Senior Sales Manager - Regional and Independent Channels at Natural Dog Company

Company Overview:

Natural Dog, originally founded as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand, has quickly become one of the leading dog supplement and grooming brands in the country. Over the past five years, we've expanded into national, regional, and independent retail channels, and our products are now widely recognized for their quality and popularity.

While our growth with major national retailers continues, we are equally committed to scaling our brand across regional and independent channels. We are looking for a dynamic and strategic leader to join our team as the Senior Manager of Regional and Independent Channels to spearhead our growth and strengthen our presence in these critical channels.

Position Overview:

The Senior Manager of Regional and Independent Channels will lead the charge in expanding our footprint in regional and independent retail channels, including pet specialty, grocery, farm and feed, and more. Reporting directly to the VP of Sales and Marketing, this role is pivotal to our multi-channel growth strategy. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with a proven track record in the CPG industry, capable of managing a diverse team and driving sustainable growth across various retailers.

What You’ll Do

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of five sales professionals, fostering a high-performance culture that aligns with our company's values and growth objectives.
• Drive accountability and performance through clear goal-setting, regular coaching, and performance reviews.

Strategy Oversight

• Refine existing strategies for growth and account management, build new ones, and ensure your team executes them to drive growth in both existing and new retailers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including marketing, product development, and supply chain, to ensure effective execution.

Channel Management and Expansion

Regional Accounts

• Drive growth and manage relationships with larger regional retailers across Pet Specialty, Farm & Feed, Grocery, and other relevant categories.
• Own account management, relationship building, growth planning, and forecasting

Independent Accounts

• Refine our channel strategy and rebate program to ensure it proves a win-win scenario for NDC and our retail partners
• Oversee our sales team, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and driving continuous improvement.

International Distributors

• Develop and formalize strategies to expand our presence with existing and new international distributors and retailers interested in carrying Natural Dog products.
• Ensure effective onboarding, training, and support for international partners to achieve consistent growth.

Grooming Channel

• Create and execute a national distribution strategy for grooming salons, ensuring our products become a staple in commercial grooming operations.

Veterinary Channel

• Refine and enhance our recently launched veterinary channel strategy, ensuring its success in the veterinary market.
• Work with our 3rd party partner to expand the program beyond its initial market tests, ensuring scalability and profitability.

Must Have Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in managing sales teams within the CPG industry, preferably in regional and independent retail channels.
• Extensive experience selling consumer products to regional and independent retailers, with a deep understanding of the unique dynamics of these channels.
• Strong experience in using CRM systems to drive sales performance and customer relationship management.

Nice to Have Qualifications

• Experience within the pet specialty, farm and feed, grooming, or veterinary channels is nice to have but not required.
• A track record of success in launching and scaling products within independent and regional retail chains.
• Demonstrated success in creating tools and dashboards for data visualization and strategic decision-making.

Pay & Benefits

• Base Salary + Bonus
• Competitive PTO, Sick Days, and Holidays
• 401(k) matching
• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Parental Leave
  
• Remote with option to come into co-working office space if located near Charlotte, NC