Hood Container is looking for an Business Development/Key Account Manager to serve as the customer-facing representative for Hood Container’s three (3) fulfillment operations, located within the customer’s distribution centers. This is a dedicated role, servicing the General Mills account. The ideal candidate will be self-driven, highly independent and economic thinker with proven account management experience.
Location: Golden Valley, MN currently requires 20% remote in MN / 80% in-office (Monday through Thursday) presence at General Mills’ world headquarters.
Travel: Currently requires approximately 15% travel (with overnights)
How you will contribute:
- Maintain a high level of customer service and work to maintain the strong relationship between Hood Container & General Mills (GMI)
- Serve as the primary representative for Hood Container operations on all customer daily, weekly, & monthly recurring meetings
- Ensure Hood Container Plant Managers & Regional Manager are informed and up-to-speed on all customer requests, events, initiatives, projections, etc
- Keep customer informed of all Hood Container safety, quality, & productivity efforts and communicate any service risks
- Ensure all customer deadlines and requests are fulfilled on-time
- Lead monthly scorecard meetings and track/report milestones, accomplishments, and variances
- Update customers leadership on key initiatives, cost updates, and operational opportunities
- Identify and lead resolution of tolling & billing inconsistencies.
Continuous Improvement Responsibilities
- Identify and implement strategies for a 5% reduction in Costs of Goods Sold each year. Work directly with Hood’s Plant Managers to develop process improvements, automation opportunities, and to maintain a cost-savings pipeline
- Assist in the development of future strategic initiatives
- Initiate capital ideas using customers processes and tools including the customers IRR calculator
- Work with Hood Container operations leadership to ensure that Hood fulfillment locations are strategically aligned, appropriately resourced, and operationally ready
Cost and Service Predictability
- With support of the Hood Operations team, work with the Business Account Manager on the annual contract review and other preparation for the new fiscal year
- Represent monthly performance: lead scorecard calls, trigger and lead action plan.
- Identify risks to budgets and lead proactive countermeasures if trending unfavorably.
- Investigate anomalies & variances prior to the scorecard meetings to the degree possible.
- Work proactively with Hood’s fulfillment locations to anticipate needs for overtime and/or labor incentives, balancing the need to meet on-time deliveries with minimizing costs
What it Takes:
- Minimum of 5+years of B2B sales or related experience strongly preferred
- Proven Success in any relevant sales or account manager position within manufacturing industry
- Personal accountability and growth mindset.
- Effective negotiation and persuasion skills.
- Demonstration of dynamic communication and interpersonal skills, able to work with all types of personalities.
- Adaptability is key as you will need to navigate and demonstrate flexibility in an environment that can be ambiguous and uncertain.
- Go-getter, self-starter, and team player.
- General high level of enthusiasm, creative, and innovative ability.
Why You’ll Love Working at Hood Container
- Competitive Pay & Benefits:
👉 www.hoodcontainer.com/benefits - Career Growth: Ongoing training and advancement opportunities.
- Team-Oriented Culture: Your expertise is respected and valued.
- Stable, Growing Industry: Nationwide leader in corrugated packaging manufacturing.
To learn more about Hood Container Corporation, visit www.hoodcontainer.com or check us out on social media!
Check out our YouTube Videos
Skills Required
- Minimum of 5+ years of B2B sales or related experience
- Proven success in a relevant sales or account management position within the manufacturing industry
- Personal accountability and a growth mindset
- Effective negotiation and persuasion skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with varied personalities
- Adaptability and flexibility in ambiguous and uncertain environments
- Self-starter, go-getter, and team player
- Enthusiasm, creativity, and innovative ability
What We Do
Hood Container Corporation is a family-owned, mill to market company specializing in containerboard and kraft paper, corrugated boxes, high graphic displays and contract packaging. Our commitment to customer happiness, employee well-being, environmental stewardship, and operational excellence drive our business. Over the last eight years Hood Container Corporation has grown to become one of the top ten Paper and Packaging Companies in the United States. Our integrated company resources allow for a unique dynamic that evolves with every addition to our geographic footprint. We excel at offering the benefits of a large corporation, while operating as a boutique business building close relationships with our customers. Our Mission: Through our unwavering commitment to safety, innovation, and sustainability, we passionately deliver indispensable value to our customers, employees, suppliers, communities, and stakeholders. Our Vision: A unified culture that creates innovative customer solutions.
