Zone Manager

Ready for more than just a job? Build a career with purpose.

At Lactalis in the USA, we’re committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our people to learn, grow, and thrive—whether you’re just starting your journey with us or looking to take the next step in your career. From day one, we offer the tools and support to help you succeed.

As the world leader in dairy, Lactalis is a family-owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Each day, we’re proud to produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together.

In the US, we proudly offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani® Italian cheeses and ricotta, Président® specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft® natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone’s® cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel®, Black Diamond® cheddar, and Parmalat® milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi’s®, Stonyfield Organic®, Brown Cow™, Oui®, Yoplait®, Go-Gurt®, :ratio®, Green Mountain Creamery®, and Mountain High®, along with a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun®, Gopi®, and Arz®.

At Lactalis, we live by our core values—Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity. We foster a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone’s unique background and ideas are valued.

Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help us shape the future of dairy. 

From your PASSION to ours

Lactalis American Group, part of the Lactalis family of companies, is currently hiring a Zone Manager.  

This is a fully remote position, with a preference for candidates located in California, Arizona, or Nevada to support balanced geographic coverage across the West Zone and our customer accounts.

The Zone Manager, West is responsible for executing the company’s commercial strategy across a defined geographic territory. This role balances distributor management, broker management and strategic account development to achieve revenue growth targets and drive product adoption in the foodservice back-of-house.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Distributor Management: Manage relationships with broadline and independent distributors to achieve growth objectives by: managing annual contracts, providing product training support to distributor sales representatives (DSR), complete ride-withs alongside DSRs and broker Account Executives to promote and sell our products at the operator level. 
• Broker Management: Manage broker divisions within defined territory by providing strategic direction. Regularly conduct product training sessions. Host monthly sales opportunity pipeline review calls with regional broker divisions.
• Key Account Development: Prospect, negotiate and close deals with independent restaurants, regional restaurant chains as well as non-commercial institutions (e.g. healthcare, senior living, educational, hospitality) where applicable.
• Operator Support & Menu Ideation: Conduct product demonstrations and menu ideation sessions where applicable. 
• Market Analysis: Monitor competitor activities, pricing trends and regional market demands to identify new business opportunities and adjust strategies.
• Sales Forecasting: Monitor volume trends across distribution network and understand root cause for any variances; communicate cross-functionally.
• Trade Spend Management: Manage a trade spend budget for defined territory in accordance with defined policies and procedures. 
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Understand the key initiatives of the Corporate Account team; work to execute against these strategic initiatives. Partner with Trade Marketing/Sales Operations to obtain valuable business insights and monitor the health and profitability of your business within the defined territory. Work alongside Customer Service to maintain distributor service levels.

WORK CONDITIONS

• Travel is required up to 50% monthly.
• Extended hours may be necessary depending on the project needs.
• To fulfill these responsibilities, tools such as a computer, phone or, and / or allowance(s) may be provided.
• To fulfill these responsibilities, a cell phone is required.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential duties and responsibilities.
• This position will need to be housed within the appropriate sales zone, remote based. 
• Demonstrate commitment to a safe working environment that promotes the health and well-being of all employees and that will further contribute to the Company’s overall performance and success.