Dairy Technical Sales Specialist
The Judge Group
IT, Sales & Business Development
Remote
This job will have the following responsibilities:
Business Focus
- Purina Animal Nutrition serves farm and zoo animals.
- Sales are made through member co‑ops as well as retailers.
- Sales teams often spend significant time training vendor partners.
Geographic Coverage
- Focused on being “where the cows are.”
- Primary territory includes:
- North of Rochester, MN
- St. Cloud to Alexandria, MN
Roles & Career Paths
- Sales Roles
- Located across the country.
- Organized by species specialization:
- Cattle
- Dairy
- Equine
- Swine
- Other species
- Technical / Nutritionist Roles
- Support regional sales teams.
- Serve as subject‑matter experts to answer customer questions.
- Emphasis on:
- Asking good questions
- Listening first
- Identifying problems to solve
- Relationship‑driven approach:
- Cannot “burn bridges” — customers depend on these products to feed their animals.
Candidate Profile
- Strong preference for candidates with adult cattle experience (“mama/papa cow”), not calf‑only experience.
- Many people want to work with calves because they’re cute.
- Much harder to find people interested in working with adult cattle.
- Likely requires a PhD in Dairy or Animal Nutrition.
- Ideal candidates:
- PhDs who can communicate effectively
- Technically strong but comfortable in customer‑facing role
Dairy Technical Sales Specialist
The Dairy Technical Sales Specialist provides technical expertise and support within an assigned sales region, working directly with the sales team and customers. The specialist will work closely with multiple departments, including the Regional Sales Directors and Sales team, marketing, customer service, and R&D, to ensure the highest standards of technical excellence and customer satisfaction. Territory is the North Central Division (MN, Eastern SD, Northern IA)
Key Responsibilities:
Engages in technical support of direct selling activities (80%):
· Provides farmgate Sales support including nutritional and animal management consultations to drive growth aligned to business strategies. Partners with sales and key dealers to call on large accounts. Collaborates with Area Sales Manager and Sales Specialists to meet sales goals.
· Interfaces with industry associations, vendors, and competitors to stay informed about research, market trends, and industry developments.
· Gathers and analyzes technical market data to support strategic decision-making
· Creates content and delivers technical sales presentations at live events, VIP meetings, podcasts, expos, dealer/sales meetings, and conferences.
Collaborates with Marketing department to share expertise (10%):
· Influences and supports development and execution of marketing strategies and tactics
· Shares dairy technical expertise across the organization including editorial reviews and technical design and content of marketing materials.
· Helps translate product science into language that resonates with consumers.
· Responds to technical customer inquiries.
Collaborates with Research department to support service and new product launches (10%):
· Provides technical writing skills and knowledge for reports and recommendations.
· Provides technical insights to product applications and product development.
Qualifications:
· PhD with 5-9 years of experience preferred, Master’s degree with 10+ years field experience
· Dairy industry acumen and ability to work effectively within diverse industry segments.
· Strong technical knowledge of species nutritional requirements and management.
· Excellent communication skills, including presentation and technical writing abilities.
· Experience providing customer-facing technical support and training.
· Ability to translate complex science into practical, customer-friendly applications.
· Collaborative approach with demonstrated ability to work across departments.
Additional Information:
· Travel up to 80% of the time. This role is remote and requires travel, living within the area is necessary.