Customer Account Manager - Start Now

Who are we?

Produce Alliance specializes in delivery of fresh produce to restaurants and other foodservice operators at higher quality and better prices. We provide produce category management services including procurement, national distribution, information services and food safety assurance to foodservice clients across North America. With a specialized focus on fast food (QSR), non-traditional, c-store, fast casual, GPO, and healthcare segments, they're redefining fresh produce sourcing. Produce Alliance manages partnerships with over 150 independently owned specialty distributors and collaborate with over 100 premium grower shippers. As a Buyers Edge Platform brand, we are committed to providing fresh category management services to our clients with unprecedented service, superior access to high-quality fresh produce, commodity expertise and strategic supply chain solutions.

We are accepting applications for remote employees, but preference will be given to candidates who can work in our downtown Chicago office on a hybrid basis. This role involves travel up to 20% of the time. We are unable to offer sponsorship for work authorization for this role.

Your Impact:

As a Customer Account Manager, you will work in direct partnership with the Executive Customer Account Manager and the Corporate team/Client Relationship, specific to the QSR / Fast Casual Category. This role serves as an introduction and development of all skills required to fully manage an account on a daily/weekly/quarterly basis. This role will develop your growth toward full account ownership as you work closely with our Senior Account Management Staff. This exciting portfolio of clients (QSR/Fast Casual) have tremendous growth, which leads to many exciting projects and meetings as well as insights into where this part of the industry is headed. Great opportunity to learn this side of the foodservice business.

• Support a portfolio of Custom Distribution (CD) clients within the QSR / Fast Casual Category.
• Central Point of Contact for All End User Corporate Client Inquiries
• Weekly Client and Distributor Touch Points
  • Pricing Updates/ Discrepancies
  • New Market/ Item Rollouts Communication
  • Issue Resolution/ Action Items
  • Supports Strategic Initiative Planning with the Executive CAM (Category Lead)
  • Distribution & Logistics
  • Market Escalations and Updates
• Self-Sufficient in oversight of Custom Distribution Account Implementation and supporting the Executive CAM with Renewal Tasks and growth opportunity rollouts
  • New Account/ New Market/ New Item Rollout/ LTOs
  • Establish Timelines with Key Stakeholders
• Pricing
  • Responsibilities may include:
  • Working with Pricing Team to ensure weekly, quarterly or annual contracts are updated that drive cost savings to the client
  • Understanding the best available contract buys based on SKU, to provide alternate suggestions
  • Begin to understand the relationship between contract performance to market.
• Contract Compliance
  • Works with internal departments when a specific buy, price, spec is deviating from the client contract.
• CAM is responsible for leading communication and follow up to completion:
  • Distributor communication for updated pricing
  • Updating Distributors of new contract pricing
  • Analyzing and negotiation pricing to fit customer needs
  • Formatting pricing to fit customer's template and sending to customer
  • Updating Order Guides & Pricing Teams
  • Updating Procurement Team on any updated contract pricing
  • Working with Fresh Services – Contract Team if needed
  • Updating internal pricing workbooks
  • Confirm internal workbook and external pricing has been audited.
• Food Safety Portal
  • Responsible for ensuring all documents are appropriately kept up to date, or works with Food Safety to ensure, on behalf of the client.
  • Update Recall Playbook
• Customer Account Manager required to provide monthly (or weekly for those relevant) Account update report to Executive Account Manager that is reflective of Supply Chain Analyst/Team toward the updates & initiatives on the account.
• Customer Account Manager works to support deliverables on client dashboard.
• Close Daily Communication with Business Development, Supply Chain Manager, Senior Supply Chain Analyst, Pricing, Contracts, Food Safety and Director of National Accounts.
• Supports Executive Customer Account Manager on Business Reviews, On Site Visits, Product Testing, Sample Requests, Etc.

About You:

• 1-2 years' experience managing account relationships, including contract management and cost analysis
• Bachelor's degree preferred
• Purchasing experience within the retail, ready to eat, or the home delivery landscape preferred
• Attention to detail with a strong desire to deliver value added support to clients
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced team environment as well as independently
• Must be flexible to assist with client needs outside normal business hours as needed.
• Ability to critically think about customer needs proactively
• Ability to travel around 20% for customer conferences, business reviews, and bi-annual customer meetings.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office tools, specifically Excel
• Produce knowledge/produce management background preferred
• Valid, unrestricted driver's license with the ability to rent a car

What's in this for you?

Amazing coverages to start. Medical, dental, and vision coverages are just the beginning! We also offer ancillary plans, such as flexible spending accounts for both health and dependent care, critical illness, accident, and voluntary life as well as company paid life and long-term-disability plans! On top of this, we also offer a 401(k) plan with company match.

Invest in your success. We will provide you with a thorough training and development program; and offer competitive compensation.

Live well = Work well. Relax with our Personal Responsibility Paid Time Off policy where you don't have to accrue time off in order to take it! We also offer half-day Summer Fridays!