Head of Sales

**THIS IS NOT A ROLE WITH FORCEBRANDS**Head of Retail SalesAbout the CompanyOur client is a fast-growing, founder-led food brand building a new generation of better-for-you, affordable products. After establishing strong consumer demand and rapidly expanding into retail, we’re looking for a hands-on sales leader to help grow the business across grocery, natural, mass, convenience, foodservice, and other high-potential channels. The company is profitable, independently built, and moving quickly. This is an opportunity to help shape the next stage of growth as the first dedicated retail sales hire.The RoleThe Head of Retail Sales will own and grow the company’s retail business, reporting directly to the Founder and CEO. You’ll lead existing retailer relationships, open new accounts, and build the systems and processes needed to support a larger retail organization. This role is suited to a strategic, commercially minded builder who is equally comfortable setting direction and managing day-to-day execution. You’ll work closely with Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Marketing to grow distribution while protecting profitability.What You’ll DoLead Retail Revenue and ProfitabilityOwn sales targets, forecasting, and P&L performance across retail accountsBuild and maintain strong relationships with retail buyers and brokersNegotiate assortment, pricing, promotions, and account termsManage trade spend, deductions, and promotional investment while protecting marginsPartner with Operations to monitor inventory, fill rates, out-of-stocks, and pricing compliancePursue distribution and revenue growth while maintaining disciplined account and assortment strategiesExpand DistributionDevelop the retail expansion strategy across grocery, natural, mass, club, convenience, foodservice, and other relevant channelsIdentify and prioritize prospective retailers based on growth potential and strategic fitBuild relationships with buyers and key decision-makersLead the sales process from prospecting and presentations through negotiation, launch, and reorderCreate a repeatable process for retailer outreach and new account developmentIdentify and attend trade shows and retail events that support new business and existing partnershipsBuild for ScaleEstablish the systems, processes, and tools needed to support a growing retail businessCreate scalable processes for account onboarding, launches, order management, forecasting, promotions, deductions, and account managementBuild reporting to track performance across retailers, distributors, products, and marketsDevelop processes for managing brokers, distributors, and cross-functional partnersIdentify operational bottlenecks and build solutions as the business growsHelp determine the people, technology, and external partners needed to support the next stage of growthTrack Performance and Drive ResultsTrack key metrics including sales dollars, units, distribution, points of distribution, velocity, and market shareDevelop actionable reporting using syndicated and point-of-sale dataBuild and execute plans to close performance gapsPartner with Marketing on retail programs, shopper marketing, demos, and in-store activationWork with Operations on forecasting, inventory management, and sales operationsWhat We’re Looking For7+ years of CPG retail sales experience, including leadership experience at a high-growth brandExperience scaling a brand from limited distribution to national retail presenceExperience managing national mass, grocery, or club accounts; Target, Walmart, and Costco experience is especially valuableA track record of building distribution with limited existing infrastructureStrong command of retail math, trade spend, and syndicated dataExperience managing brokersFood and beverage experience preferred; dry goods, better-for-you, or snacking experience is a plusA self-directed, hands-on approach and comfort working in a fast-paced environment