Position Overview:The Alternative Channels Sales Manager is responsible for developing, managing, and growing 1440 Foods' presence across Drug, Value, Health & Fitness, and Retail Specialty channels. This role drives distribution, velocity, and brand visibility by building strong distributor and retail partnerships, while leading execution across a diverse set of accounts.
We are looking for a highly motivated, entrepreneurial sales leader with a passion for health and wellness and a proven ability to grow business across multiple channels. This role requires strong relationship-building skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to influence cross-functional partners and broker teams.
If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy building brands through strategic selling and executional excellence, we'd love to hear from you.
Job Responsibilities:Distributor Management- Build and maintain strong relationships with natural, specialty, and broadline distributors including Muscle Foods, Village Grocers, and regional partners.
- Create monthly and quarterly promotion activity for regional distributors to drive incremental placement and close distribution gaps.
- Conduct regular business reviews with distributor representatives to track performance, identify gaps, and execute joint business plans.
- Train and educate distributor sales teams on 1440 Foods' product portfolio, selling points, and brand story.
- Manage deductions, credits, and promotional programs within established guidelines.
Drug Channel- Call on national and regional drug chain buyers and store-level decision makers (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, regional chains).
- Secure new distribution and expand shelf placement for 1440 Foods SKUs in the health, nutrition, and grab-and-go sets.
- Execute promotional programs, endcaps, and secondary placement opportunities.
- Monitor planogram compliance and conduct store audits to ensure proper merchandising standards.
Value Channel- Develop and grow business within value and dollar channel accounts (e.g., Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar General).
- Present tailored assortments and value-pack configurations aligned to channel shopper profiles.
- Partner with trade marketing team to develop channel-specific programs and promotional pricing strategies.
Health & Fitness Channel- Call on gyms, fitness studios, CrossFit boxes, and corporate wellness accounts.
- Drive trial and sales growth through growing ACV, managing core business and new product placements.
- Identify and convert new accounts within the fitness community and develop account-specific promotional plans.
Health Food & Specialty Channel- Open new, manage, and grow existing health food store accounts, including Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, independents, co-ops, and regional natural chains.
- Secure prominent shelf placement and in-store promotional support.
- Leverage distributor relationships to drive pull-through and replenishment at store level.
- Partner with brokers where applicable to maximize coverage and account penetration.
Reporting & Analytics- Track weekly and monthly sales performance against targets using CRM tools and distributor portals.
- Analyze sell-in vs. sell-through data to identify trends, gaps, and growth opportunities.
- Provide accurate forecasts and account-level volume projections to the sales leadership team.
- Submit timely call reports, expense reports, and account activity summaries.
Qualifications & Skills:- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field preferred.
- 5-8 years of CPG sales experience, preferably in the Natural, Health & Fitness, Drug, and Value channels.
- Demonstrated experience calling on distributors and managing multi-channel retail accounts.
- Strong understanding of the natural and specialty retail landscape, including distributor dynamics.
- Ability to analyze sales data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
- Proficiency in sales and analytics tools such as Power BI, Exceedra, IRI, and Microsoft Office Suite.
- Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
- Self-motivated with the ability to manage a large territory independently.
- Experience with speciality distributors is a plus.
- Knowledge of wellness and functional food/beverage trends.
- Passion for health, fitness, and performance nutrition preferred.
- Valid driver's license and ability to travel up to 40%
Why Join Us?- Opportunity to lead a critical function in a growing mid-size CPG company.
- Collaborative and entrepreneurial work culture.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package.
- Career development and growth opportunities.
If you are a driven sales leader with a passion for building brands and delivering results in a high-growth CPG environment, we invite you to apply and join our team!
