Sales & Market Lead - Virginia

About This Role

DC’s leading artisan bakery is expanding in Virginia — and we’re looking for the person who will lead that charge.

We’ve spent years building a reputation in the DC market for exceptional product, reliable service, and partnerships that last. Our accounts don’t just reorder — they advocate for us. Now we’re bringing that same standard to Southern & Central Virginia, and we need someone on the ground who’s hungry to carry that flag.

This role is equal parts sales, logistics, and market leadership. Based in Richmond, you’ll personally launch and run delivery routes across your territory while simultaneously opening new accounts and building the kind of relationships our brand is known for. As the markets you develop gain traction, routes transition to dedicated drivers — and you move forward to the next opportunity, with the full weight of our DC success story behind you.

You’re not starting from zero. You’re bringing a proven product, a winning brand, and serious organizational backing into a market that’s ready for it. Your job is to introduce Virginia to what DC already knows.

What You’ll Actually Do

• Personally launch and run delivery routes across your Virginia territory, handling drops and building face-to-face relationships with every account
• Open new accounts through direct prospecting and relationship-building — restaurants, grocery, specialty retail, food service, hospitality
• Represent a brand with real credibility and a track record — you’re not convincing people to take a chance, you’re introducing them to something proven
• Own the full sales cycle: identify the opportunity, make the pitch, close the account, and make sure the first delivery goes flawlessly
• Operate with a logistics mindset — manage route timing, adapt to real-world variables, and solve problems before they become crises
• Track account growth and performance, and know when a market is ready to scale
• Serve as the voice of the Virginia market back to our Maryland HQ — what’s working, what isn’t, what accounts need to stay and grow

The Opportunity Ahead

Virginia is our next major market — and this hire is the cornerstone of that expansion. We’re not asking you to sell an unknown quantity. We’re asking you to bring one of the DC area’s most respected artisan bakeries to a state full of restaurants, grocers, and food lovers who don’t yet know what they’re missing.

As routes mature and hand off to dedicated drivers, you’ll have the bandwidth and the credibility to push into new Virginia markets — with a growing track record and the full support of an organization that’s already done this before.

We reward results, promote from within, and give our people real ownership over what they build. This is a career-defining role for the right person.

Who We’re Looking For

• A self-starter who thrives in ambiguity and builds structure where there isn’t any yet
• Someone who doesn’t wait to be told what to do — you see the gap, you close it
• Comfortable being on the road, at a restaurant back door, and in a sales meeting — sometimes all in the same day
• Genuinely excited about food and the food service industry — you don’t need to be an expert, but the product has to matter to you
• Organized enough to manage a route, a pipeline, and a growing account list without dropping the ball
• Resilient — when something goes sideways, you adapt and keep moving
• Weekend availability required; reliability is non-negotiable in this role

Qualifications

• 4 years of outside sales, route sales, food service, or distribution experience (we care more about drive and mindset than résumé length)
• Strong knowledge of the Richmond market; familiarity with broader Virginia territory a plus
• Valid driver’s license, clean record, and reliable personal vehicle
• Comfortable with physical work — this role involves loading, unloading, and moving product
• Proficient in basic CRM tools or eager to learn
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus

Compensation & What We Offer

• Competitive base salary commission — the more you build, the more you earn
• Mileage reimbursement for personal car usage
• Health benefits
• Paid time off
• Direct access to leadership — your voice shapes how we grow in Virginia
• The backing of an established, market-leading brand — and the autonomy to run with it