National Account Manager – Grocery

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Lead the acquisition of new accounts and the expansion of channels across the complete product range in the grocery sector, focusing primarily on the pet treat brand.

• Cover all states west of the Mississippi River, including Texas, while targeting national and regional grocery chains, independents, and co-ops.

• Develop and manage a prioritized target list of grocery chains, pinpointing high-value opportunities based on geography, banner format, and category role.

• Own the entire sales process from prospecting and initial contact to category review, item setup, and first shipment.

• Obtain new authorizations and additional points of distribution to meet annual store count and revenue objectives.

• Navigate category review schedules, distributor market routes, new item documentation, slotting, and deduction frameworks.

• Create customer-specific selling narratives utilizing Circana/IRI, Nielsen, and retailer POS data.

• Present to buyers and category managers, substantiating assortment recommendations with data.

• Transform the consumer marketing strategy into promotional and in-store activation plans for retailers.

• Identify innovation and assortment suggestions based on product white space and competitive dynamics.

• Oversee broker agencies in western markets, establishing objectives, priorities, and performance metrics.

• Onboard, mentor, and equip broker teams and distributor representatives.

• Conduct business reviews, market tours, and pipeline discussions; ensure agencies meet distribution and revenue commitments.

• Evaluate regional coverage gaps and propose adjustments to agency scope, coverage, or partnerships.

• Develop and implement annual account strategies, promotional schedules, and trade expenditure plans.

• Collaborate with Operations and Finance to forecast sales volume and spending at both customer and SKU levels.

• Plan, execute, and assess promotions, reporting ROI and modifying strategies as necessary.

• Operate within a designated trade and travel budget and provide reports on it.

• Conduct customer business evaluations and maintain opportunity tracking using Salesforce.

• Coordinate travel and market coverage, liaising with the Key Account Manager and VP of Sales for national or cross-regional accounts.

⛳️ Requirements

• Three to seven years of progressive CPG sales achievements, including recent experience in grocery.

• A proven hunter track record demonstrating specific new accounts opened, rather than those inherited and maintained.

• Existing connections with grocery buyers in the West that can be leveraged for new business opportunities.

• Experience in managing brokers, ideally across various agencies or territories.

• Proficiency with syndicated data (Circana/IRI, Nielsen) and the capability to independently craft a category narrative from it.

• Strong analytical capabilities and financial insight, with comfort in trade mathematics, margin structures, and promotional ROI.

• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, along with a genuine ability to foster relationships; an outgoing and charismatic presence in buyer meetings.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel, as well as Salesforce CRM, Slack, and Google Workspace.

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Residence within the territory with access to a top 25 airport — preferably Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Southern California, or the Pacific Northwest.

• Familiarity with a remote sales environment and a willingness to travel, including overnight and air travel.

• Estimated travel requirement of 25–30%.

• Experience in the pet category is a plus.

• Ability to operate effectively in situations of ambiguity with minimal oversight; previous experience at a rapidly growing consumer company is advantageous.

• A love for dogs or cats (and treats!) is essential.

🏝️ Benefits

• Connected remote-first culture with a highly engaged distributed workforce.

• Flexible PTO.

• Competitive salary.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• 401K employer matching.

• Home Office Stipend.

• Parental leave, including “pawternity” leave.

• Discounts on Antelope products and pet insurance.