Director of Sales, Independent Grocery

Director of Sales, Independent Grocery

• • Full-time

• Sub-Department: Retail Sales

• Department: Sales

• Compensation: USD 170,000 - USD 200,000 - yearly

Company Description

At Link Snacks, we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands: Jack Link’s®, Lorissa’s™ Organic Snacks, Golden Island®, BiFi®, Peperami® and KOOEE!® to name a few, there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.

Job Description

In this role, you will own developing key growth strategies, cultivating relationships with customers, and executing sales, program and innovation that will drive growth to meet the goals of Link Snacks business plan. Additionally, you will report to the VP of Sales, Grocery and lead a team who manages the grocery/food channel for a designated territory and are responsible for delivering assigned customer Revenue, Trade Fund, Selling Expense and Profit goals.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Execute the strategy of the Grocery Channel to deliver on AOP goals.

• Develop and execute the 1 – 3 year strategic plan to grow our sales, market share, and overall leadership position in the category.

• Lead, develop and grow a team of salespeople.

• Build and maintain strong, long-lasting customer relationships.

• Manage team’s trade spending to drive profitable business, including use of trade promotion management system.

• Review sales progress, strategies and business opportunities and develop plans to correct any business shortfall.

• Collaborate with internal functions to develop customer specific programs and customer specific items to build the business.

• Understand and utilize category data to review business performance, identify business trends and opportunities.

• Understand and utilize P&L to drive financial performance, including managing A/R and Deductions.

• Accountable for the development and accuracy of sales forecast by customer and product to drive production planning.

• Provide business updates to senior leadership on sales results and opportunities.

• Understand and report back on competitive landscape and activity.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree; master’s degree in business related field preferred.

• 5+ years of experience in CPG sales with customers, including broker management.

• Exceptional leadership skills.

• Strong ability to multitask.

• Entrepreneurial thinking and understand how to use data to sell.

• Outstanding organizational, presentation, and follow-up skills.

• Excellent verbal and written communication.

• Ability to work well on their own, and also collaborate with cross-functional internal and external teams.

• Travel 50-75%.

• Prior experience in HQ Selling, Sales Planning, Sales Strategy, Broker management preferred.

• Prior experience leading a sales team focusing on the grocery channel.

• Prior experience calling on large grocery and or mass chain accounts.

Additional Information

The pay range for this role is $170,000 - $200,000 (Annual). Actual wage will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, and candidate skill set and experience. Base pay is just one component of Link Snacks Total Rewards package for Team Members. Other rewards may include annual incentive and program-specific awards. Link Snacks provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time off.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to be successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel, and talk or hear. The Team Member is required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms and lift for extended periods while conducting store audits, setting up promotional displays, or attending trade shows. Must be able to regularly lift, carry, and maneuver 25 or more pounds of product cases, display materials, and sales supplies during retail visits and industry events. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work from a dedicated home office, utilizing modern digital collaboration tools (Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom) to maintain seamless communication. Partner closely with remote Sales Managers overseeing other retail channels (such as Mass, Grocery, and Convenience) to share consumer insights, align pricing guardrails, and implement cohesive national brand campaigns.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: Link Snacks provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic that is protected by federal, state or local law.

E-VERIFY: Link Snacks is participant in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For information about the E-Verify program, please visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employees

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.