Zone Manager, East (Commodities)

Our brands are known for quality. That all began with Gold Medal flour in 1880. To this day, Gold Medal remains the No. 1 selling flour in the United States. If you're interested in bringing fresh thinking to our most historic brands and driving top- and bottom-line growth for North American Foodservice, take a look at this role!

Leading. Developing. Collaboration. Strategy. Analysis. Planning. Selling. Leverage your strengths and develop yourself and the team in this Zone Manager role. The Foodservice Ingredient East Zone Manager will lead and develop 8 salespeople to drive growth and exceed sales program with Pizzeria and Bakery customers across the Eastern US. You'll have full responsibility for all sales activities within the Zone, including designing and driving execution of the Zone strategy that complements our National Foodservice Ingredient Team strategy. You'll join and lead your sales team in building deep partnerships with a broad customer base, focused on selling Flour and Mix and delivering solutions in the marketplace.

In this role, you'll partner internally with sales leadership, sales operations, and our cross functional teams to bring product solutions to market for our distributors and operators. You'll work externally with sales teams and key customers, including broadline & independent distributors and operators, industry partners and more to ensure we're driving mutual business growth. Additionally, you'll play an integral part of building Foodservice Ingredients strategies to set up the future.

We're looking for someone with a growth mindset who is interested in building the future of one of General Mills' most historic businesses. This is a great opportunity for you to build general management skills and play a role in the growth trajectory of our business.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead a High-Performing Sales Team: Manage, coach, and inspire a team of 8 sales professionals to exceed volume targets and deliver exceptional results in the Bakery Flour category.
• Strategic Planning & Execution: Develop and execute zone-specific strategies aligned with national priorities to achieve annual sales objectives and drive sustained growth.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with other Zone Managers, Senior National Account Executives, and Sales Operations to ensure cohesive execution of key business initiatives.
• Customer-Centric Leadership: Build strong relationships with bakery & pizzeria operators and distributor partners by deeply understanding their business strategies and aligning solutions that deliver mutual value.
• Market & Product Expertise: Stay current on grain market trends and pricing to guide customers through flour purchasing decisions. Provide team training and customer support based on market dynamics.
• Financial & Commercial Acumen: Maintain a strong understanding of the bakery flour P&L. Collaborate with sales operations and zone leadership to improve profitability and optimize performance.
• Sales Execution & Accountability: Drive engagement and accountability within the team around key priorities including annual sales goals, trade investment management, and Salesforce utilization.
• Insight Generation & Knowledge Sharing: Aggregate and share customer and market insights to influence broader business strategy, product innovation, and sales enablement initiatives.
• Culture of Feedback & Growth: Foster a culture of open feedback and continuous improvement through regular coaching and performance development.
• Innovation & Growth Initiatives: Bring bold, creative ideas to the business that unlock new opportunities and enhance customer impact.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or a related field
• 8+ years of progressive sales experience, including at least 3 years in a people leadership role
• Demonstrated success leading sales teams to meet or exceed targets in a foodservice environment
• Experience in a commodity-based selling environment, with a solid understanding of market-driven pricing, risk management, and margin preservation strategies
• Strong understanding of distributor and operator channels, preferably within the food or bakery ingredient space
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic sales plans aligned with business goals
• Solid financial acumen, including experience managing trade spend and understanding P&L dynamics
• Experience with sales forecasting, CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), and data-driven decision-making
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills
• Valid driver's license with a good driving record
• Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. General Mills will not sponsor applicants for this position for work visas.
• Must be located near major metro market in Eastern states (near airport) ie. Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, etc. General Mills will provide relocation assistance as needed for this role.

Preferred Skills/Experience

• Foodservice industry experience, with a strong track record of managing and growing business with both distributors and operators
• Experience working in a commodity-based business, with knowledge of grain markets and the ability to manage market volatility in pricing and customer conversations
• Prior experience selling flour, grains, or other food ingredients in a competitive B2B or distributor-driven environment
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate market insights into actionable sales strategies
• Proven ability to lead through influence and collaborate across cross-functional teams (e.g., supply chain, marketing, finance)

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 $124200.00 - $186400.00 / 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.

Reasonable Accommodation Request

If you need to request an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please fill out our online accommodations request form by following this link: Accommodations Request.