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For more than 115 years, Ferrara has created sugar confections that enable moments of sweetness, celebration, and connection for candy lovers of all generations. Today, the company is the #1 sugar confectioner in the United States. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of nearly 9,000 employees creating and delivering hundreds of products sold under 20 popular brands like Brach’s®, NERDS®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, and Trolli® to more than 66 million U.S. households annually and popular Dori snacking products under brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100 in Brazil. Additionally, Jelly Belly, known world-wide for its confections, was acquired in November of 2023.

Sr. Account Executive, Non-Commercial Foodservice

Job Location: Chicago

Want to make an impact?

The Sr. Account Executive is responsible for partnering with GPO’s to drive sustainable, profitable sales volume within the Non-Commercial channel of business. This role requires extensive Out of Home experience and expertise, as the individual will collaborate with various functional areas within Ferrara. Key segments include K-12, Colleges & Universities, Business & Industry (B&I), Healthcare, and other specialty channels classified as “Non-Commercial” in the Foodservice industry.
The Sr. Account Executive will play a pivotal role in fostering strategic and collaborative relationships with key accounts, securing permanent product placements on contracts, and building effective and productive partnerships across all levels within the Non-Commercial segment. This position is critical in aligning customer objectives with Ferrara’s business goals to drive growth and innovation within these channels.

*NOTE* Role can be remote

Ways you will make a difference

Business Management: Oversee and manage customer relationships across diverse industries, including healthcare, colleges and universities (C&U), K-12 education, business and industry (B&I), and hospitality sectors.
Contract Negotiation and Implementation: Lead contract negotiations with target accounts, ensuring the successful execution of agreements and the implementation of programs in collaboration with internal teams and external partners.
Sales Forecasting: Develop precise and timely sales volume forecasts, ensuring compliance with deadlines. Proactively monitor submitted forecasts to identify potential challenges and implement corrective measures as required.
Strategic Promotions: Design and execute strategic account promotions aimed at maximizing profitable sales volumes for Ferrara Foodservice and its customers.
Customer Relationship Development: Build and maintain strong relationships with senior customer leadership across key areas, including marketing, culinary, operations, and procurement.
Customer-Centric Solutions: Develop and implement profitable growth strategies for seasonal initiatives, product placement, shelving, merchandising, and pricing. These solutions should align with customer objectives, category leadership goals, and company objectives.
Influence and Advocacy: Deliver fact-based presentations to persuade customers to adopt proposed solutions, ensuring mutual benefits for both the customer and the company.
New Product Launches: Oversee the timely and effective execution of new product launches to maximize their impact on customers.
Trade Fund Management: Manage customer trade funds in compliance with both internal and external regulations. Continuously enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of trade spending.
Category Insights and Recommendations: Provide customers with actionable category insights and growth recommendations. Gather customer feedback to inform potential solutions and drive category success.

Skills that will make you successful

Ability to effectively penetrate appropriate levels of management
Ability to apply a high level of analytical rigor
Sound judgment, drive and influence to aggressively pursue initiatives with appropriate team building techniques
Self-starter who is proactive and identifies critical business threats and opportunities
Strong initiative, forward thinking, and creative problem-solving skills with the ability to create or stimulate customer-focused strategies
Ability to develop and deliver first class fact-based presentations internally and externally
Strong planning and organizational skills and ability to manage process effectively
Customer focused with the ability to strategically build alliances and maintain customer relationships that will serve as the foundation for long-term success
Ability to effectively engage internally and externally with key stakeholders

Experiences that will support your success

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience within the confection industry
Minimum of 4 years of sales account responsibility experience is preferred.
Minimum of 2 years Unattended Retail sales experience is preferred, specifically working with GPO’s
Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite
Consumables experience is preferred but not required. Confections experience a plus
Ability to travel as required to achieve results- likely 30-40%

What We Offer

At Ferrara, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO).

Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits here.

Compensation

The Salary Range for this position is $110,000 - $153,000.

Ferrara’s success in industry-leading innovation has been driven by deep consumer insights, strong retailer co-creation and partnerships, and a dedication to diversity of thought, experience, and people. A privately held company, Ferrara has its global headquarters in Chicago and an operational network of more than 27 locations in North America, Brazil, and China that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities. Ferrara is a privately held Ferrero related company. Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.