Now Hiring - Agriculture Director, Retail Sales in Arroyo Grande, CA

Job Title: Director, Retail Sales

Reporting to: V.P., Sales

Location: Remote

Salary Range: $190 - 220k, annually

About Pairwise:

Pairwise is a mission-driven food+tech company dedicated to building a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables. Founded in 2017 by eminent scientists in the gene editing and biotechnology fields, Pairwise holds licenses from Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital to base editing and high-fidelity enzymes. We also are tuned in to consumer food trends, and we believe that consumers deserve more variety and innovation in their fresh food choices. Our team is primed to deliver that innovation through one of the best gene-editing platforms in food and agriculture. Pairwise has an exclusive 5-year research collaboration with Bayer to develop products in corn, soybean, wheat, canola, and cotton. Plus, Pairwise is developing new types of leafy greens, berries, and stone fruit, with the first product launched in early 2023. Pairwise is based in the start-up friendly Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.

About This Role:

There are more and more fresh offerings in the Produce department every day. New entrants into packaged salads are penetrating the category. We are looking for a Produce-experienced sales leader to drive distribution strategy and growth plans. Winning business in strategic retailers will be a priority. Identifying customer voids and expanding innovation and new offerings will be essential. This sales leader will also evaluate the competition and help drive innovation and merchandising strategies that create differentiation and high consumer demand. Success will be measured by achieving growth through sales strategies that are tailored to key accounts and channels.

Essential Functions:

• Team Leadership: Serve as the head of Retail sales for the company, be a dedicated manager for your team, provide insights and guidance on long term growth strategies.
• Sales Strategy: Continually create, update, and implement strategic plans by channel and account, with a focus on long term goals, and an awareness of short-term tactical opportunities. Achieve customer volume, revenue and profit goals.
• Account Management: Hands-on communication, developing strategic relationships with buyers and category managers in key accounts. Bring retailer-specific awareness for how to best navigate challenging situations and competing priorities.
• Brand Leadership: Work with Marketing on brand strategies and positioning. Creatively find ways to capture market research to analyze performance of competitors.
• Broker Management: Rigorously manage and evaluate broker partners through quarterly business reviews, ACV targets, targeted SKU introductions and volume/profit goal attainment.
• Channel Development: Work across Grocery, Natural and Club channels to build a path forward with flexibility and optionality.
• Analytical Leadership: Leverage data assets like ACNielsen, Mintel, IRI, and other internal data sources to establish best in class category insight and leadership position with retailers and the trade.
• Lead with Vision: Bring an approach strong in quantitative and financial metrics, as well as one that shows a deep understanding of how retail works, and how to best position a brand to win long-term.

Required Education & Experience:

• 15+ years’ experience in CPG sales & management.
• Extensive knowledge and experience selling into the Produce department.
• Growth-oriented, you enjoy a fast pace, relentless competing demands, and working cross-functionally to succeed.
• You are curious to learn more and fully understand all aspects of the business with an energy level that strives for more.
• Has a “hunter” mindset looking for untapped opportunities.
• Foundation in CPG gives you a strong understanding of how brands have been built – but you know there’s no single playbook, and that each brand needs to create a new one.
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills. You are just as comfortable communicating with a store produce manager as you are with the buyer and category manager.
• A high level of business acumen.
• Up to 50% travel.

Offerings:

• Comprehensive Benefits Plan, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA/FSA, 401k, Life Insurance, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability, and more!
• Flexible PTO (use what you need, when you need it), in addition to company holidays
• Casual work environment.
• Mission-driven organization focused on creating healthier fruits and veggies.
• A cutting-edge, driven community looking to lead the industry in innovation and nutrition.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and use hands to finger, handle or feel, and techniques that require fine motor skills and repetitive motions. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

EEO Statement:
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Pairwise we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

No Recruiters please.