National Accounts Manager - Midwest

📋 Description

• • Own the Midwest region for Downeast Cider as our National Accounts Manager, driving double-digit volume growth across marquee grocery, big-box, and convenience chains such as Kroger, Meijer, Jewel-Osco, Hy-Vee, and Target. You will be the single point of accountability for revenue, distribution, and share-of-shelf in every assigned account, turning craft-cider curiosity into repeat purchases and category-leading velocity.
• • Build and execute annual joint-business plans that marry Downeast’s unfiltered portfolio (Original Blend, Pumpkin, White, seasonal limiteds, and our new beyond-cider innovations) with each retailer’s strategic priorities. Translate national marketing campaigns into hyper-local activation calendars—think end-caps during football season, summer grilling displays, and cross-merchandising with specialty cheeses—then measure ROI down to the SKU and store level.
• • Run a disciplined sales cadence: weekly top-to-top calls with regional buyers, monthly business reviews with category managers, and quarterly QBRs with VPs of alcohol. You’ll negotiate pricing, promotional calendars, and shelf resets while protecting margin and ensuring compliance with three-tier regulations across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
• • Leverage IRI/Nielsen, depletion reports, and CRM dashboards to mine insights that uncover whitespace. Present data stories that convince buyers to add facings, authorize off-shelf displays, or swap out slower-moving national brands for Downeast. Your analysis will directly inform production forecasts and supply-chain allocations.
• • Collaborate cross-functionally with Regional Sales Directors, distributor partners, and field marketing to guarantee flawless execution. Ride with distributor reps, audit stores, and host ride-along trainings that turn wholesalers into passionate brand evangelists. When execution gaps appear, you’ll diagnose root causes and implement corrective action plans within 48 hours.
• • Champion new-item launches from concept to shelf. Secure distribution targets within 90 days, coordinate sell-in decks, secure buyer approvals, and design retail-specific POS kits. You’ll also pilot digital shelf programs—Instacart banners, Kroger Boost coupons, and Target Circle offers—to capture omnichannel shoppers.
• • Mentor and elevate talent within the broader sales organization. Lead quarterly “best-practice huddles,” share winning playbooks, and provide feedback that accelerates teammate promotions. Your success will be measured not only by your own quota attainment but by the pipeline of future leaders you help develop.
• • Represent Downeast’s scrappy, unfiltered culture in every interaction. Whether you’re closing a 200-store reset or pouring cider at a summer festival, you’ll embody authenticity, competitive spirit, and a relentless drive to make Downeast the #1 hard cider in America.