National Accounts Manager

Ingredion is a leading global ingredients solutions company. We make sweeteners, starches, nutrition ingredients and biomaterials that are used by customers in everyday products from foods and beverages to paper and pharmaceuticals.

The National Accounts Manager optimizes and leverages relationships to maximize profitability at selected key accounts in the US and Canada. The National Accounts Manager is responsible for negotiating high-value sweetener contracts to meet volume, revenue and spread targets. He/She develops the sales opportunity pipeline by making initial customer introductions, presentations and value propositions to national accounts, coordinating company resources (technical, marketing, regulatory, etc.) to advance customer projects, and negotiating and finalizing customer contracts for basic products and specialty ingredients. This position also solicits and communicates customer feedback to other functional groups within Ingredion and works closely with management to define the sales strategy and tactics in the territory and to evaluate performance.

**Business** * Professionally and profitably sell Ingredion’s products. Meet volume, sales and profitability targets in the territory for basic and specialty ingredients. * Negotiate price/volume contracts with customers. * Grow the business by identifying new business opportunities in the territory and transforming these opportunities into sales. * Skillfully and professionally communicate pertinent information about the Company’s ingredients to national accounts. Communicate within Ingredion information as it pertains to overall prospect and national account needs. * Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of the food industry and the competitive environment to facilitate business development efforts and to keep other Company staff informed of changes and developments in the market. **Agility and Innovation** * Introduce new ingredients to customers. * Work with technical, marketing and specialty sales personnel to develop business on specialty ingredients. * Obtain “voice of customer” feedback on prospective new ingredients. * Provide input for marketing department to support sales growth. * Execute administrative activities in a timely and cost efficient manner as it relates to opportunity development, travel, expense reports, general report writing, and other matters. Document and track key activities as required. **Relationships and People** * Optimize relationships with buying influences at existing and prospective customers and leverage those relationships to maximize Ingredion’s profitability. * Maintain productive and effective relationships with colleagues to ensure rapid flow of relevant information to meet business goals. * Advise appropriate Ingredion departments (e.g. Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Logistics, Customer Service, Product Management) about customer issues. Facilitate resolution of customer issues with support of appropriate internal departments. * Orchestrate the provision of appropriate technical assistance and coordinate interactions between customers and other Ingredion personnel. * Share industry knowledge with other Company personnel to facilitate sales strategy. Recommend business development tactics, potential pricing strategies, account targets and other information to the Commercial Management Team. * Work as appropriate with Global Account teams to accomplish Global Account goals.

**Knowledge, Skills, and Requirements:** * Bachelor’s degree with significant B2B sales experience, preferably in food ingredients, chemicals or agribusiness industries. * Sales and/or business development experience calling on large companies, preferably major food and beverage companies. * Experience negotiating complex high-value deals. * Proven ability to sell to multiple buying influences (including purchasing, marketing and R&D). * Successful experience managing a complex business development/project process. * Significant understanding of, and contacts in, food and beverage markets desirable. * Ability to work independently and also as part of a team. * Proven ability to manage multiple projects or tasks simultaneously. * Excellent oral and written communication skills. * Basic computer skills – Microsoft Office programs. * Familiarity with Salesforce.com preferred. * Ability to travel frequently (50%). **Desired behavior, personal attributes:** * Delivering our strategy: Actively uses knowledge of the overall strategy, products and markets to help improve the team’s performance. * Passionately driving for results: Manages work deliverables and project plans, constantly looking for better ways to deliver results. * Fostering results - focused innovation: Accepts and deals effectively with dynamic change and supports his or her colleagues through it. * Operating with agility: Demonstrates the ability to deliver results during uncertainty, despite changes and ambiguity. * Building trusted relationships: Solicits values and incorporates different views and ideas to broaden his or her perspective. * Encouraging personal growth: Seeks opportunities (training, projects, etc.) that develops knowledge and skills to become a stronger contributor