Director of Sales

Role Overview

Our client is seeking a Director of Sales, Retail & Wholesale, a hands-on sales leader to grow retail and wholesale distribution across its supplement, protein, and functional snack portfolio. Reporting to the VP, Global Strategy, this person will turn promising opportunities into productive accounts: identifying the right buyers, leading pitches, closing business, and building repeatable sales processes that support profitable growth.

This person will own day-to-day commercial execution for an agreed account portfolio and develop channel plans alongside a senior stakeholder. This role combines direct selling, account management, and detailed project follow-through in a growing business.

What They'll Own

- Win new business. Build a prioritized pipeline across national and regional retailers, natural and specialty stores, supplement retailers, and selected convenience, vending, and wholesale channels. Match each opportunity to the right products and a clear commercial case.

- Run the sales process. Research buyer contacts, category review and reset calendars, and submission requirements. Own outreach, buyer meetings, samples, applications, proposals, negotiation, and follow-up through purchase order and launch.

- Lead compelling pitches. Tailor decks, product assortments, pricing proposals, and category stories to each account. Work with marketing and creative partners to bring approved product messaging, consumer insights, and performance data into buyer presentations.

- Grow existing accounts. Build account plans that improve sales per store, reorders, assortment, and distribution. Review retailer performance and recommend promotions, merchandising, education, or other account support with clear objectives.

- Manage brokers and partners. Coordinate buyer outreach and follow-through with brokers, distributors, and sales representatives. Maintain clear account ownership, deliverables, and accountability while developing direct buyer relationships.

- Protect account economics. Evaluate pricing, trade spend, free fills, promotions, commissions, and retailer deductions with finance and leadership. Negotiate within approved parameters and escalate commitments requiring approval.

- Own commercial launch coordination. Keep retailer setup, product information, submission documents, samples, and account milestones on track. Partner with operations and supply chain on inventory readiness, fulfillment requirements, and realistic delivery commitments.

- Build sales discipline. Maintain one reliable pipeline and account tracker with stages, expected value, buyer deadlines, next actions, and owners. Provide clear weekly forecasts, wins, risks, and decisions needed.

- Represent the brand. Prepare for buyer meetings and trade shows, including focused outreach before events and timely follow-up afterward. Coordinate sales support resources and recommend how the function should grow as distribution expands.

What They Bring

- A track record of personally winning and growing retail or wholesale accounts for consumer products, ideally in supplements, nutrition, functional food, or adjacent categories.

- Experience navigating retail buying cycles, category reviews, account onboarding, and broker or distributor relationships; national or regional chain experience is especially valuable.

- Strong prospecting, presentation, negotiation, and closing skills, supported by examples of measurable revenue growth, distribution gains, or improved account performance.

- Commercial fluency in wholesale pricing, retailer margins, promotional investment, deductions, and the difference between shipping product into an account and generating consumer demand.

- Excellent organization and follow-through. Comfortable building a strategy, making the pitch, updating the tracker, and completing the submission details personally.

- Ability to lead through collaboration, work independently, and communicate clearly with buyers, leadership, marketing, finance, and operations. Willingness to travel for relevant buyer meetings and trade shows.

What Success Looks Like

Success will be measured against agreed targets, using both commercial results and the quality of execution:

- Profitable net sales growth across the assigned retail and wholesale portfolio.

- New accounts and productive distribution gains, supported by reorders and sustained sales per store.

- A qualified pipeline that converts, with review windows met and consistent buyer follow-up.

- Reliable forecasts, timely launches, and clear ownership of account issues.

- Trade spending and account economics that stay within approved plans.