About the RoleWe're hiring a Sales Director to own MUD\WTR's Natural channel end-to-end - Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, Erewhon, Fresh Thyme, Natural Grocers, and the long tail of Natural Independents. This is the seat where strategy gets set, buyer relationships get built, launches land on time, promo plans drive real contribution margin, and the door count grows month over month.
Is This You?- Do you live and breathe the Natural channel? You've walked Expo West more times than you can count on your hands, you can name the SPINS top 10 in your category without checking, and you know where to fish when it comes to Natural Independents.
- Do you treat margin like a personal value? You negotiate slotting, display fees, and promo terms without giving away the farm - and you can always show the math.
- Are you a builder, not a maintainer? You've expanded door counts, cracked accounts that said no, and you see a void on the shelf and start working backward to close it.
In this role, you will:- Set the long-range strategy for MUD\WTR's Natural channel - sub-channel priorities, account targets, innovation roadmap, and the investment levels behind each.
- Own the Natural channel end-to-end - full accountability for strategy, execution, P&L, and results across Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, Erewhon, Fresh Thyme, Natural Grocers, and Natural Independents.
- Lead buyer relationships across every account, driving strategic alignment and a consistent monthly business review cadence.
- Deliver flawless launches on time and in full - merchandising strategy, promo plans, marketing alignment, and operational readiness.
- Own promo planning and post-event analysis, optimizing cadence, depth, and mechanics to maximize contribution margin at each retailer.
- Build a continuous pipeline of incremental opportunities - void closures, distribution expansion, secondary placements, always-on displays, and LTOs.
- Develop retailer-specific playbooks across display, promo, and innovation, and manage UNFI and KeHE relationships to optimize cost-to-serve.
- Architect and lead MUD\WTR's broker network across the Natural channel - set KPIs, run scorecards, and hold partners accountable on velocity, distribution gains, and execution; know when to invest, when to restructure, and when to go direct.
- Map and prioritize Natural Independent accounts by revenue potential and strategic fit, building scalable onboarding playbooks that drive incremental distribution.
- Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Finance, Marketing, and Analytics on forecasting, OTIF, display compliance, and EDI.
What you bring:- 8+ years of CPG sales experience, including at least 3 years calling on Sprouts and/or Whole Foods Market
- People leadership experience - building, hiring, and developing sales talent and/or broker partnerships
- Deep understanding of Natural channel economics - UNFI/KeHE dynamics, merchant strategies, distributor vs. direct models, and the cost-to-serve implications of each
- A proven track record of expanding door counts, executing off-shelf programs, and launching new items in complex Natural retail environments
- Fluency in margin math, disciplined trade-spend management, and the ability to negotiate slotting, display fees, and promo terms that protect contribution margin
- Skill at synthesizing SPINS Natural channel data, panel data, and retailer portal data into compelling sell-in stories and opportunity pipelines
- Experience working with and through broker partners - knowing how to hold them accountable, when to lean on them, and when to go direct
- Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets and PowerPoint/Slides, with the ability to build clean models, dashboards, and persuasive presentations
- A startup mindset - comfort with ambiguity, an instinct to build process where none exists, and a bias toward action
- Willingness to travel 25-40%
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent
