US Commercial Manager

Fall Creek is creating a world with better blueberries through its friendly, collaborative team spread across the globe. To help us accomplish this, we are seeking a qualified US Commercial Manager.The Fall Creek Commercial Manager reports to the General Manager of US & Canada North America. The Commercial Manager supervises and directs the customer service and sales/growers support team and distributors (where applicable) in the assigned territories. This position collaborates with other managers and departments in the company - both within the US and also globally - and has frequent interactions with North America blueberry industry associations and other industry stakeholders and Fall Creek partners.Job Setting: Office, field, and nursery setting. Requires frequent travel (30% - 50%) acrros the US regions and Canada. Occasional International travel is also required.What you'll do at Fall Creek:Collaborates with the General manager US & Canada and The Chief Commercial Officer to develop the regional commercial strategy that is in line with the global strategy. Responsible for managing all sales in the assigned region.Oversees commercial business relationships to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction.Executes activities with results measured against the commercial plan and holds the customer service and sales and grower support team accountable for achieving goals.Works closely with the General Manager US & Canada to create the department budget and operates within the approved amounts.Oversees execution and administration of company IP licensing strategies in the territory in coordination with the Intellectual Property department. Oversees implementation, adoption, and optimized use of company CRM in the region. Empowers team to understand and use the tool to increase individual and department performance and efficiency. Responsible for managing the sales, demand, and crop forecast processes and collaborates with Operations Manager, Planning manager, and production department to accurately forecast inventory deployment. Establishes and maintains strong relationships with customers, industry influencers and key industry representatives. Gathers information on competitors, customers, and trends and makes recommendations to take advantage of market opportunities.Directly supervises and coach Sales and Customer Service employee(s) on a frequent basis. This includes the annual performance management cycle- goal setting, training and development, addressing both positive and negative performance issues. Coaches, motivates and develops employees to improve job performance when appropriate. Ensures that performance discussions are completed in a timely manner. Establishes and maintains good morale, motivation, and recognition of accomplishments.Provides leadership to the day-to-day operations of the commercial department, while maintaining focus on the company’s strategic goals and company culture. Establishes and implements short and long term commercial goals for the region.Monitors intellectual property concerns. Works closely with other departments to develop recommendations on managing infringements that may occur.Provides direction for handling cases of product failure, customer complaints and problems by analyzing each situation and coordinating their resolution with the help of the production department. Assists the customer service team with customer relations as needed.Collaborates with the marketing team on planning and execution of advertising, communication and marketing plans aligned and customized to the regional needs and priorities.Assures that proper communication, information sharing, and collaboration are achieved within the commercial team and between other departments.Provides input and recommendations for new products and varieties and contributes to their commercialization and acceptance in the marketplace.What you bring to Fall Creek:Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, horticulture or related field.Requires 10+ years of commercial management experience preferably in the fresh produce or Ag Input industries. Sales experience in the Blueberry industry is a plus.Minimum of 10+ years in a supervisory or management position in a commercial environment with proven ability to manage sales performance accountability, develop activation/growth acceleration strategies and plans, and develop and mentor staff.Language skills in English. Ability to communicate in Spanish is a plus, but not requiredDemonstrable experience with sales planning, budgeting, and forecasting.Requires a proven track record of developing strategy and executing a commercial plan with an understanding of the US market, preferably in berries or fresh produce, nurseries or Ag inputs (eg. crop protection, equipment) markets.Requires an understanding of intellectual property and royalty administration.Experience working with Microsoft Office Suite.Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to effectively present information in formal and informal settings to peers, customers and industry leaders.Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines with strict attention to detail and prioritization.Able to understand complex business and political relationships.Able to work as part of a team with internal departments and with other professionals in the industry. Strong collaboration skills.Desirable QualificationsMaster’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Economics, or related field.Previous experience working with an ERP system, preferably SAP or NetSuite .Previous experience working with a CRM system, like Salesforce or NetSuite CRMWho is Fall Creek? We’re a US-based company with a keen focus on blueberry genetics, plants, and grower support delivered to the world’s premier blueberry growers. From our humble beginnings in Lowell, Oregon more than 40 years ago, we now also have wholly-owned nurseries in Mexico, Peru, Spain, South Africa, Netherlands, Chile, China, and expanding nurseries in North Africa and Eastern Europe. Additionally, we have built a global team of the finest breeders, researchers, propagators and nursery professionals, grower support technicians, sales and customer service experts and more. We’re a deeply-planted link in a global chain, ready to serve our customers and our industry throughout North, Central, and South America, Greater Europe, Asia and Africa. Our mission is to serve the growers and to support the blueberry industry, helping to ensure growers maximize success through our delivery of the best genetics and plants, technical know-how and global market intelligence. To fulfill our mission, we focus on cultivating exceptional plants, building strong relationships and providing responsive customer service. This is all part of how we’re helping to build A World with Better Blueberries™.  Fall Creek Farm & Nursery® offers a competitive salary and benefit package which includes health, vision, and dental insurance, paid time off, company-paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and 401K plan. This position requires an executed confidentiality and non-solicitation agreement upon hire. Employment offers are contingent on meeting our drug testing, background, and reference check standards. EOE