Technical Advisor/Sales Promoter at Barry Callebaut Group

About The Role

Technical Advisor/ Sales Promoter – Cape Town

This role has a dual function, i.e. that of Technical Advisor and Sales Promoter.  The successful candidate will define recipe requirements based on customer specs, reference material, and in collaboration the Head of the Chocolate Academy and internal colleagues.  Reporting to the Head of Sales FM & SI South and East Africa, with dotted line reporting to the Head of The Chocolate Academy, the successful candidate will be responsible for identifying and visiting current and potential customer with the main aim of selling the BC product range, most suited to the customer’s requirements, supporting the sales team in providing guidance and solutions for product application, as well as working together with our existing and potential customers to find creative and innovative solutions to their challenges and opportunities.

Key Responsibilities Include 

• Proactively plan, manage, and pursue sales leads; visit existing and new customers, such as confectioners, pastry shops, bakeries, restaurants and hotels, applying good time management techniques.
• Assess customer needs and suggest appropriate products and services.
• Respond to customer enquiries; negotiating prices within limits of authority; and concluding sales orders to meet revenue targets.
• Identify, research, and contact prospective customers and build positive relationships that will generate future sales and repeat business. 
• Coordinate Trade Marketing and Technical activities between BC and specific customers. 
• Develop Chef-to-Chef relationships. 
• Establish annual, quarterly, monthly, or weekly sales plans and prioritise and schedule own activities so these targets are met.
• Conduct other Group-related office work, including admin tasks (Salesforce platform, weekly reporting, price list management etc.).
• Register commercial activities in Salesforce
• Maintain and continually build a strong knowledge of the Barry Callebaut product range, sales and commercial processes.

• Providing technical services related to product use and proper business development to customers and outlets
• Understand customer needs and create value-added product solutions
• Adjust the use of products and solutions to grow the volume and profitability of the account
• Use sales solutions to expand product mix and volume
• Supports opening new outlets with dessert menu and recipe developments
• Develop an understanding of the market and trends to drive sales
• Continue to learn new sales skills & technologies to drive sales performance
• Participate in trade shows as needed
• Leverage co-workers' relationships and knowledge to identify and secure new accounts to achieve overall "new business" goals and objectives
• Help with product launches and new product developments
• Ensuring the creation of reports (including recipes) for each project to facilitate prompt follow-up when required
• Identify and secure a venue (school) that will make their kitchen available to customer demonstrations, innovation and co-creation sessions
• Demonstration of product use and application (recipes, ingredient mixes, decorations, etc.)
• Attending customer sites to work through new product implementation; advising how to develop customers’ business and providing technical advice during trials
• Performing application tests in the application lab (Chocolate Academy)
• Ensuring compliance for new products through regulations knowledge
• Conducting weekly customer manufacturing visits to improve line efficiency and chocolate handling; providing technical service “intervention” if needed
• Delivering application training to the customer workforce
• Assessing the existing technology and equipment and maintaining knowledge of state-of the-art technological possibilities
• Collecting customer feedback on sample/testing and defining next steps in product creation
• Driving continuous improvement initiatives: processes, technologies, and organization
• Solve customer problems with empathy
• Address customer complaints and problems
• Provide periodic reports on work arrangements, customer information, competitor information, and others as needed

About You

• Diploma or BA Degree, majoring in Pastry / Patisserie Management or similar
• At least 5 years’ experience working in the same field 
• Having experience as a Pastry Chef in the Hotel industry will be an added value
• Must-have abilities in Sales, Pastry Chef, Cake Decoration, Hospitality, Hotel, Baking, Technical baker, Technical Advisor
• Excellent English communication both verbal and in writing is mandatory
• Ability to teach
• Ability to develop and implement innovative solutions for business challenges
• Experience in product development, strong application knowledge
• Confident in presentation skills
• Good knowledge of  the Google suite, MS Office.
• A working knowledge of SAP (would be an advantage)
• Passionate about chocolate
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• A team player with a positive, “can-do” attitude
• A valid driver’s license is mandatory
• Must be able to travel regularly