Area Director

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.

This position will be located in: Kansas City, MO

Application Deadline: Posted Until Filled

Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed application deadline. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.

Job Summary

Area Director is responsible for overall successful execution of organizational strategy and market growth by maximizing customer experience and fulfillment. Implements market segment strategy and partners closely with Demand Generation and Sales and Marketing for optimal customer experience. Reviews and monitors areas for expansion or consolidation to develop branch networks. Ensures commitment to technology and digital capabilities. Monitors safety performance, employee owner engagement and retention, internal promotion rate, customer retention, target account growth and vendors marketing program growth.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Leads the development and implementation of strategy for a defined area anticipating complex issues, challenges, and opportunities while ensuring integration with wider functional strategy.
• Responsible for collaboration amongst Demand Generation and Sales and Marketing to support the successful execution of strategies and market growth by maximizing the customer experience and fulfillment.
• Owns the overall customer experience by driving improvements to further sales growth, control inventory and product line needs and meeting the needs of the customer.
• Provides overall direction to optimize branch performance and meet customer experience objectives.
• Develops and implements overall fleet and asset strategy within assigned branch network.
• Ensures branch network has the right inventory and level to support Demand Generation.
• Oversees assigned branch location functions to ensure business plans are met and profitability is improved.
• Manages operations of an area with an objective to improve operational efficiency, quality and productivity.
• Ensures safety is a top priority and fully supports corporate and area safety initiatives.
• Leads area culture by example; holds employee owners accountable for behaving and acting in a manner consistent with Border States ownership essentials.
• Drives employee owner productivity and engagement.
• Ensures commitment to technology and digital capabilities.
• Develops bench through mentoring and career development activity.
• Monitors safety performance, employee owner engagement and retention, internal promotion rate, customer retention, target account growth and vendors marketing program growth.
• Develops relationships with regional representatives of large and strategic vendors.
• Rationalizes vendor alignment to maximize support and rebate performance.
• Develops executive level relationships with region’s alliance, strategic and target accounts.
• Establishes relationships with target customers in joint effort of the salesforce for optimal customer experience.
• Ensures customer and vendor concerns/escalations are handled promptly and appropriately.
• Builds a culture that inspires excellence, trust and dedication to an organization that care about its employee owners.
• Places high importance on talent development by growing others through coaching, feedback and exposure.

Non-essential Functions

• Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of unique needs of different audiences.
• Builds a culture that inspires excellence, trust and dedication to an organization that care about its employee owners.
• Places high importance on talent development by growing others through coaching, feedback, and exposure.
• Responsible for oversight of Counter, Order Writers, and Project Managers.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or designate.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, marketing or related discipline, or relevant experience.
• Also requires 3 years of prior management experience including marketing, operations or sales experience.
• Experience managing mid-level managers in remote locations, preferred.
• Strong knowledge of electrical distribution experience preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Expert with Microsoft Word or PowerPoint
• Proficiency with Customer Relationship Management programs
  

Skills and Abilities

• Plans and Aligns
• Ensures Accountability
• Communicates Effectively
• Business Insight
• Strategic Mindset
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent presentation skills
• Ability to effectively plan and organize.
• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:
Occasionally 0 – 33% Frequently 34 – 66% Continuously: 67 – 100%

• Lift from Waist:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Lift from Floor:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Frequently
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Frequently
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Carried for Distance:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all

Physical Activity

Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day:

• Sitting (a continuous period of being seated) - Continuously
• Standing (for sustained periods of time) - Frequently
• Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Frequently
• Bending/stooping (downward and forward) - Occasionally
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet) - Not at all
• Climbing/Walking Stairs (ascending or descending) - Frequently
• Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Frequently
• Crouching/squatting (bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine) - Occasionally
• Kneeling (bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee(s)) - Occasionally
• Balancing (maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling) - Occasionally
• Repetitive motion (substantial movement (motions) or the wrists, hands, and/or fingers) - Continuously
• Pivoting (movement in any direction with one foot, keeping the other in contact with the floor) - Occasionally
• Pushing/Pulling (using upper extremities to press against or draw or tug) - Occasionally
• Grasping (Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm) - Continuously
• Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Continuously
• Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Frequently
• Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Frequently
• Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Continuously
• Use of a computer - Continuously
• Use of a telephone - Continuously
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Occasionally
• Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Frequently

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer’s discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Our History

Border States is a leader in the electrical supply distribution industry with approximately 130 locations in 31 states. Our employee-owners are second to none in delivering top-notch customer service and in demonstrating extra-ordinary people skills. We are one of the largest independent electrical distributors in the United States providing products and services to the construction, industrial and utility industries. Border States has a competitive benefit package and is a 100 percent employee-owned company. Employee-ownership is a significant part of our culture and our success stems from the dedication of our employee-owners. We practice open-book management and our employee-owners are empowered with clearly defined levels of authority to be innovative and decisive, allowing us to respond quickly to the needs of customers. Employee-owners understand their roles in the success of the company and care about customers’ needs, which drives our focus on adding value to everything we do. We recognize that not all customers are the same and each has specific requirements. Our employee-owners understand these diverse needs and have the commitment, resourcefulness and flexibility to outperform all others.

Values
As a Border States employee-owner, you’re responsible for living our mission, service philosophy and service standards.

Our Purpose
We believe unstoppable businesses shouldn't go it alone. We are owners - of relationships, of outcomes, of every moment these unstoppable businesses need to deliver.

Service Philosophy
We earn customer loyalty and confidence by caring about their needs and adding value to everything we do.

Service Standards
Border States employee-owners are competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged .

Your career
Join an experienced team at one of the largest electrical distributors in the United States. What are you waiting for?

Border States has a competitive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

Health, Dental and Vision Benefits
Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity
FSA & HSA
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Disability Benefits
401(k) Retirement Plan
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Paid Holidays
Paid Volunteer Time
Personal Leave time and more!
Border States provides bonuses to their employee-owners upon the achievement of branch and company goals.

Equal Opportunity For All

It’s not just the law. It’s something we’ve believed in since our founding. We value the diversity of all of our employee-owners and will always be an equal opportunity employer.

Drug Free/Smoke Free workplace

Employment may be contingent on the offered candidate successfully passing one or more of the following pre-employment screenings:

• Criminal background check (required for all positions)
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check (required for positions involving driving)
• Drug testing

The MVR check and drug testing vary by role and will be communicated to the offered candidate during the onboarding process and as applicable.