JOB FILLED - Vice President of Program and Business Development - #5481S

A remotely located position………...

An amazing career opportunity with one of the most successful brands in fresh produce. A successful company with a clear vision and a bright future. This key position is part of a short- and long-term succession plan.

RPE, a second-generation farm and category leader in year-round potatoes and onions, is celebrating 50 years of service to its customers and community. RPE is a vertically integrated grower and marketer offering category solutions, diverse packaging offerings, brand expertise and a proprietary private label development process. RPE brands include Farmer’s Promise and baby potato category leader Tasteful Selections as well as Biggins, Mr. Tasty and Old Oak Farms.

RPE also is a leader in clean energy development; 100% of the potatoes it grows, stores, packs and sells are produced with renewable electricity. RPE is the only produce supplier in North America whose farming and manufacturing sustainability practices are verified by Green-e®, a trusted global leader in clean energy and carbon offset certification.

As this well-positioned company looks toward the future, it wishes to hire a sales driven leader and passion builder to join them in taking the business to the next level. This exceptional individual will serve as a strategic leader for RPE, Inc., concentrating on developing new business and enhancing program business across all product categories. The Vice President of Program and Business Development impacts brand recognition, pricing models, talent development, expense management and revenue growth in program business and new business, contributing to RPE profitability.

The sales team at RPE is comprised of industry pros who contribute to company success and are highly valued. In this newly created role, you will lead the high-performing sales team in developing sales while establishing and cultivating customer relationships and executing professional sales plans. You are a polished presenter and adept negotiator, skilled at converting leads to prospects and prospects to customers. You also have a deep understanding of produce industry pricing dynamics including bid strategies.

This is an opportunity to build your career in a great company with a bright future. Successful professionals who share their work ethic and passion for fresh produce will have the opportunity for mentorship and advancement as they look for their next generation of leadership. RPE is an innovative organization offering a comprehensive, competitive compensation and benefits package.

Essential Functions:

• Develops and measures quarterly and annual sales goals and strategies
• Improves team member performance through teaching team members best practice for developing sales plans, implementing strategies to achieve targets including building metrics for decision-making tools, building effective presentations, executing effective negotiations, and pricing strategies with customers
• Diversifies business through targeting profitable prospects across all retail and foodservice segments and channels
• Establishes growth targets for commodity and specialty programs in according to the RPE strategic operating plan
• Aligns team activities with RPE’s Strategic Operating Plan           
• Prioritizes prospective customer activities and existing customer service based on size and probability of success
• Consistently meets with the team to ensures team has knowledge of all product offerings and/or services to present to customers and has the information needed to be credible with customers
• Dedicates time to managing team member success individually and in team format serving as subject matter expert in the industry relating to pricing and expenses
• Represents products, brands and supplier partners at industry trade shows and other events when interacting with customers and prospects
• Maintains relationships with customers and understands customer cultures, decision makers and operating philosophies
• Manages performance of direct reports through effective and timely coaching, setting of annual objectives and mid-term and annual performance discussions with counseling as required
• Ensures team members are guided to be leaders for RPE and share knowledge, build effective relationships and expertise about internal operations and pricing, communicate professionally, and attend meetings prepared and on time
• Manages expenses and focusses regularly on profit margin
• Establishes commodity and specialty program growth targets while aligning with RPE operational plan business objectives