Director of Sales

Position Summary The Director of Sales is responsible for driving revenue and/or raw material growth, managing strategic customer relationships, and overseeing market execution within their designated line of business. This role involves developing and executing sales strategies, managing key customer relationships, and analyzing market trends to identify new opportunities with customers and our internal teams. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the sales process, a proven track record of success in a high-volume sales management role, possess excellent leadership qualities, coordinate closely with operations and R&D, and align category goals with the overall business objectives. Essential Duties/Responsibilities: Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Develops and executes comprehensive sales strategies to expand markets, optimize product mix, and maximize margins within the category that align with corporate objectives, market conditions, and competitive dynamics. Identifies new business opportunities, emerging customer needs, and whitespace segments to accelerate growth. Responsible for managing sale of products and forecasting annual sales objectives. Negotiates and executes contracts with key strategic customers. Builds executive level relationships with key accounts, ensuring retention, satisfaction, and upsell opportunities. Ability to sell and prospect for potential new business. Collaborates with Operations and other departments to coordinate superior service by resolving customer challenges, aligning capabilities with market demands, initiatives and/or ensuring proper inventory management. Communicates clearly and concisely of sales position, margins, projections to various levels of management, and/or freight needs. Work closely with all internal teams to ensure alignment of sales strategies and support throughout. Ensure consistent use of CRM, adherence to sales methodologies, and operational discipline across the region/business line. Identifies and analyzes competition to include new vs. lost business, efforts vs results, gross margins and market share. May recruit, coach, and mentor team members to exceed performance expectations. May use data driven insights to evaluate team performance, refine strategy, and improve sales effectiveness. May manage/assist regional budgets, resource allocation, and ROI for sales programs. May manage/assist quarterly and annual operating targets for the assigned region/business line, ensuring predictable forecasting and consistent pipeline health. Other duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in related field; or 8+ years of experience or equivalent combination of education and work experience. Proven ability to hire, develop, and retain top sales talent. Demonstrated success in building and executing regional sales strategies. Strong command of forecasting, pipeline management, and performance analytics. Ability to present to senior leadership and influence cross‑functional stakeholders. Familiarity with designated business line market, customer base, and competitive landscape. Preferred Qualifications: Background in designated line of business (I.E.; general sales, agricultural business/sales, rendering processes, petfood, or animal nutrition markets). Proven track record of negotiating large supply contracts. Proficiency in CRM systems and sales analytics. Detail oriented; highly organized; self‑motivated; ability to multi‑task. Work well in a team environment. Agility in decision making. Strong knowledge of P&L reporting. Excellent communication skills with both internal and external customers. Experience working in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). Working Conditions and Physical Demands N/A | Occasionally = up to 20% | Frequently = 21% to 50% | Constantly = at least 51% Working Environment Occasionally - Exposed to unpleasant or disagreeable physical environments such as high noise level, strong odors, and/or exposure to heat and cold. N/A - Exposed to bio hazardous conditions. N/A - Exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals which mandate attention to safety considerations. N/A - Exposed to Electrical hazards; risk of electrical shock. N/A - Handles or works with potentially dangerous equipment. Constantly - Travels to offsite locations. N/A - OTHER: N/A. Physical Demands Constantly - Must be able to remain in a stationary position (Sit). Constantly - Must be able to move about inside/outside office or work location (Walk). Constantly - Operates a computer and other office machinery (Use hands to finger, handle or feel). Frequently - Must be able to position one's self to maintain computers in the lab, including under desks and in the server closet (Stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl). Occasionally - Must be able to ascend/descend on a ladder (Climb or balance). Constantly - Must be able to use senses to effectively communicate with co‑workers and clients and detect hazardous conditions (Talk, hear, taste, smell). Weight and Force Demands Occasionally - Up to 10 pounds. Occasionally - Up to 25 pounds. Occasionally - Up to 50 pounds. N/A - Up to 100 pounds. N/A - More than 100 pounds. Equal Opportunity Employer Darling Ingredients is an equal opportunity employer and gives consideration to qualified applicants without regard to race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status. Know Your Rights: If you would like more information, please paste the following into your browser: #J-18808-Ljbffr