Regional Sales Manager
Heartland Food Products Group | U.S. Field-Based Southeast
We are seeking a Regional Sales Manager (RSM) to lead a hybrid direct and national sales agency model within an assigned region. This role is accountable for delivering regional KPIs through a combination of direct retailer engagement and sales agency leadership, and serves as the primary face of Heartland for regional retailer calls and field-level relationships.
This role requires a confident, externally facing sales leader who can influence retailers directly, set clear direction for agency partners, and translate national strategy into consistent in-market results.
What You’ll Do
Retailer Leadership & Direct Customer Engagement
- Serve as the primary Heartland representative for regional retailer calls and field-level customer relationships
- Lead retailer meetings focused on execution, distribution, merchandising, promotions, and issue resolution
- Reinforce Heartland’s brand strategies, selling stories, and expectations directly with retail partners
Sales Agency Leadership
- Direct and lead Heartland’s national sales agency partner within the assigned region
- Set clear priorities, expectations, and KPIs for agency teams
- Ensure strong alignment between Heartland and agency leadership on goals, programs, and execution standards
- Drive accountability through regular performance reviews, market visits, and ride-alongs
Executional Excellence & KPI Delivery
- Own regional execution KPIs including distribution, shelving, pricing, displays, voids, promotional compliance, and resets
- Ensure flawless execution of innovation launches, seasonal programs, and national initiatives
- Validate in-store performance through store audits, field feedback, and data analysis
Performance Tracking, Reporting & Insights
- Own regional scorecards and dashboards tied to defined KPIs
- Analyze execution data and retailer feedback to identify trends, risks, and opportunities
- Communicate clear, actionable insights and corrective actions to internal stakeholders and agency partners
Cross-Functional Partnership
- Act as the field execution liaison between retailers, sales agencies, and internal teams (National Accounts, Marketing, Category Management, Supply Chain)
- Provide field input into customer strategies, innovation readiness, and go-to-market planning
- Ensure agency and field readiness for new items, resets, and promotional programs
Training, Communication & Capability Building
- Lead onboarding and ongoing training for agency teams on Heartland’s brands, tools, and priorities
- Deliver consistent communication to the field, reinforcing focus and executional discipline
- Share best practices and wins across regions
What You Bring
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required
- 7+ years of CPG sales or field sales leadership experience
- Proven experience operating in a hybrid direct / sales agency model
- Strong capability and confidence leading direct retailer calls and representing the manufacturer
- Deep understanding of retail execution, selling fundamentals, and KPI management
- Ability to influence, align, and drive results without sole reliance on direct authority
- Willingness to travel extensively within assigned region
Preferred Experience
- Experience supporting national brand portfolios across multiple retail channels
- Familiarity with retail execution tools, store audit platforms, and field reporting systems
- Experience partnering closely with National Account Managers and category teams
Key Competencies
- Strong external presence and customer credibility
- Clear, decisive leader with an accountability mindset
- Execution-focused with high attention to detail
- Data-driven problem solver who turns insights into action
- Collaborative partner who builds trust with retailers, agencies, and internal teams
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree
- 7+ years of CPG sales or field sales leadership experience
- Proven experience operating in a hybrid direct / sales agency model
- Strong capability and confidence leading direct retailer calls and representing the manufacturer
- Deep understanding of retail execution, selling fundamentals, and KPI management
- Ability to influence, align, and drive results without sole reliance on direct authority
- Willingness to travel extensively within assigned region
- Experience supporting national brand portfolios across multiple retail channels
- Familiarity with retail execution tools, store audit platforms, and field reporting systems
- Experience partnering closely with National Account Managers and category teams
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.
