Job Description

Position: Inside / Outside Sales Representative

Reports to: Chief Operations Officer

Type: Contract Role (6 Months with potential for renewal)

Hours: Full-Time / Minimum of 40 hours per week, occasional weekends as needed

Hours of Operations : Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

Compensation: $50,000 Annual Base Salary 10% Uncapped Commission on Sales

Organizational Description . Sweet Beginnings is an innovative social enterprise that is part of the North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN). With a mission to offer a fresh start to individuals returning from incarceration, Sweet Beginnings manages about 20 urban bee apiaries and produces a range of all-natural honey and bee-based products. By providing job training and real employment opportunities in beekeeping and natural product manufacturing, Sweet Beginnings plays a pivotal role in reintegrating formerly incarcerated individuals into their communities, equipping them with valuable skills, and paving the way for a brighter future. Through every purchase, customers not only enjoy premium, natural products but also contribute to a larger, impactful cause—transforming lives and strengthening the fabric of the North Lawndale community.

Our Mission. To improve the earning potential of the North Lawndale community through innovative employment initiatives that lead to economic advancement and an improved quality of life for residents.

Opportunity. This is an initial 6-month contract position with the potential for renewal based on performance and organizational fit. The selected candidate will be offered a competitive compensation package, including an annual base salary of $50,000 and a 10% uncapped commission on all sales generated by the representative. This role is designed for a driven sales professional eager to achieve personal success and contribute to our team's success in growing the social enterprise, as well as its impact on the lives of our North Lawndale constituents.

Key Responsibilities:

• on several key market targets – corporate bulk purchasers and retail purchasers, plus identifying (and establishing) synergistic opportunities with other complimentary products in the marketplace.
• with past customers to secure new orders and foster ongoing participation in corporate purchasing programs.
• existing organizational contacts that have not previously purchased from Sweet Beginnings, converting them into active corporate program customers.
• and refine a variety of prospect development strategies to maximize sales opportunities and achieve sales targets.
• detailed records of sales activities, including calls, meetings, and follow-ups, to ensure accurate forecasting and sales strategy development.
• closely with Sweet Beginnings and NLEN leadership to identify new sales opportunities and contribute to achievement of organizational goals.
• exceptional customer service, understanding customer needs, and offering solutions that meet those needs.
• in general and social media marketing.

Requirements:

• 3 years of experience in outside sales, with a proven track record of meeting and exceeding sales quotas.
• ability to re-engage past customers and activate new clients.
• communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to persuade and close sales.
• to work independently and as part of a team, with a high level of initiative and self-motivation.
• with CRM software and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• degree in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, or a related field is preferred.
• in social media marketing, a plus.

Schedule

• to Friday, flexible hybrid schedule.
• and weekends, as needed, to support unique sales engagement opportunities.

Application Process:

• candidates are invited to submit a resume with cover letter detailing their experience and how they can contribute to our team.
• the cover letter, please include specific examples of your sales achievements and strategies you have employed to meet and exceed sales targets.
• your resume and cover letter to HR@NLEN.org

NLEN Core Values

Neighborhood-focused employment initiatives are fundamental.

Successful programs are neighborhood-focused and community-driven so they meet the specific needs of individuals.

Quality of work matters.

People who work hard should not be poor. A full-time job must meet basic needs and offer conditions for engagement, advancement, and respect.

Economic mobility is essential to reducing poverty.

Family supporting wages and financial literacy are core to addressing economic insecurity, which disproportionally affects African American, Latino, and other families of color. Economic insecurity is not only impacting the poor; it has grown to threaten the middle class. Self-employment and entrepreneurship are critically important economic mobility strategies to generate income and boost household finances.

We must address the racial wealth gap and social inequality.

The United States’ history of racially charged public policy has created the modern racial wealth divide not just through the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow, but through the more recent race-based discrimination in hiring, housing subsidies, tax subsidies, and veteran benefits as well as other implicitly and explicitly racist public policies.

Everyone deserves human dignity and empowerment.

To uphold this belief, we do all of our work in a manner that values human dignity and eliminates shame, humiliation, and stigma by building on the strengths that help our participants and community survive loss and trauma and rebalance the power dynamic between participants and authority figures.