Director of Sales - Kroger

About the role

Critical Mass Group works with some of the most innovative, exciting brands in the food and beverage space. Our extensive expertise, strategic relationships and relentless execution in sales and distribution provides our unique brands the foundation and pathway for sustainable growth. Our team of experts build outstanding brands.

Job Summary

The Director of Sales is responsible for growing sales of the Company's brand partners at Kroger. This position is tasked with delivering profitable sales results, which include engaging existing and new retail accounts, creating successful promotional plans, and expanding distribution through existing and new distribution partners. The Director of Sales also participates in the innovation process, championing account led ideas and needs.

Responsibilities and Duties

General / Strategic

• Create, build and maintain strong partnerships with distributors and retailers to grow brands in the assigned geography.
• Executes the go-to-market strategy for brands in retail channels in the assigned geography:
• Drives sales in current footprint.
• Expands into new regions with regional and national banners.
• Grows footprint of regional chains through distribution network.
• Builds sustainable, long term, relationships with our retailer partners.
• Strong emphasis on continued education with internal and external sales teams on category management, innovation, market conditions, competitor knowledge and trends in their assigned geography.

Promotional Planning

• Develops, presents, and executes brand promotional plan on a retailer by retailer basis.
• Improves execution of distribution, new item introductions, schematic implementation, promotional plans, forecasts and channel strategies.
• Communicate to our distributor partners to execute in trade execution with upcoming promotional programs and activities.
• Participate in distributor kick offs, reoccurring meetings, and ride alongs to promote the company brands.

Analytical Reporting

• Prepares, develop and delivers metrics and analytical reports that give the internal team and brand partners timely, flexible and structured access to their business information.
• Requesting and analyzing distribution reports to determine market coverage and opportunities for future growth.
• Conducting store audits (with field sales reps or merchandisers) to ensure merchandizing standards are adhered to and promotional programming is being executed.
• Builds a seamless connection internally with management to track and manage promotional spending and accrual funds to maximize return on investment; drives profitable volume for trade spend levels.
• Work with the management team to understand business and functional requirements, implement solutions to support their analytical and reporting needs, and assist them in identifying patterns and anomalies.
• Optimize sales and operational efficiency through innovative thinking, process improvement, data manipulation, system enhancement and best practices.

Brand Management / Relations

• Assures a high level of customer service by handling customer concerns and follow-up in a proactive manner.
• Resolve customer issues by following appropriate administrative processes and company policies and escalating issues to management as appropriate.
• Ability to understand, create and deliver high-quality audience-appropriate communication with brand partners.
• Assure a high level of customer service by handling brand concerns and follow-up in a proactive manner via phone, email, and in person.
• Report back progress, successes and challenges to management in timely manner.

People Management

• Provide strong leadership and culture to all direct reports.
• Partner with VP to effectively lead and motivate a growing sales team with a complex, operationally heavy process.
• Ensure company quotas and standards are met by holding daily and/or weekly check-ins with team to set objectives for the day/week and monitor progress regularly.
• Identify knowledge gaps within the team and develop a plan to fulfill them.

Miscellaneous

• Works to help coordinate, as well as participate, in trade shows (ex: Expo East/West, Fancy Foods, and distributor shows).
• Demonstrate a passion for all of the Company's products.
• Embrace our brand image and model the Company's cultures, values, and behavior - always represents the Company in a positive and energetic manner!

Qualifications, Skills, and Education

• This position should be passionate about food and beverages. He or she considers themselves an independent thinker and doer, and some who loves to introduce friends to new things they've discovered, especially food and beverages.
• Bachelor's degree (B.A or B.S) in Sales, Business Administration, Business Management.
• 10+ years of successful sales experience with increased responsibility with retail customers.
• 5+ years of in house-Kroger buying and/or category management experience a must.
• Established relationships and demonstrated success working with Kroger, along with the associated distributors serving these channels.
• Working knowledge of financials used in the sales process such as costing, margin, profitability, promotional spending, and allowances.
• Passionate and results oriented individual who demonstrates persistence in the face of obstacles - ability to problem solves and innovate to succeed.
• Strong planning and organizational skills along with excellent interpersonal, written/oral communication, and presentation skills.
• Full competence with Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).
• Proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Demonstrated ability to excel in a hands-on, fast paced entrepreneurial environment.
• Highly adaptable and resourceful; proactive versus reactive.
• Proficient in Syndicated Data Tools including, but not limited to SPINs, IRI, Nielsen, etc.