effective and appropriate call cadence. The director should create and maintain key relationships with our account leadership at Director and VP levels.
6. The candidate will also be responsible for key relationships with the field leadership at our broker agency to drive imperatives and further our partnership.
7. Manage inquiries, complaints and service programs working through appropriate functions. Creating in partnership with marketing the promotions, special programs, new products, and other relevant activities that can be executed at our customers/channels.
8. Attend customer meetings and trade conferences as appropriate.
9. Maintain current knowledge of market conditions and trends.
10. Responsible for forecasting and overall coordination with sales, production, finance, and marketing teams.
11. Develop recommendations for capital, operating and staffing budgets. Collaborate with other directors in the development of a coordinated budget for Vice President approval. Provide fiscal oversight of allocated resources, assets, and expenses. Make necessary decisions to adjust for variations in projected budget income caused by fluctuating volumes and other external factors.

Managerial (35%)

1. Staff, organize and direct the Spectrum Global Home Care Sales organization focused against these channels. Responsibilities include selecting new staff, developing existing staff, establishing performance standards, and evaluating performance of staff and recommending personnel related actions.
2. Provide ongoing leadership to direct reports in the establishment of area plans, short/long term goals. Lead employees through effective hiring, orientating, training, mentoring, and coaching. Provide ongoing recognition, feedback, and development, holding employees accountable for success.
3. Manage the broker agency relationship against these channels. Responsibilities include monthly scorecards, providing clear annual direction to ensure plan achievement, assessing performance against KPIs, addressing market challenges with our broker partner, and recommending any future actions needed to ensure we have the best market representations.
4. Design functional area infrastructure and changes to supporting processes and systems. Collaborate with functional groups to set, implement, and functional goals, and clear challenges.
5. Identify and mentor future organizational leaders. Ensure appropriate resources are provided to employees. Develop a staffing plan that meets both customer expectations and financial constraints.
6. Create an environment where employee feedback facilitates positive change.

Education and Experience Profile

1. A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or related field.
2. Specific knowledge and relationships of how to sell to and strategically insulate the customer, typically gained through over 7-10 years direct sales/field experience.
3. Direct selling experience with national and regional accounts is required within multiple channels. There is a strong preference for experience in Grocery, it is almost a requirement.
4. Experience working with and managing the broker agency relationship is a requirement.
5. Proven results expanding current business with customers and acquiring new customers.
6. People management experience in current or past roles is a requirement.
7. An ability to use data and insights to develop fact-based solutions in a concise and actionable manner.

Required Skills

1. Accountable for sales volume compared to quota, profit compared to budget.
2. Must meet volume growth/market penetration objectives (i.e., MBO’s).
3. Acquire new business and develop business in existing Spectrum Brands accounts at corporate level.
4. Strong analytical skills to allow for fact-based selling.
5. Effective communication both verbal and non-verbal as well as negotiating skills.
6. Organization and prioritization skills.
7. Effective time management, detail, and accuracy.
8. Goal-oriented individual who can focus on obtaining objectives.
9. Ability to think strategically and make sound business decisions.
10. High level of integrity and technical aptitude.

Work Environment

Working conditions are normal for a hybrid environment. The role will be based out of home office unless it is located in one of our existing or future office locations where it will be a hybrid role. The office locations are Earth City, MO; Bentonville, AR: Mooresville, NC; and Atlanta, GA. Business travel as needed to support the customer, broker office reviews, and visits to HDQ in Earth City, MO (up to 50%).