The Director of Sales is a player-coach role that combines direct selling with the leadership and development of a team of sales representatives, reporting directly to our VP of Sales. This individual is responsible for driving personal new logo growth with large clients while simultaneously coaching, mentoring, and holding their team accountable for hitting shared revenue goals. The role requires a leader who can close large, complex deals themselves while elevating the performance of those around them. The ideal candidate will bring strong interpersonal skills, high energy, tenacity, and an assertive approach, and will thrive in an environment where individual contribution and team leadership are equally valued. This position is central to our growth strategy and requires someone who leads by example.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Account Acquisition:

• Identify and target large prospects, particularly in the food and beverage, consumer packaged goods and industrial spaces, who generate substantial recyclable waste and have significant waste diversion needs.
• Develop and execute strategic approaches to secure new high-value accounts, leveraging a range of sales tactics and the latest technology, including AI tools for sales development, prospect targeting, and deal execution.
• Conduct in-depth research to understand prospect needs and tailor solutions, ultimately validating sales opportunities to develop profitable solutions.

Relationship Management:

• Build and nurture strong, long-term relationships with key decision-makers, such as Corporate Sustainability, Indirect Procurement and other corporate contacts.
• Navigate prospect conversations across multiple decision-makers to identify prospect needs and articulate how the Northstar value proposition can meet those needs.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for targeted accounts throughout the sales process, ensuring a seamless transition to the Client Services team upon contract signing.

Sales Strategy and Execution:

• Lead the sales process from discovery through contract signing, applying consultative selling techniques to present customized solutions.
• Develop and implement comprehensive sales plans to meet or exceed Gross Profit targets, utilizing a variety of approaches and adapting strategies to market demands.
• Conduct discovery workshops, solutions presentations, product/service demonstrations, and negotiations to drive successful sales outcomes and close high-value deals.
• Negotiate deals and Agreements for themselves and assist their sales team. 
• Review and provide strategic guidance on all RFP responses and submissions from direct reports, ensuring competitive positioning, solution quality, and alignment with Northstar's value proposition prior to submission.
• Partner with the VP of Sales and VP of Client Services biannually to review and reset CGM account lists, ensuring each rep is focused on the right accounts at the right time to drive growth and retention.

Site Visits and Needs Assessment:

• Conduct site visits to facilities to assess waste diversion needs, provide on-site consultations, and optimize waste management strategies.
• Analyze waste and recycling data to qualify prospects and identify opportunities to improve their programs.
• Develop and present written reports highlighting specific waste management opportunities and solutions that demonstrate Northstar’s expertise and overall value

Expertise in Commodities and Waste Streams:

• Maintain a deep understanding of various commodities and waste streams, stay informed about industry regulations and best practices to provide up-to-date and compliant solutions.

Market and Industry Analysis:

• Leverage market insights to identify growth opportunities and potential areas for innovation, providing feedback to internal teams to refine products and services.

Collaboration and Teamwork:

• Collaborate with internal departments, including operations, commodity sales, and client services, to ensure seamless implementation and service delivery to clients, and with other departments to lead efforts to develop specific solutions and pricing to present to prospects
• Actively participate in regular sales meetings, contributing to the overall sales strategy.
• Ensure direct reports are focused on their ideal customer profile (ICP), targeting prospects that align with their specific role and territory.
• Lead from a collaborative approach, ensuring the full depth of Northstar’s family of brands and service offerings is brought to every prospect engagement to maximize win rates.
• Represent the sales function in cross-functional and director-level meetings, bringing a strategic sales perspective to company-wide planning and initiatives.
• Partner with peer directors across operations, commodity sales, finance, and client services to align go-to-market strategy and ensure a cohesive approach to prospect engagement and service delivery.

Reporting and Performance Tracking:

• Maintain accurate records of own sales activities, prospect interactions, and pipeline status in CRM; ensure direct reports maintain the same standard of CRM hygiene across their books of business.
• Analyze sales data to refine strategies and improve future performance.
• Provide regular reporting to senior leadership, including the VP of Sales, CRO, REP and executive team, on sales trends, pipeline health, team performance, and forecast updates.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Directly manage a team of sales representatives, providing day-to-day coaching, deal support, and performance accountability.
• Set individual and team quotas in partnership with sales leadership; monitor pipeline health and forecast accuracy across the team.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, ride-alongs, and deal reviews to develop reps’ skills in prospecting, discovery, and closing.
• Recruit, onboard, and retain top sales talent; build a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Serve as an active selling model for the team: carry a personal quota and demonstrate best-in-class sales execution alongside your direct reports.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Sales, Marketing, Environmental Science, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of applicable experience, with at least 2 years in a people management or sales team leadership capacity.
• Strategic Sales: Proven track record in strategic account acquisition, particularly within the food & beverage, industrials, or CPG sectors, ideally focused on recyclable waste solutions.
• Lead Generation: Proven track record of successfully generating profitable leads to maximize sales outcomes. 
• People Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage, coach, and develop a sales team.
• Strategic Selling Skills: Demonstrated expertise in strategic, consultative sales with the ability to secure large accounts.
• Industry Knowledge: Strong understanding of commodities, recyclable waste streams, and waste management solutions.
• Relationship Building: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with experience engaging decision-makers.
• Results-Oriented: Proven track record of achieving or exceeding sales targets (both at the individual and team level), with experience winning large accounts.
• Analytical and Market Insight: Ability to leverage market insights and conduct in-depth research to tailor solutions for client needs.
• Negotiation and Presentation Skills: Strong skills in conducting product demonstrations, delivering high-impact presentations, and closing high-value deals.

