International Business Manager, Ingredients (405 TWM)

Job Purpose

The International Business Manager is responsible for import commodity supplies, market clearing sales, and some domestic customers with a global presence.  The IBM manages commercial relationships with end users, vendors, customers, brokers, traders, distributors, and intercompany ingredient sales to Lactalis Ingredients France.

Responsibility

• Lead all aspects of international sales and import commodity purchases of dairy ingredients to meet Ingredient division strategic objectives and achieve volume growth and profit objectives. This includes understanding the global market, developing business relationships, determining customer product needs, envisioning, and capturing opportunities, obtaining product approval, negotiating contracts, communicating forecasted volume requirements, and conducting business reviews, all while staying aware of our own manufacturing/supply limitations.
• Collaborate closely with the Ingredient division supporting teams and other Lactalis cross-functional teams to align the requirements for successful international ingredients trade. These requirements include: foreign country registrations, export documentation, custom duties, Harmonized System (HS) codes, export logistics, global dairy market analysis, costing and pricing; technical documentation, packaging, labeling, functionality, and quality requirements; setting up new customers and communication with Accounts Receivable to grant credit approval; communication between internal and customer departments (R&D, Regulatory, Quality and Operations).
• Coordinate international sales efforts with other Lactalis Groupe stakeholders (e.g. Lactalis America Group, Lactalis Ingredients France, etc) to attain best value of ingredient sales for Lactalis Canada and the Groupe as a whole. This includes decision making on selling directly to international customers or through the intercompany Lactalis Ingredients France team.
• Manage and develop existing and new domestic business. This is achieved by:  building relationships with customers at both purchasing and R & D levels, ascertaining customer’s ingredients needs, proposing solutions that use Lactalis ingredients and/or third-party supplier ingredients and working with customer’s and Lactalis Canada cross-functional teams to ensure proper customer set up, volume forecast updates, technical documentation, and ongoing support is maintained.
• Ensure domestic customer day-to-day needs are met by communicating with functional areas (Customer Service, Operations, Credit, Logistics, etc.), including the resolution of non-routine customer service issues such as quality and delivery.  
• Manage report(s) to achieve the goals and nurture them to promote their growth into leaders. This includes delegating responsibilities, setting goals, creating timelines, and assigning tasks for completion, as appropriate.
• Travel for in-person attendance at domestic and international trade events and for customer meetings to develop business opportunities, present technical product information and ensure Lactalis Canada’s position as the premier ingredient supplier.
• Manage claims and ensure cross functional teams are involved in the appropriateresolution. Maintain communication with customers until resolved.

Qualifications

• University degree or College diploma, preferably in Food Science or International Trade or related fields, or relevant experience.
• 7 years’ experience in account management and international trade, with a minimum three (3) years’ experience effectively managing mid-size and full-size foodservice or ingredient accounts, preferably in the Canadian dairy and/or global dairy environment.
• Familiarity with trade agreement such as CPTPP, CETA, CUSMA
• Experience with multi-level relationship building.
• Solid knowledge of the Canadian milk system and/or global dairy market.
• Proficient in negotiation and problem solving.
• Extraordinary situational awareness and perception of international markets that, coupled with solid business acumen, will promote development of original, entrepreneurial business opportunities.
• Ability to think strategically and with depth of comprehension.
• Strong negotiation skills: Able to strategically negotiate desired outcomes when facing executives from world-class companies and negotiators who are experts in dairy and commodities.
• Strong analytical, planning, presentation, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent people skills to manage reports and to work effectively within a small team environment requiring open sharing of information.
• Professional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Bilingual or Multi-lingual preferable
• Proficient with standard office computer technology such as Microsoft Office and the Internet, as well as working knowledge of SAP and BW
• In depth knowledge of Canadian milk system, global dairy markets, and understanding of food composition, nutrition and manufacturing.

Competency