Manager of Sales and Partnerships

position description

The Manager of Sales and Partnerships works directly with the General Manager to lead new business development of:

• internal and external native seed, straw and nursery sales;
• seed amplification contracts and nursery contracts;
• and federal, state and local grants.

The Manager of Sales and Partnerships works closely with Heritage Growers’ numerous external partners and customers to scope, negotiate, execute and deliver on sales and supportive partnerships to expand native ecotype availability for large-scale habitat restoration projects across California. The position also works closely with internal teams at Heritage Growers’ farm and Heritage Growers’ Wildland Seed Collections program to ensure availability of inventory and growing space for client’s needs and the deliverables of grants and contracts. Support for this position is provided from River Partners’ finance and administration team which supports budget development and reviewing agreements and terms; River Partners’ Science and Operations teams which forecast native seed and plant needs and are the end-user for many Heritage Growers products; and River Partners’ New Business Team which specializes in securing public and private funds for conservation. 
Flexibility, creativity, and problem-solving skills are required to ensure Heritage Growers’ existing contracts and grants are managed effectively while exciting and aligned new opportunities for expansion are identified and procured. The position requires experience in habitat restoration, a solid working knowledge of the effective use of native seed including the development of seed mixes, and a strong desire to develop and manage supportive partnerships with managers of grants and contracts for native plants and seeds. The successful applicant will have experience in sales, business development, and marketing in the natural resources industry. Did we mention you should LOVE talking to people about native seed?

The position has supervisory responsibilities, overseeing a team of three individuals each with important responsibilities in the overall management and success of Heritage Growers. Direct reports share in the delivery of grant deliverables and reports; management of native seed and plant sales; and development and management of contract and grants that focus on excellent client care and performance. Finally, this position and its direct reports play a central role in farm planning, management of seed inventory and testing, hiring, attending, tabling, and presenting at naturalresources and native seed conferences. 

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Assist the General Manager and Lead the development of bids for seed and contract grows
• Lead the development of grant proposals targeting awards in the scale of $500K to $3M+
• Provide seed consultations for a variety of established and new clients; staying up to date on current and new native seed and restoration trends
• Maintain regular contact with clients, provide updates on orders, troubleshoot issues and adapt to changing conditions as required to provide excellent customer service
• Manage all aspects of client relations including working with the administration team through invoicing, delivery and collections
• Oversee the delivery of grant and contract outcomes in partnership with the farm and wildland collections teams, and ensure reporting requirements are exceeded
• Supervise a team of 3 to 5 specialists
• With the General Manager, hold responsibility for meeting new business growth targets for Heritage Growers
• upport native seed forecasting for farm planning each year
• Support annual budgte development (revenue side) for Heritage Growers
• Working independently under the guidance of the General Manager
• Detailed record keeping
• Other assignments as requested achieve department and company business goals

education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree+ in Botany, Plant Sciences, Habitat Restoration, Natural Resource Management, or other related disciplines.
• Degree in Business Administration preferred if balanced with strong ecological knowledge.
• Substantial experience considered in lieu of educational qualifications.
• 5+ years of professional experience
• Experience with plant material and/or natural resource services sales
• Experience with habitat restoration
• Experience with business administration
• Valid California driver’s license with clean DMV Record