National Director Of Sales And Marketing

Our client is a Canadian owned progressive and innovative leader in animal livestock nutrition. As the National Director of Sales and Marketing, you will provide leadership, direction and coaching to the sales and marketing functions of the organization. Be accountable for the overall sales performance, the profitable achievement of sales organization goals, and for aligning sales and marketing objectives with company’s mission, vision, and business strategy. Mentor and manage the sales and marketing team members for optimal performance and growth in addition to creating and maintaining strong alignment between sales and other departments within organization in this exciting and rewarding leadership role.

Reporting to the Vice President Feed Division, as part of the Senior Leadership Team you will:

• Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to achieve exceptional results for the Feed Division.
• Contribute to the development of operational budgets and monitor progress, optimizing cost-effectiveness and financial performance.
• Develop and implement organization-wide policies, standards, and performance indicators to continuously improve our operations.
• Foster effective collaboration with other functional areas and business divisions to maximize overall cost effectiveness and financial returns.
• Champion the company's mission, vision, and values, ensuring they guide all activities and decisions.
• Represent the functional area perspective in the Executive Committee, contributing to the strategic planning process for the Feed Division, including regular review and implementation of objectives.
• Promote action and accountability by establishing clear goals, work plans, and partnerships.
• Establish and maintain efficient accountability structures, policies, processes, operating systems, and training programs.
• Recruit, train, and mentor a high-performing manufacturing and logistics organization, driving continuous improvement.
• Provide visionary leadership, setting and achieving high-level goals for your team to accomplish our long-term objectives.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities related to the Director role include:

• Conduct market research to identify emerging trends, customer needs, new markets, and potential customers.
• Provide leadership to the Marketing & Communications Specialist, focusing on brand management, brand integrity, customer retention strategies, and industry reputation.
• Set and manage customer-facing pricing, discount, and rebate programs to achieve target margins.
• Participate in customer outreach activities to support the sales team in building strong relationships.
• Lead learning and development initiatives for the sales and marketing team, ensuring effective training programs and orientation for new team members.
• Lead and guide Technical Sales Managers in developing tactical business plans by species group, resulting in sustainable and profitable volume growth and an optimal product mix.
• Collaborate with Species Sales Managers to execute strategic sales initiatives and achieve targets for profitable sales volume and market share.
• Support the development of a comprehensive marketing plan aligned with sales objectives and organizational goals.
• Work with the sales team to prepare annual sales volume budgets, leveraging market insights to determine competitive pricing and meet demand.
• Collaborate with the Credit Manager and sales specialists to optimize accounts receivable management through credit and collections strategies.
• Establish and implement a robust performance management system for the sales group, setting performance measures and holding individuals accountable for results.
• Monitor and report on finished product and program performance, proactively identifying and addressing any shortfalls through cross-functional collaboration.

Your background includes:

• Market awareness and innovation to support finished product performance.
• Extensive industry knowledge to make the organization more competitive, and strong business acumen to support efforts that will make the business efficient and profitable.
• Proven ability to lead and inspire sales teams with an entrepreneurial mindset and big picture thinking.
• Effective collaboration, interpersonal, and relationship management skills to support both internal staff, and external customer interactions.
• Decisiveness and time management skills that will contribute to success in a time-sensitive supply environment.
• A track record of leading change management to drive improved outcomes, and mentoring managers to communicate and engage their teams to adopt new systems and processes.
• Extensive knowledge of Canadian agriculture markets with a focus on animal feed and nutrition.
• Strong data collection and analysis skills to gather valuable insights into sales and marketing performance.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agri-Business, or Ag-Economics, or related field is an asset.
• 10+ years’ experience in a sales management position with a proven track record of new business and market development accomplishments managing multiple business units.
• Verbal and written communication skills, including strong writing, speaking, and listening skills to accomplish tasks effectively.

This is a hybrid role with responsibilities in office as needed for executive and sales management meetings. Additional travel across Canada for meetings, training, and industry events approximately 40% of the time.

Litherland & Co. is dedicated to fair and equal opportunities for all applicants. Candidates are selected upon the highest level of equity, diversity, and inclusion across the organization and throughout its hiring process. If you are selected for an interview and require accommodations, arrangements will be made for your convenience throughout the recruitment.