What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manager of Sales and Partnerships position at River Partners?
Manager of Sales and Partnerships
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports to: General Manager of Heritage Growers
Location: Sacramento and/or Remote
Annual Salary: $75,000 to $85,000, negotiable with experience
Who We Are
River Partners was formed in 1998 to bring life back to California rivers. We specialize in implementation of large-scale native habitat restoration along rivers using ecological and horticultural techniques. Each year, we plant hundreds of thousands of native trees and vegetation across thousands of acres along California's most imperiled rivers. Heritage Growers is a venture of River Partners.
Why We Do It
Healthy rivers are essential for a vibrant California. They provide fresh water for growing our food, economy, communities, and wildlife found nowhere else. Rivers support more wildlife species and in greater numbers than any other ecosystem in California – making our state a worldwide biodiversity hotspot. Yet just 5% of our native riverside habitat remains. What’s left needs reviving. Our work supports a range of wins for wildlife, flood safety, climate resiliency, water conservation, healthy communities, and local economies statewide. This includes supporting the recovery of dozens of imperiled species, boosting flood safety for communities in flood-prone regions, and growing California’s climate resilience by revegetating vast areas with native plants.
Heritage Growers
Heritage Growers is a native seed and plant supply venture that is a distinct program of River Partners. Heritage Growers was formed in 2021 to improve:
- Availability of source-identified native seed for restoration
- Diversity of seed types available at scales suitable for restoration
- Pricing and retail availability for specialized native seed
- Capacity of local groups to collect and amplify native seed types for restoration
- Access to locally-appropriate source-identified native seed for River Partners’ projects
To accomplish these goals, Heritage Growers:
- runs a native seed farm in Colusa County on land leased from local growers that owns equipment and employs farmers to amplify large quantities of native seed;
- runs a cleaning mill facility that cleans and processes farmed seed into retail products;
- manages a demonstration garden that tests growth of small wild harvests for research and development; and
- leads a robust wildland seed collection program that scouts and harvests native wild seed from across California to conserve and amplify special collections of source-identified native seed for restoration.
These functions are supported by public grants and contracts, retail seed and nursery sales, internal seed and nursery sales (i.e., to River Partners), and charitable support.
Position Description
The Manager of Sales and Partnerships works directly with the General Manager to lead new business development of:
- internal and external native seed, straw and nursery sales;
- seed amplification contracts and nursery contracts;
- and federal, state and local grants.
The Manager of Sales and Partnerships works closely with Heritage Growers’ numerous external partners and customers to scope, negotiate, execute and deliver on sales and supportive partnerships to expand native ecotype availability for large-scale habitat restoration projects across California.
The position also works closely with internal teams at Heritage Growers’ farm and Heritage Growers’ Wildland Seed Collections program to ensure availability of inventory and growing space for client’s needs and the deliverables of grants and contracts. Support for this position is provided from River Partners’ finance and administration team which supports budget development and reviewing agreements and terms; River Partners’ Science and Operations teams which forecast native seed and plant needs and are the end-user for many Heritage Growers products; and River Partners’ New Business Team which specializes in securing public and private funds for conservation.
Flexibility, creativity, and problem-solving skills are required to ensure Heritage Growers’ existing contracts and grants are managed effectively while exciting and aligned new opportunities for expansion are identified and procured. The position requires experience in habitat restoration, a solid working knowledge of the effective use of native seed including the development of seed mixes, and a strong desire to develop and manage supportive partnerships with managers of grants and contracts for native plants and seeds. The successful applicant will have experience in sales, business development, and marketing in the natural resources industry. Did we mention you should LOVE talking to people about native seed?
The position has supervisory responsibilities, overseeing a team of three individuals each with important responsibilities in the overall management and success of Heritage Growers. Direct reports share in the delivery of grant deliverables and reports; management of native seed and plant sales; and development and management of contract and grants that focus on excellent client care and performance. Finally, this position and its direct reports play a central role in farm planning, management of seed inventory and testing, hiring, attending, tabling, and presenting at natural resources and native seed conferences.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Assist the General Manager and Lead the development of bids for seed and contract grows
- Lead the development of grant proposals targeting awards in the scale of $500K to $3M
- Provide seed consultations for a variety of established and new clients; staying up to date on current and new native seed and restoration trends
- Maintain regular contact with clients, provide updates on orders, troubleshoot issues and adapt to changing conditions as required to provide excellent customer service
- Manage all aspects of client relations including working with the administration team through invoicing, delivery and collections
- Oversee the delivery of grant and contract outcomes in partnership with the farm and wildland collections teams, and ensure reporting requirements are exceeded
- Supervise a team of 3 to 5 specialists
- With the General Manager, hold responsibility for meeting new business growth targets for Heritage Growers
- Support native seed forecasting for farm planning each year
- Support annual budgte development (revenue side) for Heritage Growers
- Working independently under the guidance of the General Manager
- Detailed record keeping
- Other assignments as requested achieve department and company business goals
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Botany, Plant Sciences, Habitat Restoration, Natural Resource Management, or other related disciplines.
