Overview

The Sales Director Opportunity with Uncommon Cacao Source + Trade is an ideal position for a sales professional with great experience in B2B sales with a focus on specialty/natural food and food ingredients, and has a proven track record of managing a growing sales effort.

About Uncommon Cacao

Uncommon Cacao started its work in 2010, building Maya Mountain Cacao in Belize to create meaningful market access for smallholder cacao farmers. After catalyzing unparalleled impact for farmer families in the country, and receiving enormous demand for our product and process, in 2014 Uncommon Cacao founded Cacao Verapaz in Guatemala. These companies have revolutionized local economies by linking smallholder farmers to the specialty chocolate industry, through a focus on consistently delivering high quality beans.

Today, with growing demand for our cacao, Uncommon Cacao has grown further into the supply chain to drive maximum value to producer groups at origin. Founded two years ago, Uncommon Cacao Source + Trade now works with over 100 chocolate makers, and sources cacao from six countries in Central and South America to deliver the highest quality cacaos, and provide added-value sourcing services to craft chocolate makers globally. Together, we can build a more fair and sustainable specialty cacao supply chain.

Scope of Role

• Sales Management and Execution
  • Manage all existing bean-to-bar chocolate accounts including in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia
  • Create and execute sales strategies to penetrate new accounts and markets
  • Drive and set pricing strategy, including close analysis of margins and implementation of any discounts and promotions
  • Attend and work at industry conferences and sales events on behalf of Uncommon Cacao
  • Create and manage sales forecasts, including annual, quarterly and monthly sales plans

• New Markets
  • Cultivate and nurture relationships with larger-scale Premium Chocolate market buyers
  • Understand sourcing and product needs and grow business into new markets
  • Focus on growth and expansion in European ultra-premium sector (craft, bean-to-bar chocolate)
  • Foster relationships with new craft chocolate buyers in existing market

• Marketing
  • Manage Marketing Associate: regular check ins, goal setting, obstacle-busting
  • Provide marketing vision and direction based on sales plan and needs
  • Support creation of marketing materials including all collateral, Transparency Report, social media etc.
  • Foster coordination between Marketing Associate and Supply Chain Manager to ensure authentic representation of brand to customers
• Business Coordination
  • Ensure close collaboration with CEO, CFO and finance team
  • Work closely with Supply Chain Manager to ensure product portfolio matches sales needs, and to manage inventory flow
  • Proficiently use software systems including inventory management system, CRM, and financial management system

Organizational Role, Compensation and Benefits

The Sales Director of Uncommon Cacao Source + Trade reports directly to the CEO. This position is based in Berkeley, CA, and is an at-will, salaried position. Compensation will be commensurate with experience. Travel, both domestic and international, will be required.

The Sales Director position is eligible for paid vacation, beginning five months after start date. Employee is eligible for the company’s health insurance plan after 2 months from start date. This role has 7 paid sick days starting immediately. This is a flex-time position, meaning the Sales Director can work on whatever schedule is ideal to ensure goals are met.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to email their resume to Cindy Joyce, CEO of Pillar Search & HR Consulting, at cindy@pillarsearch.com.