Solution Sales Manager - Los Angeles, CA

Sara Lee Corporation is a global manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, brand-name products for consumers throughout the world. The Corporation has operations in 58 countries and markets branded products in nearly 200 nations. Sara Lee Corporation employs 137,000 people worldwide. Each and every day, Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) delights millions of consumers and customers around the world.  The company has one of the world's best-loved and leading portfolios with its innovative and trusted food, beverage, household and body care brands, including Ambi Pur, Ball Park, Douwe Egberts, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Kiwi, Sanex, Sara Lee, and Senseo.  Collectively, these brands generate more than $12 billion in annual net sales covering approximately 200 countries.  The Sara Lee community consists of 52,000 employees worldwide. 
Position Summary:The Solution Sales Manager position is responsible for the sales performance of salespeople in an assigned territory. Territory may be defined by geography, product, channel or specific accounts.  An individual in this position spends the majority of time in the field working with sales people to coach, counsel and mentor them in all aspects of sales effectiveness.  Motivates and directs salespeople to support strategic sales objectives (i.e., new product sales, new customer acquisition, account penetration, customer retention, etc.).  Manages Solution Sales Reps and Account Developers to enhance skills/competencies and to assign performance objectives.  Recruits, hires, trains and develops competent sales personnel consistent with business needs and human resources policies. Provides leadership, coaching and counseling for all associates in sales concepts, principles and practices. Responsible for ensuring new accounts are acquired and current accounts are penetrated in order to meet agreed upon sales and profit objectives for the Region.  Develops budgets and ensures effective management within budget parameters.  Develops recommendations on growth, opportunities for growth and key target accounts.  Collects, maintains and reports information about competitors, the competitive marketplace and other topics that would be helpful in current and future business planning.  Reviews and analyzes sales trends, competitive conditions, market research and recommends change to devise plans.  Provides input to regional strategies.  Bachelor's Degree preferred or equivalent experience MBA desirable Eight (8) years of successful sales experience Minimum of three (3) years of proven experience in building/leading direct sales teams with strong knowledge of team Concepts and principles Sales and marketing strategies Management of resources Analytical problem-solving and communication skills Industry/customer environment Business planning Ability to close deals Proficient in assessing customer needs Proficient in conducting required territory analysis/planning, account planning, and business planning Works independently with little supervision, and leads account teams as needed Superior professional presence and business acumen Exceptional interpersonal skills enabling teamwork and clear communication Proficient in spreadsheet and database software 


An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer