Washington Association of Conservation Districts

WACD Plant Materials Center

Sales Manager Job Description

The WACD Plant Materials Center is a Conservation Nursery owned and operated by the Washington Association of Conservation Districts.  It is located in NW Skagit County, WA.  It produces over 1.5 million native bare root plants annually for use in conservation projects throughout the Northwest.  Its customers include Conservation Districts, Agencies, Municipalities, Tribes, Non-profits, planting contractors, nurseries, and land owners implementing their own conservation practices.  The Sales Manager is the primary point of contact with these customers, helping them with their conservation plant needs.

The WACD Plant Materials Center Sales Manager is responsible for sales and inventory control.  Duties include conducting field inventories, developing and maintaining plant availability lists, customer service, coordinating shipping dates, brokering, and developing a sales program to meet future needs.  Other projects or jobs may be assigned by the Nursery Manager or Executive Director.  The Sales Manager reports to the Nursery Manager.

Essential Job Duties:

Sales Management 50%

• The Sales Manager is responsible for conducting physical inventories of stock in the field and enters data into Sage Software. These estimates are to be used on the inventory spread sheet and subsequent availability lists. These numbers are to be updated during harvest     as final actual numbers come in. Accurate field maps are also to be maintained with help from the Nursery Manager.
• The Sales Manager is responsible for maintaining 2 accurate Plant Availability lists and distributes the appropriate one to customers as requested, either electronically or mail as needed, and posting the availability list to the website.
• Reviews all orders and determine what we can provide, substitute or broker, then enters into Sage software. Completed orders are to be forwarded to the Bookkeeper to be entered into the accounting system.
• Determine shipping dates for all orders and inform the Nursery Manager in a timely manner. Shipping options are also to be reviewed with the customer, so that timely and cost-effective modes are made available.
• The Sales Manager is responsible for brokering and contracting plant materials that the PMC cannot supply. The Nursery Manager and Financial Accounting and Human Resources Administrator are to be informed of all outsourcing, along with costs, shipping and pricing
• Create harvest priorities based on ship dates and enter actual harvest numbers into Sage Software. Create and update picklists. Schedule shipments with UPS and Oak Harbor.
• The Sales Manager will complete sales history reports, detailing the quantity of each species sold or requested, to assist the Nursery Manager in annual production targets, and to report WACD committees as requested.

Customer Service 30%

The Sales Manager is the primary point-of-contact for all customer inquiries. The Sales Manager must maintain a professional and courteous manner at all times. Specific customer service duties include, but are not limited to:

• Establish professional relationships with current and potential
• Follow up with customers on quotes and
• Field incoming phone calls from customers asking questions about plants or placing orders
• The Sales Manager is to contact the customer if there are any shortages of plant materials or any other changes to the order are
• Excellent communication skills in person, on the phone, and through email

Marketing (20%)

The Sales Manager will work with the Nursery Manager and Financial Accounting and Human Resources Administrator in new marketing leads. Developing these leads will include:

• Internet Searches – Research leads on the internet. The basis for these searches can include Districts, Contractors, Consultants, Agencies, Tribes, Municipalities, Nurseries, Non-profits, and others that might require conservation plant
• Newsletter – The Sales Manager will assist the Nursery Manager and Administrative Assistant in writing articles for the
• Web Site – The Sales Manager will maintain and update the PMC web site. It will include Plant Availability Lists, Plant Descriptions, Brochures and Newsletters, Photos and PMC updates
• Conferences and Meetings – The Sales Manager will attend conferences and meetings associated with sales and marketing opportunities, and participate in WACD, WADE and Conservation District Functions as requested. These will require overnight travel

Qualifications:

• S/B. A in horticulture, natural resources, forestry, ag or related field
• 4 years’ experience working on a sales team, inventory management, marketing, customer service.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and stressful situations, while still providing good customer service.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills. Communicates effectively and timely with customers.
• Strong organizational skills and inventory management.
• Knowledge of Pacific Northwest Native plants.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite.
• Licensed to operate a motor vehicle in WA
• Ability to lift 40 pounds.

Required Training:

• CPR and 1stAid Card

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) position. The pay range is $40,000 to $50,000 per year, DOE.  Overtime must be approved by the manager prior to accumulating. Overtime is paid at time and a half. The benefits include medical and dental insurance, vacation and holidays, sick leave and a retirement plan.  Work hours are generally 7:30am to 4:00pm but may vary depending upon the agreement between employee and management.