Director of Sales

About the Role

Note: This position is not directly with ForceBrands. Candidates must be located in the New York City metropolitan area, Chicago metropolitan area, or Boulder metropolitan area for a hybrid work setup when not traveling.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage Retail and Foodservice revenue streams and oversee P&L performance along with commercial planning focused on revenue, margins, trade expenditures, and profitability.
• Lead the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) process and collaborate with Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, Operations, and Marketing teams to develop a comprehensive multi-channel commercial strategy.
• Establish priorities for channels and customers in grocery, mass market, club, specialty, foodservice, and emerging channels.
• Supervise pricing strategies, trade investments, retailer joint business plans (JBPs), and key customer contracts.
• Collaborate with Sales leadership on account strategies, exploration of new business opportunities, customer planning, and critical negotiations.
• Develop and expand the Foodservice channel strategy including distributor partnerships, routes to market, and growth of the organization.
• Drive the commercial operating rhythm by aligning cross-functional teams on forecasting, product launches, trade planning, and execution.
• Enhance forecasting accuracy, ensure commercialization readiness, and oversee broker and distributor performance.
• Mentor and develop the commercial team while strategizing for future growth.
• Communicate commercial strategies and business outcomes to executive leadership.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years in commercial leadership roles within consumer packaged goods (CPG), encompassing retail sales, sales strategy, or go-to-market leadership.
• Experienced in managing retail accounts across various channels such as grocery, mass market, club, specialty, or foodservice, with a preference for refrigerated or fresh food sectors.
• Proven track record of P&L ownership with deep knowledge of pricing, trade spend, forecasting, and commercial planning methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to build or scale commercial organizations, sales processes, or broker networks within fast-growing environments.
• Solid understanding of retail commercialization practices, including category reviews, joint business plans, promotions, pricing tactics, and new product introductions.
• Strong analytical capabilities to convert data insights into practical business actions.
• Exceptional cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to influence multiple departments including Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Operations.
• Effective people management skills combined with excellent communication and presentation abilities for executive audiences.
• Bachelor’s degree is mandatory; an MBA is preferred.