Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Team
- Lead, coach, and develop the retail sales team together with buyers, category managers, and analysts to achieve service, growth, and profitability goals across retail accounts and non-food categories.
- Train and develop high-performing talent across both the retail sales and category management functions, including succession planning for key roles.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for retail and non-foods initiatives in leadership and cross-functional meetings.
Customer
- Build and strengthen relationships with national and regional retail chains, and lead retail business reviews and key customer agreement negotiations.
- Develop and manage supplier relationships across non-food categories, negotiating vendor pricing, terms, and service agreements to secure favorable outcomes.
- Collaborate with marketing, category management, and operations to deliver retail programs, support customer needs, and grow share across key accounts.
Strategy
- Develop and implement growth strategies across retail accounts and non-food product lines, aligning with company goals and market trends.
- Manage pricing, promotions, and product mix, along with procurement activity and inventory levels, to optimize profitability, competitiveness, and product availability.
- Analyze sales data, consumer trends, margin, and market data to adjust strategy, guide assortment and pricing decisions, and maximize performance.
- Oversee new product sourcing, supplier onboarding, and category expansion initiatives across non-food lines.
- Monitor industry trends and competitor activity across both retail and non-foods to identify new growth opportunities.
Qualifications and Educational Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, or a related field; MBA a plus.
- 10+ years of experience spanning retail sales, account management, category management, procurement, or merchandising — preferably within CPG, foodservice, or distribution industries.
- Proven ability to build and maintain large retail customer relationships while leading cross-functional projects and driving category performance.
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with demonstrated negotiation and vendor/customer management experience.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and negotiation skills.
Preferred Skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CRM systems; ERP and data analysis tool experience preferred.
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.
