Vice President of Sales

Who Are We?

Have you ever gone into a grocery store or convenience store for things like milk, bagged salads, or frozen pizza? The coolers and freezers you find those and other food products in are what we do!! Zero Zone is a manufacturer of reach-in and open refrigerated and frozen food display cases as well as the refrigeration systems that work behind the scenes to cool the cases, keeping the food fresh! We also make powerful industrial refrigeration systems for food warehousing, pharmaceuticals, and even ice rinks!

Our company is structured across 2 divisions – the Display Case Division, located in North Prairie, WI, Waukesha, WI, and Mukwonago, WI and the Refrigeration Systems Division, located in Ramsey, MN and Dyersville, IA.

What Are We Like?

At Zero Zone, you will be a valued member of the Zero Zone team, able to take ownership of your own career path. We believe in hard work, teamwork, collaboration, and respect, and we have grown through dedication to our Purpose: “Preserving customer valuables through refrigeration.” For over 60 years, we have been a leader in refrigeration, and our people are well known for exceptional customer service. We also believe we are the COOLEST coworkers (pun intended)! This is an opportunity for you to make a difference in the refrigeration industry with one of the top leading manufacturers in the country! Come grow with us!!

What Can We Offer You?

• Vacation and Personal Hours (after only 30 days!)

• Competitive Wages

• Comprehensive Benefits Package (medical, dental, vision, life insurance, STD, LTD, AD&D, HSA/FSA, EAP)

• 401k and Profit Sharing

• 10 Paid Holidays

• Flexible Schedules

• Casual Dress Code

• Wellness Programs and Incentives

• Steel Toe Reimbursement

• Employee Engagement Programs

• One-time Home Computer Reimbursement

• And more!

Job Summary:

The Vice President of Sales reports directly to the CEO and is responsible for managing and directing all sales activities to support a growing manufacturing organization. This role is primarily a sales leadership and management position, with direct responsibility for sales strategy execution, team performance, pipeline quality, and profitable growth.

The Vice President of Sales serves as the executive closer on the largest and most strategic opportunities (approximately 5% of total deals), while the majority of the role is focused on coaching, developing, and leading a veteran sales team.

Reporting to the Vice President of Sales are Directors of Sales focused on retail and industrial customer bases. The organization also utilizes manufacturer representative firms; evaluating the long-term role of these reps versus a fully direct sales model is a key responsibility of this position.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Learn the products, culture, markets, and strategic priorities of the company.

• Participate as an active member of the senior leadership team, contributing to overall business strategy and execution.

• Lead the development and execution of the sales plan, including target regions, markets, channels, and customers, with a strong emphasis on food retail customers.

• Champion and reinforce the company’s disciplined sales methodology, focusing on pursuing ideal-fit customers and improving win rates through rigorous qualification.

• Manage and maintain ownership of the sales pipeline, ensuring opportunity quality, forecast accuracy, and alignment with operational capacity.

• Act as executive sponsor and closer on the company’s largest, most complex, and most strategic opportunities.

• Organize, develop, and lead the external sales organization, including regular coaching, mentoring, and performance management of Directors and Regional Sales Managers.

• Create and sustain a culture of accountability across sales and customer-facing functions through clear expectations, KPIs, and follow-through.

• Develop, execute, and manage the sales budget.

• Oversee and continuously improve sales training and onboarding programs for new sales leaders and contributors.

• Monitor competitive activity, market trends, and customer needs, sharing insights with executive leadership to support informed decision-making.

• Work collaboratively with Marketing and Product Management, providing structured sales input while supporting a Voice-of-Customer-driven approach.

Requirements for Effective Performance:

• Bachelor’s degree required; a technical or engineering-oriented degree or MBA is a plus.

• Seven or more years of experience in senior sales leadership roles within manufacturing, engineered systems, or industrial products environments.

• Proven ability to lead consultative, value-based sales organizations selling complex solutions rather than commodity products.

• Experience developing and managing sales plans, budgets, metrics, dashboards, pipeline management, forecasting, sales process, and CRM systems.

• Strong background in proposal development, specification-driven selling, and contract negotiation.

• Track record of planning and executing successful growth initiatives and strategic account acquisition efforts.

• Ability to bring structure, consistency, and accountability to a sales organization that values high levels of customer service.

Skills/Abilities/Specifications:

• Be an excellent communicator with strong written and verbal skills and the executive presence to engage senior customer decision-makers.

• Be a strong people leader capable of building trust-based relationships with sales leadership, customers, and internal stakeholders.

• Demonstrate the ability to identify and prioritize sales strategies that align with company capabilities, margin objectives, and long-term value creation.

• Be skilled at consultative selling, opportunity qualification, and uncovering customer needs through disciplined questioning.

• Understand the business implications of sales decisions, with a clear orientation toward profitability and total cost of ownership value.

• Be organized, confident, and results-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining focus on execution.

• Possess the mindset and discipline to proactively identify strategic opportunities while avoiding low-fit pursuits.

• Be willing to travel nationally approximately 25%.

Behavioral & Environmental Requirements:

• Maintain a positive work attitude. Zero Zone expects all employees to behave and communicate in a manner which will facilitate good relationships with customers, clients, co-workers, and supervisor.

• Safety toe shoes and safety glasses are required while in production areas.

• Regularly required to sit, stand, and walk throughout the office and production areas; have use of hands and fingers to use a computer, telephone, and other office equipment; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Immigration Sponsorship Not Available:

• Applicants for this position must be currently and legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

• Zero Zone will not offer immigration sponsorship or assume sponsorship of an employment visa for this position.