National Sales Manager

Company Central Garden & Pet Company Location Chilton, WI 53014 Status Full Time, Employee Job Category Sales/Retail/Business Development Relevant Work Experience: 7+ to 10 Years Job Description Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT), is a leading innovator, marketer and producer of quality branded products for the pet, lawn and garden supplies markets.  Central Avian & Small Animal (CASA), a division of Central Garden & Pet and a leading innovator, marketer, and producer of quality wild bird and small pet products, is searching for a National Sales Manager to join the Strategic Business Unit (SBU) in Chilton, Wisconsin.  CASA is home to Kaytee and SuperPet products – the leading brands in their fields. The National Sales Manager reports to the VP of Sales, and plans, directs and coordinates customer programs for wild bird sales.  The position serves as primary headquarter contact for the corporate sales team to ensure business and customer needs are met. Please see our web site for additional company information. www.central.com  Key Responsibilities· Plan, direct and coordinate customer programs for Wild Bird category· Serve as the primary headquarter contact for the corporate sales team to ensure business and customer needs are met and serve as key account logistical coordinator· Develop new distribution opportunities and the hard goods business for wild bird· Provide the depth of wild bird expertise to sell value added programs with higher margins· Responsible for new account growth, promotional and discount programs· Develop and implement company directives to achieve sales plans and competitive retail pricing· Responsible for updating and maintaining the sales forecasting and communication process.  Provide weekly, monthly and annual sales reports, as well as penetration reports for both new and existing items· Build and control expense budgets· Responsible for Key Account reviews and line reviews· Communicate seamlessly with all levels of management team to deliver tactical sales results Experiences/Skills/Education· Minimum 10 years experience in a Sales function with sales at a minimum of $50M  and working with distributors, direct retailers, national retailers and grocery and mass channels· Bachelors degree required, or equivalent experience, an advanced degree is desirable· Strong leadership and managerial abilities· Demonstrated ability to maintain effective relationships with customers, vendors, and internal team members· Strong negotiation and problem solving skills· Strong analytical, forecasting, and reporting skills· Pet industry experience a plus· Excellent computer skills, MS Word & Excel and knowledge of CRM software preferred  Working Conditions· Office environment, frequent use of PC, phone and office machines· Retail store environment· Sales meetings, trade events, and customer events· Travel is required Interested Job-Seekers, apply here: http://tbe.taleo.net/NA3/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=CENTRAL&cws=1&rid=618