- Degree in Business Administration preferred if balanced with strong ecological knowledge.
- Substantial experience considered in lieu of educational qualifications.
- 5 years of professional experience
- Experience with plant material and/or natural resource services sales
- Experience with habitat restoration
- Experience with business administration
- Valid California driver’s license with clean DMV Record
Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Demonstrates high standards, a passion for what River Partners’ purpose is, a positive attitude, and a commitment and enthusiasm to carry out Heritage Growers’ mission.
- Solutions-oriented
- Self-starting
Compensation:
Exempt position. Salary is commensurate with experience.
River Partners offers a generous benefits package including ample holidays and paid time off, an alternative work week schedule, flexible location and hours, health insurance, and up to 4% 401(k) match on your contribution.
Location:
This position is based out of Sacramento, but a remote location may be considered pending proposed home office and applicant. A typical schedule will be 9 to 5:30pm for this position.
Working Conditions/Physical Effort
Overall: Office and occasional field conditions.
Does this job have any travel requirements? ☒ Yes ☐ No
Percentage of time spent traveling:
☒ 10-25%
☐ 26-50%
☐ >50%
Travel is by (check all that apply):
☒ Car
☐ Airplane
☐ Other:____________________________________
Describe the specific job duties that require the physical demands selected below:
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Does this job require that weight be lifted or force be exerted? If so, how much and how often? Check the appropriate boxes below.
| Amount of Time--% of Work Week | |||
| None | Under 1/3 | 1/3 to 2/3 | Over 2/3 |
Up to 10 pounds | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ |
Up to 25 pounds | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ |
Up to 50 pounds | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Up to 100 pounds | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
More than 100 pounds | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
How much on-the-job time is spent in the following physical activities? Show the amount of time by checking the appropriate boxes below.
| Amount of Time--% of Work Week | |||
| None | Under 1/3 | 1/3 to 2/3 | Over 2/3 |
Stand | ☐ | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ |
Walk | ☐ | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ |
Sit | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☒ |
Use hands to handle or feel | ☐ | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ |
Reach with hands and arms | ☐ | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ |
Climb or balance | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ |
Stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ |
Talk or hear | ☐ | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ |
Taste or smell | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
How much noise is typical for the work environment of this job? Check the appropriate level below.
☐ Very quiet (examples: forest trail, isolation booth for hearing test)
☒ Quiet (examples: library, private office)
☒ Moderate noise (examples: business office with computers and printers, light traffic)
☒ Loud (examples: metal can manufacturing department, large earth-moving equipment)
☐ Very loud (examples: jack hammer work, front row at rock concert)
How much exposure to the following environmental conditions does this job require? Show the amount of time by checking the appropriate boxes below.
| Amount of Time--% of Work Week | |||
| None | Under 1/3 | 1/3 to 2/3 | Over 2/3 |
Wet or humid conditions (non-weather) | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ |
Work near moving mechanical parts | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ |
Work in high, precarious places | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Fumes or airborne particles | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ |
Toxic or caustic chemicals | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Outdoor weather conditions | ☐ | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ |
Extreme cold (non-weather) | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Extreme heat (non-weather) | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Risk of electrical shock | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Work with explosives | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Risk of radiation | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Vibration | ☒ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Does this job have any special vision requirements? Check all that apply.
☒ Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less)
☐ Distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more)
☐ Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors)
☐ Peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while eyes are fixed on a given point)
☐ Depth perception (three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances and spatial relationships)
☒ Ability to adjust focus (ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus)
☐ No special vision requirements
River Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer
River Partners is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, disability, medical condition religion, age, military or veteran status, or any other protected group status or non‐job related characteristic as directed by law.
Salary : $75,000 - $85,000