Corporate Account Manager
About Us
The Box of Life is an Ottawa social enterprise with a mission to empower communities to take climate action by providing simple and effective solutions to divert food waste from trash and turn it into earth with the help of our special friends, composting earthworms. We are a dynamic and growing organization doing our best to have fun while working on impactful projects in the circular food economy, powered by vermicomposting.
About The Project
We are launching a new project to engage with corporate clients to provide them with an on-site composting solution for their coffee grinds, tea bags and lunch leftovers. We will install, and manage a worm farm that will be hosted in their office and engage with their team on the topics of food waste and composting. This will help them become agents of positive environmental and social change.
Our Ideal Candidate:
- Is willing to play with dirt and worms, and understands the vermicomposting process
- Has excellent phone, writing, and listening skills and strong interpersonal skills to support sales, training and customer relations.
- Will have at least one year of professional experience in a sales and customer development
- Has a car and valid driver’s license
- Should be down to earth (pun intended)
- Has a desire to learn, grow, and excel in their role
- Possesses a “Start-up” mentality, with a willingness to get involved in multiple aspects of the business
Job Duties
Representation/Brand Ambassador
- Help to develop leads through sharing information about the merits of vermicomposting to the environment, to healthy gardening and to sustainable development goals.
- Help to promote The Box of Life brand in both the local market (Ottawa) and in other geographic locations.
Sales and Customer Development
- Follow up with warm leads to build relationships with business customers and determine the prospect’s fit with and interest in an on-site composting solution
- Connect with prospective clients to identify their needs and challenges
- Help to develop and refine sales tools and collateral to support the B2B Box of Life sales and customer engagement.
- Educate potential clients about vermicomposting and what we have to offer
- Negotiate the terms of service and sign contracts with clients for onsite vermicomposting.
- Track customer data and where they are in the customer journey.
- Regularly report on customer development.
- Keep up to date on industry trends and partner with colleagues in marketing and operations to generate growth opportunities and evolve sales strategies
Service and Customer Relations
- Transport and install the worm farm at the client site
- Perform regular visits to the client (2-3 visits/month) to ensure the worm farm is working optimally
- Service tasks include installation, routine maintenance, data collection, troubleshooting, and facilitating educational workshops.
- Harvest castings as necessary and package those castings for sale
- Work with Box of Life team to create and promote client engagement activities like an orientation session, possible lunch & learns, pop up events etc.
- Respond to client complaints, concerns and questions once the Box of Life is installed.
- Manage client accounts, acting as their main point of contact.
Work as part of the Box of Life Team
- Share information from clients to ensure improved product development and client support
- Promote the value and importance of a low waste lifestyle, specifically the benefits of composting and healthy soil.
- Fostering a team environment that encourages initiatives and leadership.
Other welcomed skills and experience:
- Experience and familiarity with using a CRM to track and report key sales metrics
- Functional Bilingualism (French/English)
- A professional background in horticulture, biology, environmental science or related discipline
The Box of Life is dedicated to developing a workforce that reflects the communities in which we live and work. As a BIPOC-led business, we encourage applications from persons of diverse backgrounds. We are committed to creating a place where all feel included, and where all may contribute to the advancement of a safe, progressive and supportive working environment.
Terms: 15-25 hours per week to begin, flexible daytime hours
Wage: $25-$35/hour
Reports to: Akil, owner and chief worm wrangler
Duration of Contract: 6 months, with possibility of renewal
Commonly Asked Questions
Does it smell?
A worm farm surprisingly does not smell!
Be sure to follow our instructions included with your parenting guide and join our support channels for troubleshooting!
Where should I put my Box Of Life?
We recommend keeping it indoors in a temperature controlled environment, somewhere easy to access and visible like your kitchen or living.
If you must keep it outdoors, keep in mind that red wiggler worms prefer temperatures between 15-25 C (60-80 F). During freezing cold winters, the worms may die, so it is a good idea to bring them inside. If it is too hot in summer, keep them away from direct sun in a cool, shady space.
How much effort is involved?
Honestly, not much. About 5 minutes a week at most to feed the worms and prepare the bedding.
By diverting food from your trash, you'll notice your garbage doesn't stink anymore which means you can empty it way less often than before.
How can I convince my partner?
The best way to convince your partner to let you keep worms in the house is by promising them that you will take care of them properly, and by following our instructions of course!
Your partner only needs to be mindful of separating food scraps and bedding for the wormies while they are in the kitchen, while you take care of the weekly feeding and maintenance. Treat your wormies like a houseplant!
What can I feed the worm farm?
Ok here's our rule of thumb - if it came from the ground, it can go back into it. This means that you can feed your worms fruits, veggies, paper napkins, cardboard, eggshells, whatever.
A healthy worm farm will recycle your food as well as paper. You are typically going to be feeding an equal amount of food and bedding to your worms.
Just keep in mind that meat and dairy can make your worm bin stinky and attract maggots, so don't add that if you are a new worm parent.
What to do when away on vacation?
If you're going away for two weeks or less, you don't need to do anything. The worms will be fine left alone.
If away for longer, you just need to ensure your worms don't dry out when you're gone. You could ask a friend to water your worm farm and feed them some food every 2 weeks while you are away.
Will my pet damage the worm farm?
So far we have not heard of any complaints from people who have pets and a worm farm. In fact many cat owners report that their furry felines like to sit on top of their boxes.
