Strategic Account Executive - Dairy Industry

Overview:

The Strategic Account Executive-Dairy Industry position will be responsible for building and managing high-value relationships with key accounts in the dairy processing and milk hauling sectors. This role will focus on expanding market share, driving revenue growth, and delivering exceptional value to strategic partners by aligning QualiTru’s innovative sampling solutions with operational and quality assurance needs. This outside sales role requires frequent travel to customer locations, tradeshows, and industry events.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Sales & Growth
  • Develop and execute account strategies for major dairy processors, cooperatives, system integrators, and milk haulers.
  • Identify, qualify, and close new business opportunities to achieve revenue targets.
• Relationship Management
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for strategic customers, ensuring satisfaction, retention, and long-term partnerships.
  • Build executive and plant-level relationships (Quality/Regulatory, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, R&D). Serve as a trusted advisor on sampling best practices.
• Market Expertise
  • Maintain deep knowledge of dairy industry trends, regulations, and technologies to position QualiTru Sampling Systems as an industry leader.
  • Representing the company at tradeshows, industry events, and customer meetings.
• Solution Selling
  • Conduct consultative sales presentations and product demonstrations both virtually and in-person.
  • Collaborate with internal teams (Business Development, marketing and customer service) to provide tailored solutions for customer needs.
  • Educate customers on how to use the company’s products.
• Pipeline and CRM Management
  • Manage CRM records, ensuring accurate tracking of deals, forecasting, and customer interactions.
• Travel
  • Travel 50% of the time, primarily within North America, with occasional international trips as needed.
  • Overnight travel is required for customer site visits, plant tours, training sessions, and events.

Qualifications

• Education
  • Bachelor’s degree in business, food science, dairy science, or related fields.
• Experience
  • 5+ years of sales experience in the dairy or food processing industry, preferably with equipment, hygiene/consumables, instrumentation, QA/lab services, quality assurance, or testing solutions.
  • Proven success managing strategic accounts and achieving sales growth.
• Skills & Knowledge
  • Strong understanding of dairy processing operations.
  • Understanding of processing quality assurance systems and methods.
  • Exhibits a high-level understanding of a dairy processing facility.
  • Excellent communication, negotiation, organization and presentation skills.
  • Able to develop and execute strategic account plans for top customers.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and able to complete tasks with little to no guidance.
  • Ability to prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance.
  • Confidence to work through customer objections and get beyond initial resistance.
  • Persistence, tenacity, and willingness to work accounts until customers have a need.
  • Strong relationship building skills and ability to create strong partnerships and rapport with customers
  • Curious, perceptive, and inquisitive in their interactions with customers.
  • Ability and willingness to travel extensively (50%), including overnight stays.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft office suite
  • Experience with entering information in the CRM
• Preferred
  • Experience with aseptic sampling, laboratory testing, or food safety technology.
  • Technical background in dairy processing, microbiology, or quality systems.
  • Strong understanding of the regulatory requirements in dairy processing plants.