Sales Support Specialist - Agribusiness - John Vena Inc.

 John Vena Inc. (JVI) is currently seeking a Sales Support Specialist to join our truly remarkable sales team! Do you have an interest in understanding how food gets from grower to market or the agribusiness overall? This ground-floor opportunity is a great way to learn how it all works. The Sales Support Specialist will assist Salespeople and Buyers with all facets of the sales, procurement, and customer service process as a way of learning how we do things here at John Vena Inc.  They will be working with the sales and marketing teams to send out general and customer specific price lists and sales proposals. They will assist with coordinating and arranging transportation for outbound produce orders, procuring inventory, entering it into the system, and creating sales tickets and Bills of Lading. There will also be some administrative work with data collection and reporting that may include sales and expense reports and updating databases on existing and prospective customers. The Sales Support Specialist will also help with answering phone calls, directing calls internally, and taking customer's orders when necessary.

This is a full-time salaried position, and this position will be expected to be on location the majority of the time.

ABOUT THE JOB

• Provide outstanding customer service to existing and new customers.
• Assist the sales team with updating the ordering system by entering orders and adding new inventory.
• Process and create shipping documents, bills of lading, price confirmations, and any other necessary documents for customer orders.
• Assist with creating and distributing up-to-date price lists and sales proposals.
• Assist with procuring additional inventory to fulfill customers’ orders when necessary.
• Assist the Director of Sales with collection data on internal sales and customer metrics, as well as reporting on team initiatives and projects.
• Answer and direct incoming phone calls as necessary to represent John Vena, Inc.
• Assist with securing transportation for outbound orders.
• Stay up to date on market conditions to answer customer’s questions regarding product availability and pricing as well as market trends and product seasonality.
• Follow up with customers to ensure that orders are fulfilled, shipped, and delivered on time.
• Provide backup to other staff members in customer-facing roles, such as the cashier and inventory control team.
• Attend and actively participate in sales meetings and marketing/customer events and functions.
• Perform other related duties as assigned or as necessary. Remains flexible and adaptable in work schedules and work assignments as defined by departmental and organizational needs

ABOUT YOU
Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree, or 4-year equivalent, required. Higher degrees a plus.
• One to three (1-3) years of previous experience in sales or a customer-facing role, including internships, preferred.
• Previous experience in the produce industry helpful.

Skills & Abilities

• A desire to learn and grow a customer-focused career in agribusiness.
• Strong written and verbal interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels within an organization, with customers, and with vendors/partners.
• Ability to work well as part of a team or independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong basic math skills.
• Proficient with computer and software (Windows, Excel, Word, CRM systems)
• Strong attention to detail.

 ABOUT US
John Vena Inc. Specialty Produce (JVI) is a family-owned produce wholesaler supplying specialty fruit, vegetables, and herbs to companies large and small throughout the Northeast region.We’ve been in business since 1919 and are still operated by the same family. Our home is in the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market on Essington Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. We may work behind the scenes, but you can’t miss our facility – the building is more than a quarter mile long!

The produce industry is fast-paced, and we bring a lot of energy to the table to make sure the freshest products get from our partner farms to our foodservice and retail customers seven days a week. Our team is committed to embodying our Values in everything we do:

• COMMITMENT TO QUALITY
  We go the extra mile to provide an exceptional experience for our customers.
• COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT
  We build long-term relationships with our partners based on respect, trust, and teamwork.
• EMBRACE ACCOUNTABILITY
  We act with integrity, accept responsibility, and take ownership of our work.

We are looking for people who share these Values – and our love of good food – to join our team.
Our diverse, fun-loving 80 team members are the most important part of our business and a part of our extended family. To make sure our people and their families are taken care of, we offer:

• Completely free medical and dental coverage for employees AND their family members
• Retirement plans with employer match
• Generous paid holiday and sick time policy
• Years of service rewards
• Employee perks and events
• On-the-job training and opportunities for growth

Visit our website to learn more about working at JVI: www.johnvenaproduce.com/careers.

John Vena Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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