Area Sales Manager

If you are a sales professional with experience in the food industry, thrive in solution selling, and understand what it takes to grow a market through customer-focused partnerships and value-driven solutions, this role was designed for you.

Vikan is a leading international manufacturer of professional cleaning tools and hygiene solutions, serving the food and beverage industry, foodservice sector, and public institutions (among many other business areas) across global markets. With a strong reputation for quality, compliance-driven products, and long-term customer partnerships, Vikan operates with a commercial philosophy built on sales excellence, structured account management, and market-driven growth.

As Area Sales Manager for Finland, you will report to the Sales Manager, Nordics and take full commercial ownership of the Finnish market. Your mission is to actively grow Vikan's market share in Finland by selling hygiene solutions, strengthening End-user and distributor partnerships, identifying new business opportunities, and providing customers with value-adding hygiene and operational solutions.

This is a consultative sales role requiring a solution-oriented mindset and the ability to understand customers' operational challenges and translate them into practical and commercially viable solutions. You will engage with a wide range of stakeholders, from hygiene managers to plant managers. Success in this role requires the ability to communicate confidently at every level of the customer organization and build long-term trust-based relationships.

We are seeking a sales professional with experience in the food manufacturing industry or other process-driven sectors, such as chemicals or industrial production. The ideal candidate understands food production environments, hygiene and safety requirements, cleaning concepts, and the operational challenges of manufacturing facilities, enabling them to effectively support customers and deliver value-driven solutions.

Working from a home office, you will have the autonomy to plan your own activities, manage your budget, and execute your sales strategy. The role includes full budget responsibility, yearly contract negotiations with customers, activity planning, and monthly reporting to the Sales Manager of the Nordics. You will work closely in a team of other Area Sales Managers across the Nordic countries and be supported by Vikan's experienced sales team, application specialists, and digital sales tools to strengthen customer relationships and drive growth.

The position requires regular travel across Finland, typically two to four days per week, primarily in southern Finland, with occasional travel to other Scandinavian countries.

We are looking for a customer-focused and commercially driven sales professional with strong solution-selling and problem-solving skills. You have experience using Salesforce or similar CRM systems, a digital mindset, and the ability to identify opportunities that create value for customers and distribution partners. You are comfortable discussing operational challenges and building trusted relationships with management teams and key decision-makers in the food industry.

YOUR TASKS

• You will hold both strategic and operational responsibility for Vikan's commercial presence in the Finnish market. Your primary focus will be the food and beverage industry, with additional coverage of foodservice, cleaning, and the public sector.
• You will identify and pursue new business opportunities within strategic sectors, with particular focus on food and beverage industry end-users
• You will develop and manage sales relationships with key distributors and end-users, spending approximately 70% of your time with end-users and 30% with distributors
• You will execute and follow up on sales and marketing activities, maintaining a structured and documented approach through Salesforce CRM
• You will conduct site surveys, manage documentation of compliance (DoC), and leverage Vikan's online presence to demonstrate value to customers and distributors
• You will conduct joint visits with the sales team and co-visits with Vikan's applications specialists
• You will manage product and hygiene concept training for key stakeholders, covering products, regulations, and Vikan's digital tools
• You will prepare and maintain the overall business plan for your area, produce monthly sales reports to the Sales Manager, and carry out quarterly follow-ups and adjustments
• You will negotiate and secure optimised contracts with key customers
• You will represent Vikan at local trade shows and customer events

REQUIREMENTS

• Understanding of food production environments, hygiene solutions and operational processes
• Extensive and proven experience in B2B sales, with a demonstrated track record of achieving and exceeding targets
• Previous experience working closely with or selling into the food and beverage industry - this is a firm requirement for the role.
• Native Finnish language proficiency and strong professional communication skills in English
• Ability to establish and maintain long-term commercial relationships with both distributors and end-users
• Structured and self-directed working approach, with the ability to manage an independent schedule from a home office
• Willingness and ability to travel 2-4 days per week, primarily across southern Finland and occasionally to other Scandinavian countries

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience working with CRM systems, particularly Salesforce
• Familiarity with ERP systems (Vikan is using AXAPTA) and/or Business Intelligence reporting tools (Vikan uses Targit)
• Prior experience working in a Scandinavian or international corporate sales environment

WHAT WE OFFER

• A role that combines strategic account development with active field sales
• A strategically important, high-autonomy sales role with ownership of the Finnish market
• Work-from-home setup with flexibility to plan your own working days and calendar
• Access to a well-established international brand with strong product credibility in the food and beverage hygiene segment
• Structured sales support through Vikan's Sales Excellence framework, CRM tools, and collaboration with a dedicated sales team and applications specialists

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