Sales Director East Coast in Manteno, Illinois at Urban Farmer LLC

Overview:

The Sales Director, East Coast Conventional owns Urban Farmer’s growth with major conventional grocery retailers and wholesalers across the East Coast. This role sells both the branded CAULIPOWER portfolio and Urban Farmer’s private label gluten-free pizza and crust programs. Assigned accounts include many of the largest conventional grocery retailers and wholesalers on the East Coast. We are looking for a seller with real passion for the business: someone who owns the buyer relationship personally, in buyer offices and in stores. The ideal candidate lives on the East Coast, has deep conventional grocery relationships, and has a proven record of selling both a branded portfolio and private label programs.

Key Responsibilities:

Account Development & Strategy

· Own and grow the assigned East Coast conventional accounts, selling both the branded CAULIPOWER portfolio and Urban Farmer’s private label gluten-free pizza and crust programs.

· Build and execute account-level plans for branded and private label business, including item recommendations, shelf placement, promotional calendars, and pricing.

· Win new private label business by pitching Urban Farmer’s gluten-free pizza manufacturing capabilities directly to retailer private brands teams.

· Balance branded and private label opportunities within each account, positioning CAULIPOWER and private label programs so they complement rather than compete with each other.

· Direct and hold accountable the broker partners supporting these accounts

· Partner with the Chief Revenue Officer to set annual sales targets, profitability goals, and growth objectives for the East Coast conventional book.

Customer Relationship Management

· Serve as the primary, hands-on contact for buyers and category managers at every assigned account, meeting regularly in buyer offices and on Zoom.

· Lead category reviews, line reviews, new item presentations, and joint business planning sessions with retail and wholesale partners.

· Negotiate pricing, trade programs, and private label supply agreements that ensure profitability and long-term growth.

· Maintain strong communication between customers and internal teams so orders, promotions, and new item launches execute on time, and keep customers proactively informed on supply and service.

· Resolve customer issues quickly and personally, and coordinate internal responses to maintain high satisfaction and service standards.

Sales Growth & Forecasting

· Own sales forecasting, pipeline management, and performance tracking for assigned accounts, across both branded and private label business.

· Develop accurate sales projections that align with operational capacity and demand planning.

· Partner with Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations to ensure production and logistics support customer timelines and promotional activity.

· Monitor account profitability and identify opportunities for pricing improvements and trade spend efficiency.

· Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) including sales growth, distribution gains, velocity, service levels, and trade spend ROI.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

· Collaborate with Product Development and R&D on new product opportunities that meet the needs of conventional grocery customers, for both CAULIPOWER and private label partners.

· Partner with Marketing and Category Management to deliver data-driven insights, category reviews, and innovation recommendations.

· Work with Finance to manage pricing structures, margin analysis, and customer contract renewals.

· Align with Quality Assurance and Regulatory teams to ensure products meet customer and private label specifications, including gluten-free certification, food safety audit, and labeling requirements.

· Participate in cross-functional business reviews and strategic planning sessions to represent customer needs and priorities.

Market & Competitive Intelligence

· Stay informed on consumer trends, regulatory changes, and competitive developments in conventional grocery and the gluten-free and frozen pizza categories.

· Evaluate new product concepts, ingredients, and packaging innovations relevant to these customers.

· Provide feedback to leadership and product teams on category opportunities and customer requests.

· Identify new East Coast retailers, wholesalers, and private label opportunities that expand Urban Farmer’s reach.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of progressive sales experience in food manufacturing, CPG, or co-packing, with a focus on conventional grocery

· Must live on the East Coast. Willingness to travel up to 40%, including regular visits to buyer offices.

· Deep, hands-on knowledge of East Coast conventional grocery, the frozen space and the major regional and national retailers and wholesalers that operate there.

· Genuine passion for the business and the products: a self-starter who sells with energy, conviction, and urgency and thrives on time with customers.

· Proven experience selling both branded products and private label programs to retailer private brands teams, including managing the distinct pricing, margin, and negotiation dynamics of each.

· Strong financial and analytical skills with experience in pricing, trade spend management, and margin analysis.

· Excellent negotiation, communication, and presentation skills.