Careers at COFCO

Senior Designer – Washington, D.C. 

The Senior Designer is responsible for providing a senior leadership perspective regarding experience and product knowledge to the entire design team. He/she will offer design services to dealership customers, including site/inventory verifications, programming, space planning, typical development, color boards, working/installation drawings, specifications and site-to-plan review. The Senior Designer will work closely with dealership sales, order entry and installation groups, as well as customers, to ensure accurate plans and specifications, conformance to client’s requirements, customer satisfaction and high-quality project implementation.

E S S E N T I A L   D U T I E S   A N D   R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S

1. Attends client planning meetings; presents plans and information to customer for review and approval.
2. Develops and presents block and space plans; gains customer approval.
3. Develops and presents color/finish boards and selections; gains customer approval.
4. Develops finished working drawings for specification and installation; validates plans against construction, electrical engineering and A&D drawings sets; gains customer approval.
5. Develops product specifications; double-checks specifications against plans; gets specifications order- entry ready.
6. Designs and maintains showrooms.
7. Maintains detailed and extensive project documentation, including records of all key decisions, phone conversations, approvals and sign-offs, and notes from all project planning meetings.
8. Provides Director of Design with record of projects and work schedule.
9. Attends sales, design, and product meetings/training when applicable.
10. Conducts responsible interfaces with: client, contractor and subcontractor and subcontractor trades, client’s A&D firm, electrician, client’s IT group, etc.
11. Maintains a working knowledge of applicable building codes.
12. Understands contract furniture processes, including order preparation, project management, order management and delivery/installation.
13. Performs all tasks and duties in an efficient and safe manner.
14. Performs other related duties as assigned or as necessary. Remains flexible and adaptable in work schedules and work assignments as defined by departmental and organizational needs.
15. Represents COFCO in a manner that conveys professionalism, confidentiality, courtesy, fairness, personal integrity, and respect for others.

Q U A L I F I C A T I O N S

EDUCATION AND/ OR EXPERIENCE

• • • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Interior Design or related field required
    • Seven (7) to eight (8) years of practical design experience
    • Computer literate with CET
    • Specification software experience: Project Spec

Interior Designer – Washington, D.C. 

The Designer is responsible for providing design services to dealership customers, including site/inventory verifications, programming, space planning, typical development, color boards, working/installation drawings, specifications and site-to-plan review. He/she will work closely with dealership sales, order entry and installation groups, as well as customers, to ensure accurate plans and specifications, conformance to client’s requirements, customer satisfaction and high quality project implementation.

E S S E N T I A L   D U T I E S   A N D   R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S

1. Attends client planning meetings; presents plans and information to customer for review and approvals.
2. Develops and presents block and space plans to customers.
3. Develops and presents color/finish boards and selections to customers.
4. Gains customer approvals on block and space plans, and color/finish boards and selections.
5. Develops finished working drawings for specification and installation; validates plans against construction, electrical engineering and A&D drawings sets and gets customer approval.
6. Develops product specifications; double-checks specifications against plans; gets specifications order-entry ready.
7. Designs and maintains showrooms.
8. Maintains detailed and extensive project documentation, including records of all key decisions, phone conversations, approvals and sign-offs, and notes from all project planning meetings.
9. Provides Director of Design with record of projects and work schedule.
10. Attends sales, design, and product meetings/training when applicable.
11. Conducts responsible interfaces with: client, contractor and subcontractor and subcontractor trades, client’s A&D firm, electrician, client’s IT group, etc.
12. Maintains a working knowledge of applicable building codes.
13. Understands contract furniture processes, including order preparation, project management, order management and delivery/installation.
14. Performs all tasks and duties in an efficient and safe manner.

Q U A L I F I C A T I O N S

EDUCATION AND/ OR EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design
• Computer literate with CET
• Specification software experience: Project Spec
• Three (3) to four (4) years of experience in Interior Design
• Knowledge of contract furniture product, including systems, filing, case goods and seating

Client Manager – Washington, D.C. 

