Sales Manager - Japanese Bilingual

Position: Sales Manager (Exempt, Full-time)

• Location: Elk Grove Village, Illinois (On-site)
• Industry: Food Distributor
• Hours: M-F: 8AM 5PM

【Position Summary】

The Sales Manager leads the Sales Department in achieving revenue goals and expanding market share. This role sets sales targets, coaches the sales team, fosters customer relationships, and coordinates with other departments to drive business growth.


【Essential Job Functions】

Sales Leadership & Strategy

• Set monthly and annual sales quotas for the sales team.
• Develop and execute sales strategies to achieve assigned departmental targets.
• Analyze sales data, identify performance gaps, and implement improvement plans.
• Oversee sales of products with limited availability to maximize profits.
• Research market trends and attend trade shows to identify new product and business opportunities.

Team Development & Management

• Recruit, interview, hire, and train new staff in the Sales Department.
• Supervise and oversee daily workflow of sales staff to ensure understanding of duties and tasks.
• Provide constructive feedback, coaching, and ongoing training to promote performance and development.
• Ensure that sales staff adhere to company policies and procedures.
• Organize and lead sales meetings.
• Coordinate with other departments to maximize the company profits.

Customer & Vendor Relations

• Assist sales staff with account strategies, proposals, negotiations, and marketing plans.
• Maintain strong customer relationships by promoting customer satisfaction and long-lasting rapport.
• Act as a resource to staff in handling contract opportunities, closing sales, and troubleshooting product issues.
• Communicate with the Purchasing Department to forecast product shortages and ensure alignment on inventory availability.
• Work with Marketing to develop and maintain a customer database to support sales growth and market share expansion.
• Ensure timely collection of payments while maintaining high levels of customer service.
• Handle and resolve customer complaints regarding products or services.

Compliance & Operations

• Attend semiannual inventory counts, which may be scheduled on weekends.
• Maintain and safely operate a company vehicle in accordance with the Company Vehicle Policy.
• Attend company events and functions outside of normal working hours, as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the General Manager.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit in an office setting for the majority of the day.
• Ability to type for extended periods throughout the day.
• Ability to reach, bend, kneel, and lift up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Working Conditions - Noise Level: Normal to loud while in the office

Other Requirements

• Business level English required - Read/write/speak/listen
• Business level Japanese preferred - Read/write/speak/listen
• Ability to work weekends, holidays, and after hours as needed for Company and department related events.
• Maintain a valid driver's license and a clean driving record.
• Maintain a positive attitude.
• Ability to adapt to frequent changes in assignments and workload.
• High School Diploma required. Bachelor's Degree in business or related field preferred.
• Ability to work independently and as a team.
• Demonstrates strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrate basic Microsoft Office proficiency.
• Knowledge of ERP systems, especially Microsoft NAV, highly preferred.
• Knowledge of Japanese foods and liquors strongly preferred.
• 5+ years of field sales experience.
• 5+ years of managerial experience.

Knowledge and Skills

• Communication and Interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional organization and time management skills.
• Intermediate mathematical knowledge - markups, discounts, combining/converting measurements, counting inventory, etc.
• Excellent mentoring, coaching and people management skills.
• Exceptional managerial skills.
• Ability to follow directions and complete tasks with minimal supervision.
• Interpersonal and customer service skills for interacting with fellow employees.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Problem-solving skills.



Compensation 

DOE $81,000.00-$95,000.00/year +Benefit package (All paid Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance for employees and their dependents Life Insurance and 401k Plan with company match.) 

*Relocation support may be available for qualified candidates applying from other states