Minneapolis based- foodservice equipment sales chef

Job Summary/Basic Function:

Responsible for supporting New Business Development Manager with product demos, culinary testing, and sales meetings to create and obtain new business. Responsibilities include identifying new business opportunities, supporting and increasing sales with our distributors and dealers, understanding customers’ direction and developing sales strategies based on the customers’ needs. This role will help support customers with equipment programming and recipe testing to help realize customers’ goals for speed and recipe quality. Must have a hunter mentality and a culinary degree/chef training.

**This role is a contract position**

Salary Range: $70k commensurate with experience

Key Accountabilities:

% of Time Accountability

20% Identify/create new business opportunities at assigned food service segments focused on High Speed Oven and Sonic Steamer.

20% Promote and sell Panasonic’s solutions and products to these companies.

20% Establish strong working relationships with key decision makers at targeted customers; through these relationships, identify menu trends and solution for customers.

20% Develop and execute sales strategies to grow new business and support key accounts with culinary needs and innovation with Panasonic products.

20% Support Panasonic business development team and customer base with equipment demos, recipe testing and other culinary activities to help grow relationships with industry and increase sales.

Basic Qualifications

Scope:

· Reports to New Business Development manager.

Education & Experience:

· Culinary/Chef Degree Required***

· Experience doing culinary innovation/recipe testing

· At least 2 years B2B sales and/or new business development in the food service industry preferred.

· Proven success in business development, resulting in key business wins.

· Must have a hunter mentality and be comfortable in networking situations.

· Proven ability to work in a Japanese business culture a plus

Competencies: Key desired behaviors; e.g., problem solving, innovation, collaboration, etc.

· Ability to quickly learn and understand Panasonic’s vast array of food service products and solutions

· Superior oral and written communication skills

· Effective negotiation and presentation skills

· Experience in working with multiple levels of management, internally and externally

· Pro-active promotion and cross-team collaboration with multiple groups and factory domains

· Demonstrated ability to collaborate with different cultures to meet the desired business result.

· Ability to quickly identify a match between customer product requirements and Panasonic solutions.

Communications: Key communication skills and ability to persuade required

· Strong written and oral communication capabilities, are required.

· Ability to make major presentations to high-level internal and external contacts a must.

Other Requirements: e.g., working conditions, physical requirements, travel, etc.

· 50% travel required, mostly domestic, working evenings/weekends occasionally required