The Client Manager is responsible for acting as the single point-of-contact between COFCO Account Executives and clients to ensure a satisfactory customer experience, including coordinating all dealer activities, services, orders and facilitating the day to day interaction for each assigned account. He/she is responsible for all daily work order activities plus some project work for his/her designated Account Executive(s). Responsibilities also include  overseeing the order process from start to finish and helping to manage the customer relationship for the accounts related to said Account Executive(s).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provides timely responses to customer’s requests for products, services and/or information.
2. Maintains comprehensive understanding of customer’s needs, corporate goals, business practices and satisfaction/performance criteria.
3. Contributes to overall client relations and on-going relationships with client personnel, and client third parties (contractors, A&D firms, etc.)
4. Oversees all customer projects and work orders; works with dealer team for implementation of cus­tomer orders and service requests.
5. Reviews work plans, schedules and logistics established for customer’s major projects with dealer team
6. Provides frequent and regular status reports to customer regarding project and work order status if mandated by customer.
7. Attends project and account meetings as necessary.
8. Helps with product specifications as necessary or through work with the design de­partment; produces detailed, accurate and professional looking quotes through own effort or in conjunction with dealership personnel (designers, project managers, etc.) and presents these to the customer in a timely manner.
9. Works with service departments to develop service contracts to present to customer when complex services are sold (design, for instance) or for major projects (installation, design, project management).
10. Ensures a responsible close of sale by obtaining signed sales orders (and terms & conditions, if ap­propriate), client purchase orders and deposits as required.
11. Stays involved throughout sale implementation to ensure that any bottlenecks or changes in scope are identified and resolved, and that both customer and dealership are satisfied.
12. Works collaboratively with client, account exec and client’s third party firms, including A&D firms, interior contractors, electrical and communication engineers, customer’s IT group, etc.
13. Manages internal and external dealer team interfaces, including interface with subcontractors, manufacturers, etc.
14. Ensures standards of performance are met for all customer work activities.
15. Ensures documentation standards are maintained for all account activities; ensures dealership pro­cess and procedures are followed.
16. Assists in marketing full range of dealership’s products and services to customer.
17. Provides frequent and regular follow-up with customer regarding information for products and ser­vices including all support for customer’s requests.
18. Performs all tasks and duties in an efficient and safe manner.
19. Performs other related duties as assigned or as necessary. Remains flexible and adaptable in work schedules and work assignments as defined by departmental and organization needs.
20. Represents COFCO in a manner that conveys professionalism, confidentiality, courtesy, fairness, personal integrity, and respect for others.

Qualifications 

Education and/or Experience

• • Bachelors’ Degree in Business or Management preferred
  • Customer relationship training programs preferred
  • Three(3) to five(5) years’ experience in sales and/or marketing, preferably in the contract furniture industry

Account Executive – Philadelphia, PA

The Account Executive is responsible for identifying potential new opportunities, following through on leads, and developing a strategic selling plan that provides the actions steps to close sales of both furniture and services from the dealership. He/she will act as the main point of contact between COFCO and specific customers, creating and fostering client relationships. This position is responsible for sales volume, margin percent and business goals on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Makes initial contact with new prospects via cold calls, face-to-face meetings and field visits to prospects, potential and existing customers at routine intervals to capitalize on new opportunities.
2. Qualifies leads into potential customers; does thorough need analysis to understand client’s requirements for furniture products and services.
3. Provides timely reports on sales forecasts and new leads as required.
4. Develops strategic presentations of dealership’s products and services and presents to customers – in person, through written/graphic documentation and electronic means.
5. Formulates detailed, accurate and professional looking quotes through own effort or in conjunction with dealership personnel (designers, sales coordinators, project managers, etc.) and presents these to customers in a timely manner.
6. Provides responsible close of sale by obtaining signed orders, client purchase orders and deposits as required.
7. Develops and maintains a strong knowledge base of dealership’s product lines – product features, application, technical capabilities, specification, discount structure, etc.
8. Works closely with Director of Business Development to develop an approach of pursuing and closing business.
9. Sets the sale up so that it can be efficiently managed and administered by the dealership, and the dealership operations and business personnel.
10. Accepts responsibility for the accuracy of specifications when entering orders themselves, and reviews specifications for obvious errors when done by others.
11. Stays involved throughout sale implementation to ensure that any bottlenecks or changes in scope are identified and resolved, and that both customer and dealership are satisfied.
COFCO
12. Responds in a timely manner to customer inquiries, requests for information and/or quotations, problem resolution, etc.
13. Provides frequent and regular follow-up contact with customer regarding after sales services and information, including customer satisfaction.
14. Conducts a professional, cooperative interface with the customer, the customer’s employees, and the customer’s third party consultants/subcontractors.
15. Ensures the customer gets frequent and regular reports on order status, project progress and overall customer activity status. Stays involved throughout implementations to ensure that any changes in the score are identified and resolved and that both customer and dealership are satisfied.
16. Assists accounting department with collection of any outstanding client debt.
17. Meets monthly, quarterly and yearly sales, margin and new business goals as set by the dealership and Director of Business Development.
18. Participates in special sales programs sponsored by the dealership or in conjunction with the dealership’s designated furniture manufacturers.
19. Completes Sales Plan at the beginning of each year to be reviewed and modified on a quarterly basis.
20. Functions as customer advocate for internal order fulfillment performance and service products.
21. Works closely with aligned manufacturer representatives.
22. Performs all tasks and duties in an efficient and safe manner.
23. Performs other related duties as assigned or as necessary. Remains flexible and adaptable in work schedules and work assignments as defined by departmental and organization needs.
24. Represents COFCO in a manner that conveys professionalism, confidentiality, courtesy, fairness, personal integrity, and respect for others.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE
• Bachelors’ Degree in marketing or related field required
• Customer relationship training programs preferred
• Knowledge of office environment issues
• Two(2) to three(3) years’ experience in sales and/or marketing, preferably in the contract furniture industry