District Sales Leader-Maryland/Washington DC

OVERVIEW The Brand Education Lead role will manage field merchandising and our Pet Detective team in the Pet Specialty channel (PetSmart and Petco). The goal is to deliver Blue Buffalo growth by meeting or exceeding Pet Specialty business targets through customer relationships, educating store partners, executing merchandising principles, and leveraging the Pet Detective team. The Pet Detectives (PDs) are BLUE’s brand ambassadors who provide an educational and engaging in-store pet parent experience, gaining more dogs and cats eating Blue Buffalo. KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES SELLING EXPERTISE & INFLUENTIAL COMMUNICATION Grow BLUE by executing merchandising principles in Pet Specialty accounts within a defined geography. Understand BLUE products, categories, and brand positioning to influence our priorities. Build and maintain relationships with store managers as their primary contact. Conduct business reviews with customers to analyze sales results and identify future opportunities. Execute Blue Buffalo education to store partners to gain knowledge and pet parent recommendations. Utilize Salesforce to log daily activity. PEOPLE LEADERSHIP Lead, motivate, and develop, on average, 20 to 25 PDs to acquire and retain Blue Buffalo households. Passive recruiting to source PD talent in opportunistic markets. Conduct final interviews and select new PDs in alignment with company selection guidelines and policies. Manage onboarding/training process for new PDs. Educate PDs on new product/packaging, line extensions, and marketing events. Identify growth opportunities by analyzing, reporting, and coaching PD performance. Model BLUE leadership behaviors to foster a diverse and inclusive environment and embrace a learning mindset. EXECUTIONAL EXCELLENCE Maintain detailed and accurate records, including timely reporting of results, progress, current conditions, and needs to your manager. Coordinate and communicate territory route and PD schedule to drive incremental growth. Approve payroll weekly and accurately. Manage payroll, sample, and travel budget for assigned region. Take personal accountability and ownership for results, and deeply understand customer needs. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Must live within assigned geography. Able to travel daily, drive up to 4 hours per day or more, 20% overnight travel. At least 2 years of relevant or transferrable experience Ability to adapt and learn new technology and tools. Strong interpersonal and communication skills with internal and external partners, including facilitating presentations. Ability to lead and provide clear direction to a team. Able to work a Thursday-Monday workweek US work authorization, valid driver's license, and satisfactory driving record PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS Must be able to lift and carry a minimum of 20 pounds, using the appropriate lifting techniques and safety rules Prolonged walking, standing and some climbing of ladders within aisle PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Pet enthusiast with passion for Blue Buffalo Prior experience using internal or external data sources (e.g., Tableau, CRM) Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Power Point and Team COMPANY OVERVIEW We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next. Salary Range The salary range for this position is $54500.00 - $75100.00 / Annually. At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. Benefits may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance.