Job Details

Retail Sales Lead

The Retail Sales Lead (RSL) leads, motivates, and develops a team of field sales representatives within an assigned geographic area to successfully sell and merchandise displays, and implement retail distribution priorities. You will ensure consistent communication between our direct customer teams and retail organization, collaborate with internal customer teams and external broker partners, and manage resource deployment. Candidates in this role must be located or willing to relocate to the San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, or Sacramento areas.

Key Responsibilities

Problem Solving & Analytics:

• Analyze data to develop selling strategies and tactics for field sales representatives to drive incremental sales with key customers.

Selling Expertise & Leadership:

• Effectively lead and execute National Retail Organization (NRO) retail priorities, including training, management, and directional support to field sales representatives.
• Responsible for delivering business strategies, display plans, new product execution, established distribution, shelving, and merchandising priorities to field sales representatives.
• Collaborate with Retail Customer/Area Manager (RCM/RAM) to develop account & market-based retail business plans aligning retail execution with General Mills' priorities and account specific needs.
• Average of 3 days per week in the field working with retail sales representatives, performing store audits & meeting with customer account teams.
• As the NRO point-of contact (POC), meet with customer account teams on a frequent basis and review short-term/long-term promotional plans to develop retail executional strategies and tactics supporting key events.
• Lead, motivate and develop 14 Retail Sales Representatives (RSR) to build an effective retail team.
• Monitor and coach RSRs through work-withs, individual skills development plans, and provide performance feedback.
• Strive to attain a minimum of 4 work-withs per year, as appropriately needed, with each RSR.
• Interview and hire RSR candidates with the right skills and motivation to represent General Mills.

Executional Excellence:

• Take personal accountability and ownership for results, and deeply understand customer needs.
• Understand GMI products, categories, and brand priorities and how to link those to store opportunities.
• Effectively deploy retail resources to support General Mills' strategic business plans.
• Effectively manage team coverage against the retail deployment model to ensure RSRs are efficiently operating within an assigned territory.
• Collaborate and provide direction to third-party partners to meet key account priorities (i.e. merchandising programs, new item surges and open territory coverage, point-of-sale executions).
• Partner with Customer Teams to set objectives to align on priorities for RSRs to drive distribution and merchandising.
• Ensuring support materials are provided to RSRs (i.e. new item code numbers, direction on new item shelf-placement, updated distribution list).
• Monitor and provide feedback on aligned priorities.

Leadership Behaviors:

• Model GMI Leadership behaviors to foster an inclusive environment and embrace a learning mindset and demonstrate personal accountability.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree required

At least 3-4 years relevant experience.

Must live within prescribed market area or be willing to relocate.

Willingness and availability to travel overnight 510 nights per month to support RSRs in the field during Work Withs.

Passion to sell/represent General Mills and our top consumer food brands.

Must be proficient in software packages (Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint) and ability to use tablets (i.e. iPad).

Demonstrated critical thinking skills and results orientation.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills with internal and external partners.

Ability to build partnerships with key decision makers across and throughout an organization.

Strong problem solving, analytic, influencing, and negotiation skills.

Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, train, motivate, and provide clear direction to a team.

US work authorization and must have a valid driver's license and satisfactory driving record.

Physical Requirements:

Must be able to move a minimum of 20 pounds while using appropriate techniques and safety rules.

Prolonged movement is required.

Preferred Qualifications

Prior experience using internal or external data sources (e.g., Nielsen, IRI, CPM, sales data)

Prior people management experience

Relevant industry experience in sales or retail account management

Willingness to relocate for future GMI career opportunities

Bilingual

Additional Considerations

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S.

General Mills will not sponsor applicants for a U.S. work visa.

International relocation (outside of the US) will not be considered.

Company Overview

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what's next.

Salary Range

The salary range for this position is $81000.00 - $121700.00 / Annually. At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. Benefits may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance.

Accommodation Request

If you need to request an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please fill out our online accommodations request form by following this link: Accommodations Request.