Job Description
Animal Nutrition Inside Sales Representative - Decatur, IL
ADM Animal Nutrition, a division of Archer Daniels Midland Company, is a global leader in animal nutrition, ingredient solutions, and manufacturing innovation. We are seeking a motivated, customer-focused, and results-driven Inside Sales Representative to support our Premix and Specialty Ingredients business across North America.
This role is responsible for developing and managing strategic customer relationships with regional and national feed manufacturers serving all species. The Inside Sales Representative will identify new business opportunities, manage an assigned portfolio of accounts, provide exceptional customer service, and drive profitable sales growth. Success in this role requires strong relationship-building skills, a passion for animal agriculture, excellent organizational abilities, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage an assigned portfolio of customer accounts from initial inquiry through order fulfillment and ongoing post-sale support.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for inbound phone and web inquiries, providing product support and directing customers to the appropriate internal resources when needed.
- Qualify, vet, and route all new business opportunities within the Animal Nutrition portfolio, ensuring all inbound sales leads and customer inquiries are responded to within 24–48 hours.
- Proactively prospect, cold call, and develop new business opportunities to expand ADM's customer base and generate profitable growth.
- Meet or exceed annual sales, operating profit, customer retention, and customer satisfaction objectives established by management.
- Promote ADM's core product portfolio while identifying opportunities to cross-sell additional ADM products and services.
- Maintain accurate customer records, sales opportunities, pipeline activity, and forecasting within Salesforce, ensuring CRM data integrity through timely and consistent documentation.
- Prepare sales forecasts, assist with contract administration, and maintain pricing information within eADM.
- Collaborate with Formulations and Pricing teams to develop accurate product recommendations, prepare customer bids and quotations, and deliver competitive solutions that meet customer needs while supporting ADM's profitability objectives.
- Identify customer needs, uncover technical gaps, and collaborate with internal teams to develop value-added solutions.
- Research industry trends, customer needs, market conditions, and competitive activity, and publish monthly market updates to the broader sales team to support customer conversations, identify growth opportunities, and communicate key market insights.
- Develop a thorough understanding of ADM's products, services, and market offerings to effectively position solutions that meet customer needs.
- Build and maintain long-term customer relationships through proactive communication, responsiveness, and exceptional customer service.
- Collaborate closely with Sales, Commercial Management, CD&D, R&D, Customer Service, Credit, Product Management, Operations, and other cross-functional teams to deliver outstanding customer experience.
- Assist in developing and improving Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enhance operational efficiency and support continuous improvement initiatives.
- Effectively prioritize multiple customer requests, sales opportunities, administrative responsibilities, and internal projects while maintaining accuracy and responsiveness in a fast-paced environment.
- Represent ADM Animal Nutrition professionally during customer visits, trade shows, industry meetings, and other business events as needed.
- Other duties and projects as assigned.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Agriculture, Animal Science, Science, or a related field required.
- 2–5 years of experience in inside sales related to account management or business development, preferably within the animal nutrition, agriculture, livestock, feed, or related industries.
- Demonstrated success managing customer relationships, qualifying sales opportunities, and providing exceptional customer service in a fast-paced environment.
- Proven cold calling and prospecting experience with the ability to confidently generate new business opportunities and build lasting customer relationships.
- Passion for the livestock industry and a genuine appreciation for animal agriculture. The ideal candidate enjoys working with producers and feed manufacturers and is committed to helping customers succeed through innovative nutrition solutions.
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Strong organizational, planning, time management, and follow-up skills with exceptional attention to detail.
- Demonstrated ability to multitask, prioritize competing responsibilities, and manage multiple customer accounts while maintaining responsiveness and accuracy.
- Self-motivated, results-oriented, and able to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment.
- Ability to build strong, long-term business relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to manage customer interactions, sales opportunities, and forecasting; Salesforce experience strongly preferred.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify market trends, interpret customer data, and communicate business insights effectively.
- Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications required.
- Comfortable representing ADM professionally during customer visits, industry meetings, and trade shows.
- Demonstrated commitment to responding promptly to customer needs and maintaining high service standards.
Additional Information
- Standard work schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Up to 30% travel maybe required.
Before applying for an exempt, non-exempt or hourly job opportunity, you are expected to initiate a discussion and share your intentions with your supervisor. * If you’ve been in your current position for more than 18 months, supervisor approval is not required. * If you’ve been in your current position for less than 18 months, verbal supervisor approval is required.
Hiring Manager-Kathryn Hogan
Recruiter- John Wagner
City
Decatur
State
IL - Illinois
Location Country
United States
About ADM
At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry-advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow. We’re a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over. Learn more at www.adm.com.
Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours.
If hired, employees will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.
The pay range for this position is expected to be between:
$64,000.00 - $120,000.00
Salaried Incentive Plan
The total compensation package for this position will also include annual bonus