Restrictive Covenants & Confidentiality

Northstar respects the lawful obligations candidates may have to current or former employers. As part of the hiring process, candidates will be asked to disclose whether they are subject to any active restrictive covenants or other continuing obligations—including non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality, or similar agreements—and, if applicable, may be asked to provide relevant documentation for review so Northstar can assess any potential impact on the role.

Northstar expects all employees to honor their continuing obligations to current and former employers. Employees must not use, disclose, rely upon, or bring to Northstar any confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information belonging to another party, including non-public information regarding customers, prospects, pricing, bids or RFPs, suppliers or vendors, contracts, internal processes, or business strategy. Northstar will not request or accept such information.

Given the nature of this role, candidates should be able to perform its essential responsibilities, including developing new business and client relationships, without violating any continuing contractual or confidentiality obligations.

Northstar-Specific Performance Competencies:

The Director of Sales role at Northstar requires alignment with our core Northstar Performance Competencies, including:

• Excellence: Achieving high standards of performance and creativity, managing tasks effectively, respecting data confidentiality, and demonstrating reliability in attendance and task completion.
• Collaboration: Actively fostering teamwork and a positive work environment, contributing to team efforts, and sharing expertise with colleagues.
• Stewardship & Ownership: Taking full responsibility for work, adhering to company standards, setting clear goals, and seeking solutions proactively.
• Empathy & Passion: Displaying genuine care for others, showing enthusiasm for Northstar’s mission, and engaging in professional, meaningful work.
• Humility & Integrity: Demonstrating honesty, self-awareness, openness to feedback, and a commitment to exceeding client expectations through trust and transparency.
• Flexibility & Tenacity: Embracing adaptability, persisting through challenges, and continuously seeking growth opportunities.

Performance Metrics:

• Achievement of personal GP growth targets
• Acquisition of large, new accounts (personal and team)
• Achievement of team GP growth targets
• Direct report retention, development, and quota attainment

Compensation:

• Competitive base salary with commission structure.

This position requires a valid driver’s license and clean driving record to fulfill the essential functions of the role. Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or assume sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Employee Benefits

Northstar offers a comprehensive benefits package, and provides a generous employee contribution to our health, dental, and vision insurance premiums. We offer a 401(k)-retirement plan and match 100% of your first 4% pay contribution to the plan; this matching contribution is 100% immediately vested. We also provide company sponsored short-term, long-term, and life coverage, as well as a multitude of supplemental and voluntary benefit programs.

Northstar promotes a healthy work-life balance. In that spirit, we offer a competitive PTO package that includes vacation time, sick time, 7 observed federal holidays, 3 floating holidays, and additional time off each year for volunteer efforts.

Northstar is a remote-first organization! We offer a fully remote working environment with virtual culture and teambuilding events to create and maintain a sense of belonging, connection, and inclusivity between our team members. We also take great pride in our coaching culture! Northstar fosters professional development for employees within their roles and works to create opportunities for promotion to cultivate meaningful growth for Northstar employees.

DEIB Statement & Commitment

At Northstar Recycling, our company’s intention behind Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) is to create a more inclusive and equitable culture, business practices and methods of operation. As an organization, we are continuing the work that allows for unlearning, accountability, and acceptance. We are incorporating DEIB thinking in all our interactions including hiring, promotion, and retention efforts.

To hold ourselves accountable, Northstar utilizes a DEIB scorecard to measure the following performance metrics: Employee Education and Participation; Leadership Support and Investment; Data Practices; and Retention, Hiring and Promotion. Each metric is evaluated on a quarterly basis and Northstar’s progress is reviewed annually with our leadership team to drive accountability organizationally.

Northstar takes many actions to promote DEIB practices, especially as they relate to recruitment, retention, and promotion. We support our employees through educational resources and training, professional development opportunities, and formal Mentorship programs. We also offer several Affinity Groups and our DEIB Employee Resource Group (ERG). 

EEOC Statement

Northstar Recycling adheres to all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding equal employment opportunity that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age (40 or older), handicap or disability, genetic information, or military status. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Northstar Recycling is committed to fully complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which ensures equal opportunity for qualified persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation is available to all disabled employees, where their disability affects the performance of job functions. All employment decisions are based on the merits of the situation in accordance with defined criteria, and not on the disability of the individual. The Company will follow any state or local law that provides individuals with disabilities greater protection than the federal ADA law.