Director of Sales - Asian Sales Division

Position/ Job Title: Director of Sales – Asian Sales Division
Department: Sales
Location: Paramount, CA
Status: Exempt
Shift: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Immediate Supervisor: President, Chief Revenue Officer
Positions Supervised: All Asian Division Sales Managers and department staff

• Leads the Asian Sales division by fostering partnerships with our Asian division distributors and accounts to grow our Asian division revenue and profitability.  This will be done primarily by creating a system of support of our Asian division business partners; namely JFC, Wismettac, Mutual Trading, The Wonderfield Group, and many other distributors of Marukan products who supply the Asian food trade.
• This director is the key liaison to our Asian trade business partners and provides leadership, training, management and resource allocation to our sales managers and staff.
• This director will build, maintain, and strengthen long-term business relationships with Asian division customers based on trust, collaboration and mutual success.

• Oversees and manages JFC corporate and works closely with JFC executive team.
• Marketing related to the Asian Sales division. Is responsible for development and approval of product offering, pricing strategy and structure, trade, and consumer promotion. Works with Marketing Manager to implement special marketing programs designed for the Asian trade.
• Communication and Reporting

• Must be fluent/native in Japanese, fluent in English speaking, reading and writing.
• Makes corporate sales and marketing announcements to distributors and customers.
• Receives customer and consumer inquiries and acts accordingly.
• Summarizes sales, marketing, and Asian division customer activity.
• Assists the President, CRO and executive management to communicate Asian sales division activities to CEO, Board of Directors, Steering Committee, and head office in Japan. Uses English and Japanese communication skills interchangeably to ensure mutual understanding of all parties.
• Communicates short and long-term product needs and works with Sales Operations manager to communicate forecast to production to meet sales demand.

• Manages private brand packaging and sales to customers Marukan supplies as a contract packager.  Creates, approves and maintains Supply Agreements with key customers.
• Provides day to day direction and approval of all Asian division sales activities.
• Evaluates new customer opportunities and presents to President, CRO for approval.
• Works with Accounts Receivable to reconcile customers’ deductions and account for sales department spending.  Assist in the collection of past due invoices.
• Communicates with Logistics Department to maximize sales and minimize shortages in a cost effective manner.
• Develops and updates the pricing strategy and makes recommendations to President, CRO for approval.
• Approves and communicates annual and monthly sales forecast and expense budgets.
• Some strategic Japanese customers require coordination with Marukan Japan headquarters as needed.

• Manage the Asian Sales Manager and/or any Asian Sales department staff. The Asian Sales department is growing and may require human resource growth and development to maximize customer reach and effectiveness.
• Evaluate department personnel performance and set personal and department KPIs.
• Attend meetings, receive and conduct training for self and Asian Sales division personnel, work alongside for assistance when needed.
• Attend and support Marukan and distributor/customer events, networking events and trade associations. Delegate sales division managers and staff to events as necessary.
• Reports sales activities, holds a weekly sales meeting, and shares notes of this meeting with President, CRO, who forwards reports to the head office in Japan.
• Leads meetings, normally off-site with customers monthly or as needed.
• Assists in providing information on outstanding receivables and deductions with Accounting Manager and Accounts Receivable in a weekly meeting.
• Travel to all primary sales regions of the company at least once per year.  Reviews quarterly sales objectives with President, CRO and CEO.
• Attends customer category reviews with distributor and will do training sessions as needed by customer’s request.
• Maintains up to date records of retail and food service distribution and pricing through each channel for Marukan products and competition.
• Implements company policies and procedures in areas of responsibility.
• Performs other miscellaneous duties as assigned.

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Business, Sales, Marketing, or Management.
• Continuing education, training or certifications in Sales and Negotiation strongly preferred.

• Minimum ten years of experience in related positions or equivalent.
• Track record of successful business relationships with Asian division key accounts.

• Strong understanding of Grocery and Foodservice sales as it relates to the ethnic-Asian food business, from developing strategies to executing initiatives to reach consumers.
• Ability to establish and maintain strong business relationships with executive management, purchasing and sales teams of Asian distributor partners.
• Consumer behavior as it relates to current Asian food consumers and mainstream adoption of Asian foods.
• Strong awareness and understanding of Asian restaurant and culinary trends in the U.S.
• Strong financial background as it relates to managing the Sales Department P/L.  Co-operates with Sales Operations Coordinator to forecast sales and expense budgets accurately based on factual data, dynamics in the industry, and practical intuition.
• Strong knowledge of Asian cuisine, particularly sushi, and the use of Marukan products by Asian customers, as well as other types of popular foods using rice vinegar and related products.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and budgeting skills needed for determining sales department policies and procedures, decisions making, creating sales presentations using sales reports and syndicated data, writing, and managing sales targets, promotional strategies, and budgets.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time per month, about 35% of the time per year.
• Microsoft Windows environment applications, including Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Excel, Powerpoint, and Word.
• Microsoft Dynamics Business Central ERP
• Ability to leverage the Internet and A.I. for research and streamlining workflows.