Heartland Food Products Group
Position Summary
Heartland Food Products Group is seeking an experienced and results-driven Director of Sales to lead our Central U.S. commercial strategy. This role is responsible for driving profitable growth across key national and regional retailers, including Kroger, Meijer, Target, AWG and UNFI while building strong customer partnerships and developing a high-performing sales team.
The ideal candidate is a strategic sales leader with deep retailer relationships, proven people leadership, and strong joint business planning capabilities within the CPG food industry.
Key Responsibilities
Sales Leadership & Strategy
- Own and execute the sales strategy for the West and Central U.S. regions to deliver revenue, volume, and profitability targets
- Develop and lead joint business plans (JBPs) with key retail partners, aligning customer objectives with Heartland’s growth strategies
- Drive distribution, assortment, pricing, promotion, and shelf execution initiatives across assigned customers
Key Account Management
- Serve as the senior commercial contact for major retailers including Kroger, Meijer and Target
- Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with buyers, category managers, and retail leadership
- Lead annual planning, line reviews, innovation launches, and promotional negotiations
People Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of sales professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
- Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular performance reviews, and support professional development
- Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Category Management
Strategic & Analytical Excellence
- Leverage data and insights to inform decisions, optimize trade spend, and improve ROI
- Monitor market trends, competitive activity, and customer performance to identify growth opportunities
- Ensure accurate forecasting and effective demand planning in collaboration with internal teams
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field
- 10+ years of progressive sales experience in the CPG food industry
- Proven success managing key grocery retailers, with direct experience with Kroger, Meijer and Target strongly preferred
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing sales teams
- Strong strategic thinking, negotiation, and joint business planning capabilities
Preferred
- MBA or advanced degree
- Experience leading multi-region or national accounts
- Familiarity with private label and/or branded food categories
Key Competencies
- Strategic & commercial acumen
- Customer relationship management
- People leadership and talent development
- Data-driven decision making
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Executive-level communication and influence
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field
- 10+ years of progressive sales experience in the CPG food industry
- Proven success managing key grocery retailers
- Direct experience with Kroger, Meijer, and Target
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing sales teams
- Strong strategic thinking, negotiation, and joint business planning capabilities
- MBA or advanced degree
- Experience leading multi-region or national accounts
- Familiarity with private label and/or branded food categories
What We Do
Heartland Food Products Group is a global leader in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, producing low-calorie sweeteners, coffee, coffee creamers and liquid water enhancers. Simply put, we make coffee, tea and water taste better. Our portfolio includes a variety of branded, licensed and private label products within multiple categories. We also provide strategic co-manufactured partnerships with many category leaders. On the branded side of the business, we manufacture and market SPLENDA®, the #1 brand in the low-calorie sweetener (LCS) category and the most recognizable in the world. And we’re leading the charge in the quickly emerging cold brew coffee category with JAVA HOUSE® Authentic Cold Brew Coffee, our 100% authentic cold brew handcrafted in small batches. In addition, we are the leading provider of private label sweeteners and liquid water enhancers in the U.S. Our products are distributed throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. We employ over 1,200 people worldwide.
