[Hiring] Account Manager @Land O'Lakes

Role Description

The Account Manager serves as the lead point of contact for the assigned member-owners and customers of WinField United and is accountable for the full WinField United portfolio. Responsibilities include developing and maintaining long-term relationships with CEO’s, General Managers, Agronomy Managers, and other key sales leaders. These relationships should translate into the owner being equipped to meet the needs of the grower of tomorrow. This is a virtual role; desired candidate must be located in the Western Third of Kansas.

Job Responsibilities

• 40% Relationship Building
  • Builds trusted partnerships with CEO’s, General Managers, Agronomy Managers, and other key leaders.
  • Partners with owners by thinking strategically and making connections across the system.
  • Aligns and communicates internally with the Region Sales Director and sales team.
  • Understands and communicates value proposition to owner including patronage, programs, pricing, and other resources.
  • Utilizes Salesforce and other customer relationship management tools to ensure clear communication and internal coordination.
  • Manages relationships with partners and manufacturers.
• 30% Owner Alignments and Account Plans
  • Manages and grows the WinField United and owner business by setting the sales strategy that meets both the customer and WU business needs.
  • Leads development, implementation, and execution of Account Plan for each assigned owner.
  • Ensures Account Plans are robust and meaningful and are inclusive of basic manufacturer alignment and direction.
  • Coordinates and aligns internal resources to maximize our investments with owner network.
  • Measures progress and resolves issues as they arise.
  • Serves as key communicator across organization and with owner related to Account Plan execution.
  • Serves as liaison between company leadership and the owner on issues, changes, and daily management of the alignment agreements.
• 30% Solution Delivery
  • Earns owner commitment of key programs, services, and solutions across the full WFU portfolio.
  • Ensures a positive customer experience is delivered via WFU’s structured delivery plan.
  • Ensures the timely and successful delivery of our solutions according to owner needs and objectives resulting in profitable sales.
  • Serves as an expert to owners on full portfolio of products and services.
  • Works in conjunction with Marketing to negotiate pricing and successful implementation of CP, Seed and Services programs.
  • Drives WinField United strategies at the owner level and clearly communicates progress of initiatives internally and externally; forecasts and tracks key metrics.
  • Develops new business with existing owners and identifies areas of improvement, including but not limited to carbon credits, grain orientation, grower financing, and prescription programs.
  • Applies the brand ladder to deliver partner and proprietary brand strategies.
  • Understands and tracks competition and shares market intelligence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture or business-related field plus 7-10 years of industry, direct sales experience or account management experience (with direct customer contact) delivering customer-focused solutions; or an equivalent of 11-14 years of proven work experience in industry, direct sales or account management experience (with direct customer contact) delivering customer-focused solutions.
• Ability to see the “big picture” of the organization and understand how the key drivers of the business relate to each other.
• Proactive communicator with exceptional written, verbal, and formal presentation skills.
• Trustworthy with a strong level of personal commitment.
• Ability to make sound decisions and complete tasks in a fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to juggle multiple owners simultaneously, while staying focused on details and execution.
• Proven ability to coordinate and collaborate with multiple stakeholders and to influence at all levels.
• Ability to work independently and manage productivity.
• Ability to build strong relationships.
• Experience demonstrating agility and leading/adapting quickly to change.
• Technical agriculture product / crop expertise and ability to develop and educate others on products, services, and programs.
• Solid experience using Microsoft products (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); virtual collaboration tools (Teams, Zoom); and CRM software (Salesforce).
• Must have current and valid state driver’s license.
• Ability to travel up to 50%, including evenings and some weekends; may require working long hours during peak seasons.

Compensation

• This is a sales role that is compensated with a target mix of base salary plus commission.
• Base salary is dependent upon experience/tenure and generally ranges between: $93,360 - $140,040.
• Target bonus is: Forty Thousand.
• In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges.